“Bistorta affinis: A Hidden Alpine Treasure of Nepal’s Himalaya”

1. Classification 

Taxonomic Rank	Classification
Kingdom	Plantae
Subkingdom	Tracheobionta (Vascular plants)
Superdivision	Spermatophyta (Seed plants)
Division	Magnoliophyta (Flowering plants)
Class	Magnoliopsida (Dicotyledons)
Order	Caryophyllales
Family	Polygonaceae (Buckwheat family)
Genus	Bistorta
Species	Bistorta affinis (syn. Polygonum affine)

2. Distribution

Bistorta affinis, commonly known as the Himalayan bistort or Kasturi Jhar in Nepal, is a flowering plant native to the high Himalayan region. Its natural distribution extends from eastern Afghanistan through Pakistan, northern India, Nepal, Bhutan, and into Tibet and western China. This species thrives in the alpine and subalpine zones of the Himalayas, typically growing at altitudes ranging from 3,000 to 4,800 meters above sea level. It prefers moist alpine meadows, rocky slopes, and open pastures, where it forms dense mats or clusters that brighten the landscape with pinkish flower spikes during summer.

In Nepal, Bistorta affinis is widely found in the eastern and central Himalayan regions, including areas such as Taplejung, Sankhuwasabha, Solukhumbu, Rasuwa, and Mustang districts. It is particularly abundant in Timbung Pokhari, Pathivara region, and other high-altitude pastures of Taplejung, where it grows naturally among rocks and moist soil near snowmelt streams. The plant’s presence in these habitats reflects the pristine nature of alpine ecosystems and plays an important role in preventing soil erosion on steep slopes.

3. Local and Common Names

. Nepal:
In Nepal, Bistorta affinis is commonly known as कस्तुरी झार (Kasturi Jhar) — especially in Taplejung, Sankhuwasabha, and Solukhumbu districts.

• The name “Kasturi” (meaning musk) likely comes from its soft fragrance and hairy texture, reminding locals of Kasturi musk deer, a symbolic Himalayan species.

• In some areas, people also call it Himchuli Jhar or Phool Jharke Jhar (meaning “flower-dropping herb”).

2. India:
In northern India, particularly in Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, and Ladakh, it is known by several names:

• “Himalayan Bistort” or “Knotweed” in English usage.

• Local names include Anjuli, Ratti Booti, or Choti Ghonghlu in some mountain dialects.

• In Ladakh and Kashmir, it may also be referred to as Masloon Booti.

3. Bhutan:
In Bhutan, it is recognised as an alpine herb of spiritual and ecological value, locally called “Dongmar Meto”, meaning flower of the high mountains.
It often grows near sacred lakes and prayer sites.

4. Tibet / China:
In Tibet, Bistorta affinis is known as “Guo-mu” (果木) or “Gang-zi-jie” and is used in Tibetan traditional medicine for its supposed anti-inflammatory and digestive properties.
In Chinese flora, it’s listed as “滇蓼 (Dian Liao)” under the Polygonaceae family.

5. Pakistan:
In Gilgit-Baltistan and northern Pakistan, it is found under the local names “Masloon”, “Zakhme-hayat,” or “Bistorta herb.”
It is occasionally used in local herbal preparations for wounds and stomach ailments.

6. Western / Global Names:
Outside the Himalayas, particularly in Europe and North America, the plant is grown as an ornamental ground cover and is simply called Himalayan Bistort or Persicaria affine in botanical and horticultural literature.

4. Characterisitic

Bistorta affinis, locally known as Kasturi Jhar, is a low-growing perennial herb belonging to the Polygonaceae family. It forms dense mats or clusters along the ground, giving a carpet-like appearance over rocky alpine slopes. The plant has a creeping rhizomatous root system, which helps it spread laterally and survive in the harsh, nutrient-poor soils of high Himalayan regions. Its average height ranges between 10 to 30 centimeters, making it well adapted to strong winds and low temperatures common in high-altitude environments.

The stems of Bistorta affinis are slender, slightly reddish, and either prostrate or ascending. The plant’s leaves are simple, alternate, and lanceolate in shape, usually measuring about 3 to 8 centimeters long. The upper surface of the leaf is smooth and bright green, while the underside often has a reddish or purplish tint. In colder months, the leaves turn bronze or red, adding seasonal color variation and aesthetic beauty to alpine landscapes. The leaf base is somewhat heart-shaped, and the margins are entire (not toothed). These thick, leathery leaves help reduce water loss and withstand frost, showing the plant’s excellent adaptation to high-mountain conditions.

The flowers of Bistorta affinis are among its most attractive features. They appear in dense, cylindrical spikes at the tip of the stems, displaying beautiful shades of pink, rose-red, or magenta. Each small flower consists of five petal-like tepals, eight stamens, and a small ovary. Flowering generally occurs from June to September, depending on altitude and temperature. The blossoms are rich in nectar, attracting bees, butterflies, and other pollinators, making the species ecologically important in maintaining alpine biodiversity. After flowering, the plant produces small, triangular brown fruits known as achenes, each containing a single seed.

Ecologically, Bistorta affinis thrives in moist alpine meadows, glacial valleys, and rocky slopes between 3,000 to 4,800 meters above sea level. It is highly resistant to frost and strong sunlight and plays a crucial role in preventing soil erosion on steep Himalayan terrains. Its thick mat of roots and leaves binds the soil, making it a natural stabilizer in fragile mountain ecosystems. The species also serves as an indicator plant for healthy alpine habitats and potential changes in climate patterns. Because of its beauty, durability, and soil-binding ability, Bistorta affinis is widely cultivated in cold regions of Europe and North America as an ornamental ground-cover plant.

