Floristic diversity and an account of traditional knowledge of Kukshow - a hidden hamlet in the Trans-Himalayan cold desert of Kargil, Ladakh, India

Cold desert region often remains secluded from the major habitation due to topographical, climatic andcultural barriers. Despite these constraints Ladakh stores rich, unique and endemic flora with unheardunequalled ethnobotany. This study focuses on first time documentation of flora and associatedethnobotany of Kukshow village in Kargil district of Ladakh. Fifty-eight plant species weredocumented from the study area belonging to 30 families. The habit of the flora comprised of mainlyherbs (42), shrubs (8) and along with a few trees (8). Of them, 24 plant species have been utilized bythe locals, whereas for other species fruit, bark, wood, leaves, seeds, stems or flowers were being usedfor various purposes. Such documentation from an inaccessible area of the Ladakh landscape isvaluable and will act provide the baseline information for further investigation. Moreover, an earlyinventory is essential before this valuable information is lost along with the coming vagaries ofenvironmental degradation in the future. This current information on plants used by native communitiescould be promulgated to the new generation for awareness and sustainable utilization of plants.