| Profile: |
| Fen Kamal (Saussurea simpsoniana) is a member of the Asteraceae family (daisy family) and is conspicuous by its appearance. The entire plant is covered with woolly whitish hair, which often sheaths the leaves and flowers. The wild populations of this plant are steadily going down due to harvesting for commercial purposes. |
| Habitat and ecology: The plant is found in the sub alpine-alpine western Himalayas from 3000-4900 m altitude. The species is available naturally in the altitude of 4400-5800 m distributed in the Eastern Himalayas, Nepal and Western Himalayas covering the Himalayan states of Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Arunachal Pradesh and Sikkim. |
| Morphology: Saussurea sympsoniana is a striking, perennial, small herb (5-15 cm in high) densely wooly, simple and clavate. The leaves are linear, long, pinnatifed but sessile. There are many heads that are exposed and wooly in appearance. The bracts are involucre and lancoelate. The fruits are achenes and may be smooth or warty. Pappus hairs are scabrid. The flower heads occur in a domed cluster. |
| Distinguishing features: Saussurea simpsoniana is a herb with densely white lanate, lower leaves shortly petiolate, linear, dentate or pinnatilobate, the upper small, patent, acute, capitula numerous in cluster, involucre cylindrical. Its flowers are purple-red in colour. |
| Life cycle: Flowering and fruiting takes place between July-August |
| Uses: The plant is used in the folk medicines of the high altitude Himalayas. It is used as a tonic and astringent and is also considered to avert any bad omens and ill wishes. |
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| Family: Compositae (Asteraceae) |
| Common/local name: Sacred Saussurea, Fen Kamal, Yogi padshah Sah-du Goh-ghoo (Tibetan), Yogiraj |
| Trade name: Fen Kamal |
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| File Size:187.5625kb |
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