Acacia catechu (Khair)

Acacia catechu also commonly called Mimosa catechu, is a deciduous, thorny tree which grows up to 15 m (50 ft) in height.

Middle-sized tree; twigs with paired recurved thorns; flower pale yellow in cylindrical spikes; pod flattened, brown, shining, 5-7 cm long, containing 6-8 seeds. A useful multipurpose tree for the Terai and lower hills, fairly easy to establish and of considerable commercial importance as the source of katha and cutch.

Local Name	:	Khair (Nepali), Khayer (Tharu)
English Name	:	Cutch Tree
Family	:	Leguminosae
Scientific Name	:	Acacia catechu, Mimosa catechu
Habit	:	Spiny tree
Flowering Period	:	May to July
Fruiting Period	:	October to December
Habitat	:	Trripical zone in revarine forest
Occurrence in Nepal	:	Terai and lower hills
Use	:	Dye, medicine, firewood

 

Abies spectabilis (Talispatra)

Abies spectabilis is an evergreen Tree growing to 30 m at a slow rate; trunk to more than 1.5 m d.b.h.; bark rough, scaly; branchlets yellowish grey, brown, or reddish brown, furrowed, pubescent or glabrous, densely leafy; winter buds globose or ovoid, resinous. Leaves ascending on upper side of cone-bearing branchlets, pectinately arranged in 2 lateral sets on young and vegetative branchlets, bright green adaxially, linear, 2-6 cm long, 2-2.5 mm wide, stomatal lines in 2 white bands abaxially, resin canals 2, marginal, apex emarginate or 2-cleft. Seed cones dark purple, maturing to dark brown or blue-brown with a little purple, cylindric, 8.5-20 cm long, 4.5-7.5 cm wide. Seed scales at middle of cones flabellate-trapeziform, 2.3-2.8 cm long, 2.8-3.4 cm wide, and margin auriculate and thin laterally. Bracts included, spatulate, 1/3-1/2 as long as seed scales, apex with an acute, short cusp. Seeds ca. 1 cm; wing broadly cuneate, longer than seeds, apex truncate. The flowers are monoecious (individual flowers are either male or female, but both sexes can be found on the same plant) and are pollinated by Wind.

The species has a wide distribution from East Nepal into eastern Afghanistan. It occurs along the southern side of the Himalaya and outlying ridges, forming forests at higher elevation. Abies spectabilis is usually the dominant tree in the stands but may occur with other conifers or broadleafed trees such as Betula and Acer in parts of the range.

Abies spectabilis is the dominant tree in the forests of the central and western Himalaya, especially from c. 3,000 m to 4,000 m, with occasional occurrences on ridges below this height. It needs cool moist conditions at the roots, thus growing better on north facing slopes and often giving way to grass or shrubs on south facing ones.

IUCN Catagory: Near Threatened (ver 3.1)

Local Name	:	Talispatra, Thaasing (Sherpa)
English Name	:	Fir
Family	:	Pinaceae
Scientific Name	:	Abies spectabilis (D. Don.) spach
Habit	:	Tree up to 30 m
Flowering Period	:	October to December
Fruiting Period	:	April to August
Habitat	:	Temperate and Alpine zone
Occurrence in Nepal	:	Southern Slope of Higher Mountain
Use	:	Medicine (young leaves), dye (yonger fruit), timber, resin, making paper

Swertia chirayita (Chiraito)

Swertia chirayita

Chiraito (Swertia) is a medicinal herb found in broad leaf forests and on open slopes all along the Himalayan Mountains, from 1,600 to 2,500 meters. It reaches a height of one meter.

The plant contains "Chiratin," a bitter-tasting chemical used to treat stomach-aches, constipation, and excess urination; to eliminate parasites; and to prevent or treat malaria.

Chiraito falls under the IUCN threat category "vulnerable plant". Over-harvesting and improper and unscientific collection of S. chirayita has been taking place in Nepal for commercialization. It has contributed to rapid depletion of S. chirayita from natural habitats. [[Forest Rule 1995]] forbids both collection and trade of chiraito from May to September.

Practices for cultivation of Chiraito are recently initiated within community forest and marginal land of eastern hilly districts of Nepal.

Other Species Occurring in Nepal

Swertia angustifolia Buch.-Ham. ex D. Don

Swertia tetragona Edgew

Swertia racemosa (Griseb.) C.B. Clarke

Swertia ciliata (D.Don ex G. Don) B.L. Burtt

Swertia dilatata C.B. Clarke

Swertia multicaulis D.Don

Swertia alata (Royale ex D. Don) C.B. Clarke

Swertia nervosa (G.Don) C.B. Clarke

Local Name	:	Chiraito
English Name	:	Felworts
Family	:	Gentianaceae
Scientific Name	:	Swertia chirayita
Habit	:	Herb up to 1 m height
Flowering Period	:
Fruiting Period	:
Habitat	:	Broad Leaf Forest in Eastern Hills of Nepal
Occurrence in Nepal	:	Estern Hills, Tropical and Sub tropical regions
Use	:	Used to treat stomach-aches, constipation, and excess urination; to eliminate parasites; and to prevent or treat malaria

Loth Salla (Taxus wallichiana)

Taxus wallichiana (Photo by: Rabin Suwal)

It is a medium-sized evergreen coniferous tree growing to 20 m tall, similar to Taxus baccata and sometimes treated as a subspecies of it. The shoots are green at first, becoming brown after three or four years. The leaves are thin, flat, slightly falcate (sickle-shaped), 1.5–2.7 cm long and 2 mm broad, with a softly mucronate apex; they are arranged spirally on the shoots but twisted at the base to appear in two horizontal ranks on all except for erect lead shoots. It is dioecious, with the male and female cones on separate plants; the seed cone is highly modified, berry-like, with a single scale developing into a soft, juicy red aril 1 cm diameter, containing a single dark brown seed 7 mm long. The pollen cones are globose, 4 mm diameter, produced on the undersides of the shoots in early spring.

The tree has medicinal use in Ayurveda and Tibetan medicine. Taxus wallichiana is also a source of the chemical precursors to the anticancer drug paclitaxel. This species is also used as fuel wood by the local communities.

Local Name	:	Loth Salla
English Name	:	Himalayan Yew
Family	:	Taxaceae
Scientific Name	:	Taxus baccata sub sps. wallichiana
Habit	:	Tree up to 20 m ht.
Fruiting Period	:
Habitat	:	North facing Moist slopes at higher altitude 1000-3500 m
Occurrence in Nepal	:	Through out high hill and mountain belt in Nepal.
Use	:	Medicine, fuel wood