Ranging in elevation from just above sea level to the peak of the world's highest mountain, Nepal embraces a profusion of habitats for plants and people. The author of Plants and People of Nepal, Narayan P. Manandhar, has spent decades in a firsthand study of the ethnobotanical riches of Nepal's flora. He has conducted field research in all 75 districts of Nepal, on foot, in a lifelong effort to identify the plants and record their traditional roles in Nepalese society.
The result is this book, his magnum opus, in which he describes the uses of an astonishing 1517 kinds of plants belonging to 858 genera and 195 families, equal to perhaps one-fifth of the entire Nepalese flora. Many of the plants have more than one application, and 1002 medicinal plants, 651 food plants, and 696 plants used for a rich variety of other purposes are recorded here. This indigenous wisdom is dying with the older generation, so we are fortunate that Dr. Manandhar has rescued this heritage for his fellow Nepalese and, indeed, all who are concerned about the wealth of knowledge to be obtained from this fascinating country. Nepal's many ethnic groups make their own distinctive uses of the plants. A chapter describes 14 of the most important groups, including details on festivals, marriage customs, burial ceremonies, and other aspects of their cultures.
An appendix organizes the plants by usage and serves as a practical cross-reference to the core of the book, the alphabetically arranged compilation. The author has provided an index to the more than 6800 vernacular plant names as well as a bibliography, glossary, and index of scientific names. More than 830 drawings and 48 color photographs by the author illustrate the text. Editorial Reviews This volume offers information on some 1,500 kinds of plants found in the country of Nepal, concentrating on the ways that various Nepalese ethnic groups utilize them to meet nutritional, medicinal, and other needs.
