Background
Introduction
Interactions between people and wild plants in the Tibetan world
Aims of the article
State of the art
Methods
Plants collected in Sapi, Ladakh, Jammu and Kashmir, India | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Botanical identification | Tibetan name | Part used | Use in local diet | C. index* |
Arnebia euchroma (Royle ex Benth.) I.M. Johnston |
‘bri mog
| roots | used as spice to cook meat | +++ |
Artemisia gmelinii Weber ex Steckm. var. gmelinii |
bur tse, mkhan pa,
| leaves, flowers | mixed with wheat flour and water to prepare ferments | ++++ |
Capparis spinosa L. |
kabra
| fruits | unripe fruits eaten as vegetables | ++++ |
Chenopodium album L. |
sne’u
| leaves | stir-fried in oil after eliminating their bitter taste by boiling them long time in water, and are eaten with other food | ++++ |
Delphinium brunonianum Royle |
bya rgod spos
| leaves, flowers | mixed with wheat flour and water to prepare ferments | +++ |
Hippophae rhamnoides L. subs. turkestanica Rousi |
tshogs skyur, star bu
| fruits | fruits eaten mainly in the past, today a juice is industrially prepared from them | +++++ |
Oxyria digyna Hill |
chu lcum
| leaves | eaten fresh as vegetable | +++ |
Rheum spiciforme Royle |
chu rtsa
| stems | petioles and young stems eaten as vegetables | +++++ |
Rosa sericea Lindl. |
se ba
| fruits | eaten by children | ++++ |
Rosa webbiana Wallich ex Royle |
se ba
| fruits | eaten by children, used to prepare a kind of jam | +++++ |
Thymus linearis Benth. |
su lu
| leaves and stems | mixed with chilly are used as condiment | +++++ |
Urtica hyperborea Jacquem. ex Wedd. |
zwa
| young shoots | young shoots used to prepare soups | +++++ |
Plants collected in Lithang County, Sichuan, China
| ||||
Allium macranthum Baker |
byi’u sgog
| bulbs | eaten fresh as vegetable and spice | +++++ |
Allium prattii C.H. Wright |
rug sgog
| bulbs | eaten fresh as vegetable and spice | +++++ |
Allium sp. |
sha sgog
| bulbs | eaten fresh as vegetable and spice | ++++ |
Allium sp. |
sgog pa
| bulbs | eaten fresh as vegetable and spice | +++++ |
Arisaema flavum (Forssk.) Schott. |
dwa ba, dwa g.yung
| tubers | eaten after being crushed and boiled | ++++ |
Berberis sp. |
skyer pa
| fruits | eaten by children | +++ |
Capsella bursa-pastoris (L.) Med. |
sog ka pa
| leaves | fresh leaves are fried with vegetables, dry leaves are eaten in local soups (thug pa) | +++++ |
Carum carvi L. |
go snyod
| seeds | the crushed seeds are used as a spice | +++++ |
Chenopodium album L. |
sne’u
| leaves | stir-fried in oil after eliminating their bitter taste by boiling them long time in water, and are eaten with other food | ++++ |
Cirsium souliei (Franch.) Mattf. |
spyang tsher
| roots | eaten raw after removing the skin | ++ |
Cynanchum sp. | dug mo nyung, pha la | roots | in the past eaten boiled | ++ |
Galium aparine L. |
zangs rtsi dkar po, phyi ‘dzin pa
| stalks, leaves | stalks and leaves rubbed between hands are used as fermentation agent in the making of yoghurt. | +++ |
Lepidium apetalum Willd. |
dar ya kan, khang phug
| leaves | the leaves are cooked in water | ++++ |
Malva verticillata L. | leaves | stir-fried in oil before adding other vegetables and/or meat | ++++ | |
Plantago depressa Willd. |
tha ram
| leaves | leaves eaten as vegetable | ++++ |
Sinopodophyllum hexandrum (Royle) T. S. Ying |
‘ol mo se, ba ma lu lu
| fruits | children eat fresh fruits | ++++ |
Polygonum macrophyllum D.Don |
spang ram
| roots, seeds | roots eaten fresh, flour obtained from ground seeds used as substitute for tsampa in the past | ++++ |
