land from soil erosions and landslides due to extreme slope aspects (natures) of mid-hill
land.
Table 10. Comparative distribution of 15 common home garden fodder species across the two
different agro-ecological regions of Nepal
Hill region (Ilam and Gulmi) Terai region (Jhapa and Rupandehi)
Botanical name Nepali
name
Freq
(%)Botanical name Nepali
nameFreq
(%)Ficus semicordata Khanyu 40.56 Melia azederach (^) Bakaino 38.89
Ficus nemoralis Dudhilo 38.33 Anthocephalus cadamba (^) Kadam 29.44
Ficus roxurghii Nimaro 29.44 Morus alba (^) Kimbu 20.00
Thysonaleana
maxima Amriso 24.44
Bambusa spp.
Baans 16.67
Litsea polyantha Kutmiro 22.22 Leucaena spp. Ipil-ipil 13.89
Garuga pinnata Dabdabe 20.00 Dalbergia sisoo (^) Sisaoo 11.11
Morus alba Kimbu 19.44 Euphorbia hipsida (^) Tote 10.00
Prunus cerasoides Painyu 19.44 (^) Dhanasi 7.78
Saurauria
napaulensis Gogan 17.78
Artocarpus lokoocha
Badahar 5.56
Bambusa spp. (^) Bans 17.22 Albizia lebbeck (^) Siris 4.44
Ficus clavata Bedulo 17.22 Bauhinia purpurea (^) Tanki 4.44
(^) Hamal 12.78 Ficus semicordata Khanyu 3.89
Erythrina arborescens Pahaledo 11.11 Ficus racemosa (^) Dumri 3.33
Ficus sp. (^) Pate bar 11.11 Ficus lacor (^) Kabro 3.33
Ficus lacor Kabro 8.89 Garuga pinnata (^) Dabdave 2.78
Distribution and use of medicinal plants
Our study was focused on plant inventory and diversity studies, therefore, the state of local
knowledge and practices on use-values including their ethno-botany of medicinal plants
have yet to be carried out in depth by the project. In the survey across the four sites, a total
of 52 different medicinal plants were recorded for their specific local use-values. The plants
which are exclusively used for their medicinal purposes are listed in Table 11. Various parts
of medicinal plants such as roots, root-tubers, rhizomes, stems, leaves, flowers, seeds and
the whole plants are being used to cure different diseases and injuries. The diversity of
medicinal plant is comparatively higher in Gulmi site and many medicinal plants were also
found to have been maintained for their religious, spices and ornamental purposes. High-
valued medicinal plants which are commercially exported from Nepal such as Pakhanvedh,
Hadchur and Thulo okhati in Ilam were found grown in the home gardens, collecting the
planting materials from the wild.
Distribution and use of spices
Spices are an essential component in daily food recipes of Nepalese farmers. Spices are
being widely used for flavours in vegetables, meat, dal, pickle, etc. These are also used as
an appetizer. A total of 20 different species of spices have been recorded from the surveyed
home gardens. Out of them different varieties of chilli, ginger, garlic, onion, turmeric, perilla,
and coriander are the most frequently grown spices in Nepal (Table 12). In Ilam site the sale
of some indigenous varieties of chilli such as Akbare khursani (Capscicum sp.), ginger and
turmeric has become one of the major sources of cash income. In the terai region, garlic,
onion and coriander have been grown for commercial scale.