Chiang Mai Journal of Science

Aconitum heterophyllum is listed in the Red Data Book of IUCN among the endangered species of the Himalaya and the present work was undertaken to give up-to-date broad description of this species in Kashmir vale. Documentation about the number of species has been recorded after thorough and well-planned exploratory surveys conducted at different areas of the Kashmir Himalaya. Plant specimens were identified and described in the laboratory of Centre of Plant Taxonomy with reference to various published floras and monographs. A. heterophyllum has been recognized as a broad taxon, including the variety bracteatum (A. kashmiricum), thus reducing the number of species in the Kashmir Himalaya from nine to eight and number of species in India, hence, reduces from 27 to 26. Need of an hour is to effectively survey the entire belt of distribution to locate “missing populations” and to introduce/rehabilitate them in some specially-created alpine gardens.