Context

In a recent assessment, three medicinal plant species found in the Himalayas have been added to the IUCN ‘Red List’ of Threatened Species, providing them conservation status.

About

About the species:

• Species listed:
  • Meizotropispellitaas ‘critically endangered, 
  • Fritilloriacirrhosa as ‘vulnerable’
  • Dactylorhizahatagireaas ‘endangered’.
• Found in:the Himalayan region spread across Nepal, India, China, Sikkim, Afghanistan, and Pakistan.
• Threats:Deforestation, habitat loss, forest fires, illegal trade, and climate change.

Significance of the species:

• Meizotropispellita, commonly known as ‘Patwa’, is a perennial shrubwith a restricted distribution that is endemic to Uttarakhand.
  • The species is listed as ‘critically endangered’ based on its limited area of occupancy (less than 10 sq. km).
  • The essential oil extracted from the leaves of the species possesses strong antioxidants and can be a promising natural substitute for synthetic antioxidants in pharmaceutical industries.
    
  • Fritillariacirrhosa(Himalayan fritillary), used for the treatment of bronchial disorders and pneumonia. The plant is also a strong cough suppressant and a source of expectorant drugs in traditional Chinese medicine.
• Dactylorhizahatagirea(Salampanja),is extensively used in Ayurveda, Siddha, Unani, and other alternative systems of medicine to cure dysentery, gastritis, chronic fever, cough, and stomach aches.
• It is a perennial tuberous species endemicto the Hindu Kush and Himalayan ranges of Afghanistan, Bhutan, China, India, Nepal, and Pakistan.

International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN)

• IUCN is an international organization (NGO) working in the field of nature conservation and sustainable use of natural resources.
• The organization is best known for compiling and publishing the IUCN Red List, which assesses the conservation status of species worldwide. Its headquarters are in Gland, Switzerland.
  • The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species, founded in 1964, is the world’s most comprehensive inventory of the global conservation status of biological species.
• When discussing the IUCN Red List, the official term “threatened” is a grouping of three categories: 
  • Critically Endangered
  • Endangered
  • Vulnerable