Polygonum polystachyum Wallich ex Meisner |
snya lo
| stems | stems eaten raw after removing the skin | ++++ |
Polygonum viviparum L. |
ram bu rgod pa
| roots, seeds | roots eaten fresh, flour obtained from ground seeds used as substitute for tsampa in the past | +++++ |
Potentilla anserina L. |
gro ma
| rhizomes | rhizomes eaten fresh and cooked, also during famines in the past | +++++ |
Potentilla sp. |
ston ja
| aerial portion | in the past used as a substitute for tea | ++++ |
Quercus sp. |
be do shing
| acorns | flour obtained from dry acorns used in the past as substitute for tsampa (roasted barley flour) | +++++ |
Rheum alexandrae Batal. |
chu skyur
| stems | stems eaten raw after removing the skin | +++++ |
Rheum palmatum L. |
lcum, shog sbra
| stems | stems eaten raw after removing the skin | +++++ |
Rhododendron sp. |
sur dkar
| flowers and leaves | in the past used as substitute for tea | +++++ |
Rosa omeiensis Rolfe |
se ba
| fruits | fruit edible (today eaten by children) | ++++ |
Rubus subornatus Focke |
stag tsher
| fruits | eaten fresh | ++ |
Taraxacum officinale L. s.l. |
khur mang, khur dkar, khur nag, nyin dgun me tog, rnag gi me tog
| leaves | the leaves are fried in oil or cooked in water | +++++ |
Thlaspi arvense L. |
bre ga, ‘dre rnga
| leaves | fresh leaves are fried with vegetables, dry leaves are eaten in local soups (thug pa) | +++++ |
Urtica triangularis Hand. - Mazz. |
zwa
| young shoots | used to prepare soups | +++++ |
Plants collected in southern Mustang District, Nepal
| ||||
Allium roseum L. |
‘dzim bu
| bulbs | eaten fresh as vegetable and spice, kept to be consumed in winter | +++++ |
Arisaema flavum (Forssk.) Schott. |
dwa ba, dwa g.yung
| tubers | eaten after being crushed and boiled | +++++ |
Arisaema jacquemontii Blume |
dwa ba, dwa g.yung
| tubers | eaten after being crushed and boiled | +++++ |
Carum carvi L. |
go snyod
| seeds | the crushed seeds are used as a spice | +++++ |
Chenopodium album L. |
sne’u
| leaves | stir-fried in oil after eliminating their bitter taste by boiling them long time in water, and are eaten with other food | ++++ |
Fragaria nubicola Lindl. ex Lacaita |
‘bri ta sa ‘dzin
| fruits | children eat fresh fruits | ++++ |
Hippophae tibetana Schlecht. | to ra, star bu | fruits | used to prepare a juice, fruits mainly eaten in the past | +++++ |
Malva verticillata L. |
lcam pa, bod lcam
| leaves | young leaves are eaten as vegetables, or stir-fried in oil before adding other vegetables and/or meat; leaves used to prepare a herbal tea | ++++ |
Polygonatum verticillatum (L.) All. |
ra mnye
| leaves, roots | leaves eaten cooked, roots edible. | +++ |
Polygonum vaccinifolia Wallich ex Meisner |
ram bu
| roots, seeds | roots eaten fresh, flour obtained from ground seeds used as substitute for tsampa in the past | +++++ |
Polygonum viviparum L. |
ram bu
| roots, seeds | roots eaten fresh, flour obtained from ground seeds used as substitute for tsampa in the past | +++++ |
Rhododendron anthopogon D. Don |
ba lu, ba lu dkar po
| flowers and leaves | in the past used as substitute for tea | +++++ |
Rosa macrophylla Lindl. |
se ba
| fruits | fruits eaten fresh in the past, today by children | ++++ |
Rumex hastatus D. Don |
sho mang, sha sna
| leaves | eaten as vegetables | ++++ |
Salvia hians Royle ex Benth. |
‘jib rtsi, ‘jib rtsi sngon po
| stalks | stalks are eaten as vegetables | +++ |
Stachys recta L. |
bya pho rtse
| leaves | young leaves are eaten fresh as vegetables | +++ |
Thymus linearis Benth. |
smag tog pa
