Kanwaljeet Singh

• PhD
• Assistant Professor at National Council of Educational Research and Training

A new species of Dactyloctenium (Poaceae) from Jammu and Kashmir is described and illustrated. Of the four Dactyloctenium species found in India, the new D. ruderale shares a close relationship with the two previously identified D. aristatum Link and D. aegyptium Willd. from northwest India. The diagnostic characteristics are 50–80 cm tall herb; in...

Background: This study was conducted in the Polavaram Mandal of Andhra Pradesh. Eighteen field visits were undertaken in the eight villages of Polavaram Mandal. Methods: Information was collected from 126 informants using open-ended interviews and semi-structured questionnaires. The data was examined employing indices viz., Relative Frequency of Ci...

Trees are essential to human existence and a vital part of biological diversity. Population expansion and climate change are aggravating deforestation and degradation of forests. Considering forests’ productive, ecological, protective, recreational, and educational significance, there is a great need to use technology in the protection and conserva...

The Rhododendron L., a member of the Ericaceae family, is a compact evergreen tree with pinkish or red flowers. The members of the family are distributed throughout the world, with approximately 1025 species. As many as 135 species have been reported thriving at altitudes ranging from 1500 to 5500 metres above sea level from the Indian Himalayas. B...

The new species Rosa aharbalensis is described and illustrated from Tehsil Damhal Hanjipura of Jammu and Kashmir. It is morphologically similar to Rosa canina , but characterized by having velvety leaves, leaves with up to 9 leaflets, hairy stipules with glandular margins, hairy and eglandular pedicels, one bract and two bracteoles, sepal margins w...

Background: The present study was carried out in Paddar region of Jammu and Kashmir to investigate and document the plant species used by the Paddari tribe in socio-magico-religious purposes. Methods: Ninety-eight informants (55 males and 43 females) in the age of 21 to 80 years were included in the study. Purposive,snowball and random sampling met...

Ladakh's wild edible plant species (WEPs) provide a vital source of food, nutrition, and medicine to the region's indigenous populations. However, WEPs' nutritional and antioxidant properties are missing in the region. The current study examined the nutritional values, total phenolic, total flavonoid, and antioxidant capabilities of 11 WEPs from th...

A new species of Dactyloctenium (Poaceae) from Jammu and Kashmir is described and illustrated. Among Indian species of Dactyloctenium , the new D. ruderalis is closely related to the only previously known D. aristatum in the region by being non-stoloniferorous. Among others, distinctive characteristics of much taller; peduncle length and bearded cu...

The Rosa L. genus is a significant plant family in the Rosaceae group, consisting of around 200 species, primarily shrubs. In India, it has 37 species, most located in the Western Himalayan region of Jammu and Kashmir and Himachal Pradesh. Roses are highly regarded for their beauty and growth and are popular worldwide for their nutritional, therape...

In the herbal drug industry, raw herbal drug samples of several important plant species are often reported interchangeably used with other drug samples. Correct identification for the use of genuine species in herbal preparation is essential to ensure the safety and quality of herbal medicines. Developments of standard botanical monographs are know...

Background: The knowledge of geographical distribution and ethnobotanical uses is critical for the effective conservation and utilization of native plant genetic resources. No attempt has been made to amalgamate and analyze all of the available information on the ethnobotany, and distribution of Rosa in India. Therefore, this work aimed to provide...

Ethnopharmacological relevance: Ladakh, "the land of high-rising passes," is a cold arid desert located in the northernmost part of the Trans-Himalayan region. Traditional knowledge of medicinal plants in this fragile ecosystem is an important part of the primary healthcare system, particularly in remote areas where modern medical facilities are n...

Wild fruits possess important bioactive chemicals that may prove useful in alleviating several health ailments. In many places around the world, wild fruits have played an essential role in providing nutrition and dietary requirements to the poor. Nutraceuticals are gaining wide acceptance for their flavor and nutritional benefits. One such resourc...

The trade of herbal drugs is often reported with misidentification and adulteration problems due to morphological similarities and confusion in common names. To avoid adulteration and ensure correct identification and authentication of herbal crude drugs, the present study focused on developing botanical, chemical, and molecular reference standards...

Background Trillium govanianum Wall. ex D. Don occurring at high altitudes in the Himalayas and known by the common name ‘Nag Chhatri,’ has high medicinal value. Its rhizome samples have substantial therapeutic potential and possess anti-cancer and anti-aging properties. Due to similar common names and morphology, there is an issue with adulteratio...

Bioprospecting is a multidisciplinary endeavor that entails systematic discovery, isolation, and identification of new bioactive molecules utilizing natural biological reserves before moving on to product production and commercialization. Medicinal plants have been employed to treat a plethora of health complications since the dawn of humanity, dem...

Since time immemorial, humans utilize plants for various needs such as food, shelter, fuelwood, and medicine. Plants exhibit medicinal properties due to the presence of several classes of phytochemicals, especially secondary metabolites, also known as specialized metabolites (SMs). Plants are chemical factories and many important drugs used today a...

Background: The study was conducted in the cold-arid region of Ladakh to evaluate the important ethnoveterinary medical plants used by the indigenous inhabitants and to understand the traditional methods of herbal preparation used locally to treat livestock ailments. Methods: Ethnobotanical survey was carried out in 15 villages of the Ladakh region...

