Nardostachys
Jatamansi is a flowering plant that grows in the Himalayas. It belongs to Honeysuckle
family. It is also called Spikenard, Nard, Nardin or Muskroot. It grows in the
belt of Himalayas of Kumaon, Nepal, Sikkim and Bhutan. It is normally 1m high.
It is pink with bell shaped flowers. It lies in the attitude of 3000m-5000m.The
oil of spikenard is one of the most expensive and effective oils.
Local names-Jatamansi,
Sambul Nateeb.
The
underground stems can be crushed to make essential oil used as perfume, incense
and Herbal medicine. The herb encourages sweating making
it useful in treating fevers and since it is stimulating and detoxifying, it is
commonly used to treat the early stages of illness. Infusions and decoctions
are used to treat colds and coughs and other such respiratory conditions as
asthma, as well as for rheumatism. Applied externally as a poultice, it is used
on a few different skin conditions, including eczema. This is the only part
having medicinal values. It has many uses from medicinal to cosmetics. They
are:
1.Used to
prevent grey hair and make it dark.
2.It
alleviates pain and swelling, prevents formation of gas in the gastrointestinal
track.
3.The oil
helps to relax and calm the body.
4.Root is
used in production of essential oil.
5.Used to
make perfume.
6.The root
of the powder is used to treat intestinal worms.
Like every
rose has its thorns, spikenard has its side effects. Some of them are:
1.Excess
consumption leads to vomiting, diarrhea and abdominal pain.
2.Nausea in
case of overdose.
3.Pregnant
as well as lactating mothers should avoid it.
In Nepal,
essential oil producers use wild-collected, dried, and crushed roots for steam
distillation. Jatamansi oils and many other oils haven’t found a good market
although developed country like Germany has seen Nepal as a potential new
source. However, the
relatively small scale of Nepalese essential oils production and high prices
for some products complicate market entry for Nepalese exporters. The global market for spikenard oil
is small in terms of volume. International trade usually comprises lots of only
around 10-50 kg. In 2006, Nepal produced only an estimated 2 tons of Jatamansi.
On the international market, competition for Nepalese spikenard oil exporters
comes primarily from (re-) exporters in China, India, and France.
In this way,
Spikenard is one of the most important medicinal plants of the world. Given a
proper market, the Jatamansi oil can have a good impact on health of people. As
a home to the plant that holds these many significance, Nepal should fully
utilize this plant and make itself economically strong.
Thank you
for reading. I hope you found this information useful. We would like to welcome
constructive suggestions and feedbacks assuring you that it will find it’s
place.
Contact me-alokghimire60@gmail.com
By-Alok Ghimire
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