Ethnobotanical Study on Wealth of Homegardens in Gosiling Gewog of Tsirang District

Abstract

Aim: To document the medicinal uses of homegarden plants by local healers. Study Design:  Semi-structured interview was conducted with the prior approval from the gewog official. Five local healers were contacted for interview before field visits based on their popularity and experience of using medicinal plants in their locality. Place and Duration of Study: The study was conducted at Gosiling gewog, Tsirang District, Bhutan between May and June 2016. The homegarden and agricultural practices are common amongst people in this gewog. Methodology: Six local healers were identified based on their experience on ethnomedical practice. Multiple approaches were taken such as botanical inventories, collection of plant specimens, structured and informal interviews with local healers including freelisting and preference ranking to collect the information on medicinal use/s using questionnaires. Results: Forty six plant species from 45 genera and 37 families were recorded with their ethnomedicinal uses by the local healers against various ailments and diseases. Conclusion: This study suggests that most of the medicinal plants available within homegardens are commonly used by the healers.