Background: Most people and livestock producers in rural India continue to rely on traditional medicine for health-care practices. The aim of the present study was to document important plant species employed by the people of Paddar to treat livestock ailments. Methods: Reconnaissance surveys were conducted in Paddar from April 2020 to September 20...

The new species Rosa machailensis from Paddar subdivision of Jammu &Kashmir is described and illustrated. It is closely allied to Rosa moschata but differs in having acute leaflet, densely glandular margins and long auriculate stipules, broad prickle base, emarginate, mucronate and incised petals, small size of hips (pseudo fruit), thick exine of p...

The new species Rosa machailensis from Paddar subdivision of Jammu &Kashmir is described and illustrated. It is closely allied to Rosa moschata but differs in having acute leaflet, densely glandular margins and long auriculate stipules, broad prickle base, emarginate, mucronate and incised petals, small size of hips (pseudo fruit), thick exine of p...

The present study investigated the palynological diversity of highly medicinal Rare, Endangered, and Threatened (RET) plant species dwelling in higher altitudes of Western Himalaya, India. The pollen morphology of 32 plant species covering 29 genera, 23 families, and 18 orders of Angiosperms was analyzed by Light Microscopy (LM) and Scanning Electr...

Background: Plants play an essential role in every rural society's cultural and religious ceremonies. The focus of the study was to document the use of plants by the indigenous communities of sub-Himalayan Tract, Uttarakhand in magico-religious practices. Method: Information was extracted from eighty informants (50 men; 30 women) between 25 to 75 y...

Recently, the use of hips of different rose species has increased due to its nutritional and health-promoting benefits. Rose hips contain a rich amount of ascorbic acid, phenolics, and various other bioactive constituents. Based on the distribution and variation in the morphological characters, rose hips of nine accessions belonging to the three sp...

Background: The present study has been designed to document the wild edible plants used by the local populace of the Paddar Valley, district Kishtwar, Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir, India. Methods: A total of 50 informants between the age group of 18-74 years were interviewed. Semi-structured questionnaires, participatory observations, and i...

Background: Gujjar and Bakarwal tribal communities are a treasure trove of traditional veterinary knowledge as they have been using plants to keep their livestock healthy and free from diseases for centuries. However, this knowledge is declining day by day due to several factors. The present study was aimed at surveying and documenting the medicina...

Background: Gujjar and Bakarwal tribal communities are a treasure trove of traditional veterinary knowledge as they have been using plants to keep their livestock healthy and free from diseases. However, this knowledge is getting diminished day by day due to several factors. The present study was aimed to survey and document the medicinal plants us...

The present study aimed to understand the pollen morphological variation among and within the Rosa L. species of Western Himalaya, India, and to investigate whether the pollen characters may help to distinguish these species of roses. The pollen morphology of nine Rosa species viz. R. canina L., R. centifolia L., R. damascena Mill., R. foetida var....

Bergenia ciliata (Haw.) Sternb., belonging to the family Saxifragaceae, commonly known as Pashanbheda, is an important medicinal plant distributed in temperate regions of the Himalaya. It is used in Indian Systems of Medicine (ISMs) and is also known to have high ethnomedicinal value. Its root, rhizome and whole plant parts are used and have a very...

Fuelwood is the primary source of energy in rural villages of Western Himalaya (WH), India, which is used for a plethora of purposes such as cooking, water heating, room heating, and lighting. Most of the fuelwood is extracted from the forests, which is one of the leading causes of disturbance to the natural forest flora of WH. In the present study...

In the present review article, we have compiled and analysed ethnomedicinal knowledge on the plants used to manage CNS and memory-related problems by various indigenous communities of the two Union Territories of India viz., Jammu and Kashmir (J&K), and Ladakh. Ethnomedicinal studies conducted in J&K and Ladakh, India up till the year 2020, were se...

Fritillaria cirrhosa D. Don belonging to the family Liliaceae and is one of the important bulbous medicinal herbs from the Western Himalayan Region distributed between 2800 and 4000 m asl. It is a perennial herb having an underground bulb which is the main constituents of various Ayurvedic preparations. Due to natural habitat specificity and indisc...

Capsaicinoids are a group of molecules, which impart pungency (hotness) to Capsicum fruits. The capsaicinoids are synthesized in the placenta of the Capsicum fruits. During the past few decades, there is an increasing interest in elucidation of the biosynthetic pathway of capsaicinoids. The whole genome sequencing of the highly pungent species, Cap...

The aim of this study was to assess morphological variation in wild Rosa L. germplasm from the Western Himalayan Region that includes the geographical area of two Union territories (Jammu and Kashmir [J&K] and Ladakh) and one state (Himachal Pradesh [HP]) of India. Field trips in different locations of J&K, Ladakh, and HP from 2014 to 2018 were und...

Astavarga is a group of eight important medicinal plants used in Ayurveda found in Indian Himalayan region between an altitude of 800 and 4000 m asl. These plants are used in variety of Ayurvedic formulations such as Chyavanprasha. Due to scarcity of these plants in wild, non-existing cultivation practices and confusing vernacular names there is wi...