Viability and variability in genus Swertia

Swertia is an important genus of family Gentianaceae, distributed in the mountains of tropical Asia, Europe, America and Africa. Among 16 Swertia species known from north west Himalayan region, S. chirayita and S. angustifolia are most widely known for their medicinal properties and utilized extensively in different systems of medicine. In this context, detailed investigations on different aspects, like, distribution, status assessment and variability would form an integral component for planning in- situ conservation and efficient propagation packages can help in designing ex-situ conservation and cultivation strategies. Considering this gap, the present study was conducted with following objectives in mind: (1) to study the distribution and extent of availability of target species in Uttaranchal Himalaya; (2) to analyze interpopulation variation in morphological features; (3) to assess seed germination trends and identify best treatment and source; and (4) to establish markers for the characterization of seed of the target species.