Genetic resources, current ecological status and altitude wise distribution of medicinal plants diversity of Darjeeling Himalaya of West Bengal, India

To find out the genetic resources, current ecological status and altitude wise distribution of medicinal plants diversity of Darjeeling Himalaya of West Bengal, India. The intensive field survey was conducted in the entire regions and necessary information were collected from the local inhabitants and literatures. The present study revealed 218 medicinal plants species from 97 families with 195 genera distributed throughout the different altitudinal ranges of entire Darjeeling Himalaya. Of these, 6 plant species were from 3 500-45 00 m altitude, 22 from 1 800-3 500 m, 69 from 1 000-1 800 m and 121 from 130-1 000 m in the study area. There were 24 cultivated medicinal plants and the rest were wild. It is unique for rich, wide genetic diversity resources and distribution of medicinal plants in distinct climatic zones. However, the status of these some plant species are vulnerable, threatened, rare and critically endangered.