Family: Crucifereae Common name: Water cress Local  name: Chhooch (छूछ) Chhoochh grows wild among ditches, pools and margins of shallow streams. It can be seen upto an elevation of 2100 metres in Himalayas. Chhoochh  is prepared as a vegetable.  As chhoochh grows only along water channels or sides of ponds,

Family:  Cucurbitaceae Synonym: Momordica hispida Local name: Jangli Karela (जंगली करेला ), Ban karela (बन करेला). The climbing vines of jangli karela can be seen growing wild on hedges and small shrubs all over Himachal Pradesh upto an elevation of 1200 metres.  It scrambles over the ground and also climb

Family: Fabaceae Synonyms: Indigofera cavaleriei.Common Name: Deep-Purple IndigoLocal Name: Kathi (काथी) Shrubs of kathi can be seen growing from 300 to 1900 metres above mean sea level. This plant grows as scrub, mostly on mountains, sparse forests, grasslands near trail sides or streams. The growth of this plant is the best

Family: Moraceae Synonyms: Ficus auriculata, Ficus macrophylla. Common name: Elephant ear fig tree. ocal Names: Taryambal (तर्याम्बल), Timbal, Tremal, Trembal, Taryambalu. Taryambal is a very commonly growing tree in the mid-hills of Himachal upto an elevation of 1700 m.  Its trees can be seen growing wild in forests, village common lands, cultivated fields,

Family: Moraceae Synonyms: F. caricoides F. virgataCommon names: Wild fig, wild Himalayan fig Local names: Fegra (फेगड़ा), khasra (खसरा), daghla (दाघला). Fegra trees are of common occurrence throughout the mid hill region upto an elevation of 1550 metres. Besides Himachal Pradesh, this plant also grows in areas having similar climate

Family: Moraceae Synonyms: Covellia hispida, Ficus oppositifolia, Covellia oppositifoliaEnglish name: Hairy Fig Local name: Debre (डेबरे ) Debre trees grow wild in mid hills of Himachal Pradesh upto an elevation of 1100 metres above sea level.  Debra plants are mostly seen growing along the water streams, forest edges, and open spaces along

Family: Ploypodiaceae Synonym: Eupteris aquiline, Pteridium latiusculum, Pteridium pinetorum, Pteris aquiline, Pteris capensis, Pteris decomposita, Pteris lanuginose,Pteris latiuscula.Common name: No name in English but an edible fern quite similar to lingadu in  appearance and taste growing in America is called fiddlehead  fern and bracken fern in other parts of world.

Family: Dioscoreaceae Synonyms: Dioscorea tenii Local name: Singhtu (सिंघटु) Singhtu grows in upper mid-hill regions over bushes and shrubs in open scrub forests, forest margins and roadsides from 1500-2400 m in Western Himalayas. It bears small tubers which are boiled and then prepared like a vegetable. Singhtu is appear as a seasonal

Family: Dioscoreaceae Synonyms: Dioscorea crispata, Dioscorea pulchella, Dioscorea latifolia. Helmia bulbifera English names: Air potato, air yam, bitter yam, cheeky yam, potato yam. Local name: Pahadi Tardi (पहाड़ी तरडी) Pahadi Tardi is a common plant found growing all over lower to mid-hills of Western Himalayas. Tardi plant is represented by

Family: Malvaceae Synonyms: Bombax malabaricum, Gossampinus malabarica, Salmalia malabarica Common name: Silk cotton tree Local name: Simbal (सिम्बल) Trees of simbal are widely distributed all over Western Himalayas upto an elevation of 1300 metres above sea level.  These trees can be seen growing in fields, village common lands, roadsides and