| leaves | mixed with chilly are used as condiment; used to prepare herbal tea | +++++ |
Urtica dioica L. |
zwa
| young shoots | used to prepare soups | +++++ |
Plants collected in Dhorpatan, Baglung District, Nepal
| ||||
Arisaema jacquemontii Blume |
dwa ba, dwa g.yung, kha tsha ba
| tubers | eaten after being crushed and boiled | ++++ |
Arisaema nepenthoides (Wall.) Mart. |
dwa ba, dwa rgod, kha tsha ba
| tubers | eaten after being crushed and boiled | ++++ |
Arisaema utile Hook. f. ex Schott |
dwa ba, dwa g.yung, kha tsha ba
| tubers | eaten after being crushed and boiled | ++++ |
Berberis angulosa Wallich ex Hook. f. & Thoms. |
skyer pa, skyer nag
| fruits | eaten by children | +++ |
Berberis aristata DC. |
skyer pa, skyer dkar
| fruits | eaten by children | +++ |
Capsella bursa-pastoris (L.) Med. |
sog ka pa
| leaves | fresh leaves are fried with vegetables, dry leaves are eaten in local soups (thug pa) | ++++ |
Duchesnea indica (Andr.) Focke |
‘bri ta sa ‘dzin
| fruits | fruits eaten fresh | +++ |
Sinopodophyllum hexandrum (Royle) T.S.Ying |
‘ol mo se
| fruits | children (maily in the past) eat fruits | ++++ |
Polygonum macrophyllum D. Don var. macrophyllum |
spang ram, spang ram dmar po
| seeds, roots | roots eaten fresh, flour obtained from ground seeds used as substitute for tsampa in the past. | ++++ |
Rhododendron anthopogon D. Don |
sur dkar, balu, ba lu dkar po
| flowers and leaves | in the past used as substitute for tea | +++++ |
Rosa macrophylla Lindl. |
se ba
| fruits | fruits eaten mainly in the past, today by children | ++++ |
Taraxacum officinale G.H. Weber ex Wigger s.l. |
khur mang, ‘o ma me tog
| leaves | the leaves are fried in oil or cooked in water | ++++ |
Urtica dioica L. |
zwa
| young shoots | young tender shoots are used to prepare a soup | +++++ |
Fungi collected in Lithang County, Sichuan, China | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Botanical identification | Tibetan name | Part used | Use in local diet | C. index* |
Ophiocordyceps sinensis (Berk.) G.H. Sung, J.M. Sung, Hywel-Jones & Spatafora |
dbyar rtswa dgun ‘bu, ‘bu
| entire fungus + larva | used to prepare an alcoholic beverage | +++++ |
Tricholoma matsutake (S. Ito & S.Imai) Singer |
be sha, be do shing sha mo
| entire fruit body | eaten without skin | +++++ |
Tibetan name | Botanical identification | Therapeutic properties |
---|---|---|
ri sgog
| Allium spp. | All types of “mountain garlic” are heavy in quality and hard to digest, and increase appetite. |
lcum lo
| Rheum palmatum L. | Leaves from these two rhubarbs alleviate disorders arose from unbalance of the humour phlegm and improve appetite. |
chu lo
| Rheum spiciforme Royle | |
zwa
| Urtica spp. | Cooked nettles help to treat disorders arose from unbalance of the humour wind, generate heat, and aggravate bile and phlegm disorders. |
lcam pa
| Malva verticillata L. | When cooked, they generate heat and stop diarrhoea. |
de khur
| Plantago depressa Willd. | |
dwa ba
| Arisaema spp. | When cooked, it pacifies wind disorders, dries up abscesses, aggravates phlegm, and bile disorders. |
sne’u
| Chenopodium album L. | When cooked, it is harmful to eyes, and effective against constipation. |
mon sne’u dmar po
| Amaranthus caudatus L. Chenopodium aristatum L. (Dysphania aristata (Linnaeus) Mosyakin & Clemants) C. botrys L. (Dysphania botrys (Linnaeus) Mosyakin & Clemants) | When cooked, it pacifies all the three humours. |
khur mang
| Taraxacum tibetanum Handel-Mazzetti | When cooked, they are cool in quality, and alleviate hot disorders. |
skyabs
|
?
