1. Botanical name

Picrorhiza kurrooa Royle ex Benth.

2. Synonym(s) 

-

3. Family

Scrophulariaceae

4. Taxonomic status

Species

5. Vernacular names

Kutki, Karhwi, Karu

6. Habit

Perrenial herb with fleshy root

7. Habitat

Alpine region, Well drained rocky slopes

8. Original global distribution

Himalayan region from Pakistan to Temperate Asia

9. Current

regional

distribution

Himachal Pradesh

Lahual Spiti, Kinnaur, Chamba, Kullu, Dangra, Bharmar, Pangi, Parvath valley, Chansal, Sangla pas, Bhandag, Sylmar, GHNP

Jammu & Kashmir

-

Uttaranchal

Kandara, Kauri, Kedarnath, Tungnath, Katling, Pindari,  Milam, Ralam, Darma, Byans

10. Elevation range (m)

2,700 – 4,300

11. Population Reduction – PR

 

States

< 30%

30 to <49%

50 to < 80%

­³ 80%

Himachal Pradesh

 

 

ü

 

Jammu & Kashmir

 

 

ü

 

Uttaranchal

 

 

 

ü

Data quality

2, 3

11 a. Time/Rate (years/generations)

10 years

12. Extent of Occurrence – EOO 

>20, 000 Km2

13. Area of Occupancy – AOO

> 2,000 Km2

14. No. of  locations / sub-populations 

Himachal Pradesh

Jammu & Kashmir

Uttaranchal

Many

Many

>10

14 a. Data quality

2, 3

15. Threats 

Hm (Harvest for medicine), Lf (Loss of Habitat), Ov (Over exploitation), Tp (Traded for parts)

16. Trade

 

Name(s)

Kutki, Karu

Level(s)

Local ü

Regional ü

National ü

Global ü

Parts traded

Roots

Effect on population

Declining

Data quality

2, 3

17. Other comments

·   IN-SITU and EX-SITU conservation required

·   Rhizomes are gathered due to which risk on population is encountered. Highly traded

·   In negative list of exports, ‘98. Ban on extraction from the wild and commercial cultivation to be implemented in Areas of rich biodiversity to be protected.

·   Existing cultivation in Dewal Ghes village (HAPPRC), Munsiary / Milam

·   Rhizomes have picrotoxin. Indian system of medicin, Liver drugs

18. Recent field studies

 

·  N.S. Chauhan, 1992(Chamba, Kinnaur, Kullu), 1999

·  Khali,R. & A.K. Sharma (FRI) – 2002; Uniyal et.al 2003;

·  Rawat, 2002; S.K. Singh 1997; H.K. Badola 2002; P. Sharma (2002)


19. Status

Himachal Pradesh

Jammu & Kashmir

Uttaranchal

- CITES

Appendix II

- Legislation

Negative list of exports

- Criteria based on

EN (A 2 c, d)

EN (A 2 c, d)

CR (A 2 c, d)

- IUCN

EN

EN

CR

20. % of global presence

20 %

21. Existing Conservation measures

-

22. Is the presence of taxon continuous with neighbouring areas ?

-

23. Are the outside populations also under similar threats / pressures?

-

24. Recommendations

S (Survey), M (Monitoring), Hm (Habitat management), Lh (Life history studies), Lm (Limiting factor management), Lr (Limiting factor research)

Research / Management

a) in situ

Jammu &Kashmir – Sanasar (Rambhan), Gandarbal

Himachal Pradesh – Ganigul-Siabi (Chamba), Rupeebaga (Shimla)

Uttaranchal –Khadling (Tehri Dt.), Khandara

b) ex situ

-

   i) Cultivation

-

   ii) Level of difficulty in propagation / cultivation

1 (Least difficult)

25. Existing cultivation-

RRL, Srinagar,

High altitude Plant Physiological Research Center, Tungnath, Chamoli, UP

GBPIHED (Himachal Unit)

26. Previous assessment

EN in JMK and HP (Kullu CAMP)

27. Data sources

(Including literature)

·   Flowers of the Himalaya

·   Indian Red Data Book

·   Chauhan, N.S. 1999. Medicinal and Aromatic plants of Himachal Pradesh

·   Badola, H.K. & Pal, M. 2002. Endangered medicinal species in Himachal Pradesh. Current Science 83; 797-798

·   Sharma, P. 2002. Studies on phytodiversity of medicinal and aromatic plants of Parvath valley, Himachal Pradesh. Ph D thesis, Y.S. Parmar UHF, Solan (Unpublished)

28. Compilers

R. D. Gaur (Facilitator), G. S. Rawat (Recorder), S. Chandola, A. R. Nautiyal, P. P. Bhojvaid, K. Ravikumar, Utkarsh Ghate

29. Reviewers

Rekha Naithani, N.K. Bhardwaj, Kailash Sharma, R. K. Verma, Vaneet Jishtu, Rajender Kumar, Ranjit Rawat, N. S. Chauhan, Vinay Tandon, H. K. Badola