Medicinal Plants of Nepal

Nepal, covering an area of 147,181 Km2, is an isthmus connecting two geologically old paleotropic and paleoarctic pieces of land. The geography of Nepal ranges from flat lowlands, lying below 100 meters in elevation, to the top of the world at 8,848 meters. The dense tropical broadleaf forests of Terai in the south give way to subtropical and temperate broadleaf and coniferous forests in the middle of the country. The north is characterized by sub-alpine coniferous forests, alpine pastures and shrublands, and magnificent frozen peaks with many glaciers and glacial lakes.

Floral Diversity in Nepal
Due to its geographic and climatic diversity, the relatively small country of Nepal—occupying just 0.1% of the world's total land mass—is surprisingly rich in biological diversity. Nepal boasts 10,167 plant species, 5,891 of which are flowering. The country ranks between 25th and 30th on the global scale and 11th on the continental scale for richness in floral diversity. Nepal's flora comprises 2.5% of the total global flora. Of the flowering species, 5% are endemic to Nepal and 30% are endemic to the Himalayan Mountains. As such, Nepal is very rich in biological resources, including native medicinal plants. These plants are an integral part of traditional eastern medicine. The Ayurbedic (homeopathic) health care system depends solely on the use of these highly valued native medicinal plants.

Medicinal and Aromatic Plants in Nepal
The medicinal and aromatic plants database for Nepal includes 1,624 species of wild, domesticated, and naturalized plant species. Of these, 1,533 are flowering plants and 92 are non-flowering.

Eastern Homeopathic Treatment Based on Himalayan Native Medicinal Plants
The traditional health care system based on Himalayan native plants has a long history. Pieces of literature written in the Nepali, Newari, and Sanskrit languages contain records of Nepali medicinal plants. The original "Saushrut Nighantu," written on palm leaves in Newari script and Sanskrit verses during Mandeva Era 301 (879 AD), is said to be the oldest of these books.