Medicinal & aromatic plants (MAPs) have been a vital substrate for human health ever since the dawn of civilization. The Indian Sub-continent, particularly the state of Uttarakhand, has the distinction of sporting a wide range of faunal and floral diversity including rare and valuable MAPs, as also being the abode of the ancient health system of ‘Ayurveda’ that has been used to the benefit of mankind for more than 5000 years.

However, many once abundant species of MAPs, have suffered a serious decline due to an ever-expanding market fuelled by the needs of an exploding human and animal population, making them a topic of worldwide concern.