| |
sngo sga
| Cremanthodium spp. | When cooked, it cures hot disorders associated with bile, and relieves headache. |
lca ba
| Angelica sinensis (Oliver) Diels | When cooked, they relieve phlegm and wind disorders. |
ra mnye
| Polygonatum cirrhifolium (L.) All. | |
sgog sngon
| Allium rubellum auct. non Bieb.: Hook.f (A. jacquemontii Kunth) Allium carolinianum Redouté Allium fistulosum L. | When cooked, it cures hot and wind disorders. |
Spices
| ||
g.yer ma
| Zanthoxylum tibetanum C. C. Huang. (Zanthoxylum oxyphyllum Edgeworth) Zanthoxylum bungeanum Maxim. | It opens the channels, but it increases phlegm and wind humours. |
go snyod
| Carum carvi L. | It cures poisoning and fever, promotes appetite and digestive heat. |
‘bam po
| Ligusticum pteridophyllum Franchet Heracleum millefolium Diels | It alleviates swellings. |
Phonetic transcription | Transliteration [29] |
---|---|
aluk
|
a lug
|
arak
|
a rag
|
bam po
|
‘bam po
|
be khur
|
be khur
|
bu
|
‘bu
|
cha
|
ja
|
cha wa
|
lca ba
|
cham pa
|
lcam pa
|
che
|
dpyad
|
chiu kanlag
|
byi’u rkang lag
|
chölam
|
spyod lam
|
chon shi
|
cong zhi
|
chu lo
|
chu lo
|
chum lo
|
lcum lo
|
drebu
|
‘bras bu
|
drimo
|
‘bri mo
|
droma marku
|
gro ma mar khu
|
drönme shing
|
sgron me shing
|
duk
|
dug
|
dzo
|
mdzo
|
gö
|
rgod
|
go na shamo
|
sgo nga sha mo
|
go nyö
|
go snyod
|
kha tshawa
|
kha tsha ba
|
khawa
|
kha ba
|
khenta
|
khan da
|
khur mang
|
khur mang
|
kyur
|
skyur
|
laphuk
|
la phug
|
lusundün
|
lus zungs bdun
|
ma rikpa
|
ma rig pa
|
men
|
sman
|
mokmok
|
mog mog
|
mon neu marpo
|
mon sne’u dmar po
|
namshe
|
rnam shes
|
no ga
|
sngo sga
|
no ne
|
sngo ngad
|
no tshel
|
sngo tshal
|
nyalo
|
snya lo
|
nyepa sum
|
nyes pa gsum
|
pango
|
spang sgo
|
phap
|
phab
|
ramnye
|
ra mnye
|
ri gok
|
ri sgog
|
setshul
|
zas tshul
|
shabal
|
sha bal
|
shapakle
|
sha bag leb
|
shukdrum
|
shug ‘brum
|
solo
|
sro lo
|
tsa
|
rtswa
|
tsampa
|
tsam pa
|
tsha pö
|
tshwa spod
|
tsowase
|
‘tsho ba zas
|
ya
|
g.ya’
|
yalishing
|
g.ya’ li shing
|
yartsa gunbu
|
dbyar rtswa dgun ‘bu
|
yer ma
|
g.yer ma
|
yö char
|
g.yos sbyar
|
yung
|
g.yung
|
yung kar
|
g.yungs dkar
|