5. Uses of this plant

1. Medicinal Uses

Bistorta affinis has been used for centuries in traditional Himalayan medicine for its therapeutic properties. The rhizomes and leaves contain tannins, flavonoids, and polyphenolic compounds that possess astringent, anti-inflammatory, and antimicrobial effects (Sharma & Pandey, 2010; Kunwar et al., 2013). In Nepal and northern India, decoctions made from the roots are administered to treat diarrhea, stomachache, intestinal infections, and bleeding wounds (Manandhar, 2002). Tibetan and Bhutanese practitioners prepare herbal pastes from the rhizome to heal ulcers, skin irritation, and digestive disorders (Wangchuk et al., 2011). Because of its high tannin content, the plant is also valued for treating oral inflammation and mouth ulcers (Ghimire et al., 2008).

2. Ecological Importance

Ecologically, Bistorta affinis plays an essential role in maintaining the stability of alpine ecosystems. Its dense rhizomatous mat binds soil particles and prevents erosion on steep Himalayan slopes (Rai et al., 2015). The plant thrives in moist alpine meadows and glacial valleys between 3 000 – 4 800 m a.s.l., helping conserve soil moisture and micro-habitat conditions (Press et al., 2000). During its blooming season (June–September), the brightly colored flowers attract pollinators such as bees and butterflies, supporting high-altitude pollination networks (Kohli et al., 2012). Thus, Bistorta affinis functions as an ecological keystone species contributing to both soil protection and biodiversity maintenance.

3. Ornamental and Landscape Use

Because of its hardiness and decorative value, Bistorta affinis has become a popular ornamental ground-cover plant in temperate gardens worldwide. Its evergreen foliage and long-lasting pink inflorescences make it ideal for rock gardens, border planting, and slope stabilization (Brickell & Zuk, 1997). Horticultural varieties such as Bistorta affinis ‘Superbum’ and ‘Donald Lowndes’ are cultivated widely in Europe and North America (Royal Horticultural Society [RHS], 2020). Its low maintenance and frost tolerance have made it a model species for cold-region landscape restoration projects (Jackson et al., 2018).

4. Cultural and Symbolic Value

In the high Himalayan regions of Nepal and Bhutan, Kasturi Jhar holds cultural and aesthetic significance. The plant’s appearance during early summer marks the onset of the growing season in alpine pastures. Locally, it symbolizes purity and resilience, and its flowers are sometimes offered during religious rituals near sacred lakes and shrines, such as Pathivara Devi and Timbung Pokhari (Paswan et al., 2024). Its fragrant flowers and persistence in harsh climates have made it a symbolic species representing harmony with nature in many Himalayan communities.

5. Research and Conservation Significance

Because Bistorta affinis responds sensitively to temperature and precipitation changes, it is considered an indicator species for climate-change studies in the Himalayas (Paudel et al., 2019). Shifts in its flowering time, range, or abundance reflect variations in alpine temperature and glacial retreat patterns (Gaira et al., 2014). For this reason, ecologists include it in long-term alpine monitoring and restoration programs. Moreover, its physiological tolerance to frost and drought conditions makes it a potential species for rehabilitation of degraded mountain slopes (Dhyani et al., 2021).

 

References

• Brickell, C., & Zuk, J. D. (1997). The American Horticultural Society A–Z Encyclopedia of Garden Plants. DK Publishing.

• Dhyani, S., Singh, R., & Barik, S. K. (2021). High-Altitude Plant Adaptations for Restoration of Degraded Alpine Landscapes. Springer Nature.

• Gaira, K. S., Rawal, R. S., & Bhatt, I. D. (2014). Impact of climate change on the flowering phenology of Himalayan herbs. Current Science, 106(12), 1735–1741.

• Ghimire, S. K., McKey, D., & Aumeeruddy-Thomas, Y. (2008). Himalayan medicinal plant diversity and use patterns in Dolpo, Nepal. Journal of Ethnopharmacology, 119(1), 60–71.

• Jackson, L., Miller, J., & Chen, D. (2018). Ecological Landscaping in Cold-Climate Gardens. Routledge.

• Kohli, R. K., Singh, H. P., & Batish, D. R. (2012). Ecology and Environmental Science of Himalayan Flora. Narosa Publishing House.

• Kunwar, R. M., Shrestha, K. K., & Bussmann, R. W. (2013). Traditional herbal medicine of Nepal: diversity, use, and conservation. Journal of Ethnobiology and Ethnomedicine, 9(1), 1–10.

• Manandhar, N. P. (2002). Plants and People of Nepal. Timber Press.

• Paudel, P. K., Bhattarai, B. R., & Kindlmann, P. (2019). Climate-driven shifts in alpine plant communities of Nepal. Mountain Research and Development, 39(2), R1–R10.

• Paswan, P., Subba, R., & Rai, R. (2024). Ethnobotanical documentation of alpine flora around Timbung Pokhari, Taplejung District. Nepal Journal of Forestry and Biodiversity, 5(1), 45–53.

• Press, J. R., Shrestha, K. K., & Sutton, D. A. (2000). Annotated Checklist of the Flowering Plants of Nepal. The Natural History Museum, London.

• Rai, S. K., Sherpa, P., & Thapa, N. (2015). Role of ground-cover vegetation in soil stabilization of eastern Nepal Himalaya. Banko Janakari, 25(2), 30–37.

• Royal Horticultural Society (RHS). (2020). Bistorta affinis (Himalayan bistort). Retrieved from https://www.rhs.org.uk/plants

• Sharma, R., & Pandey, R. P. (2010). Medicinal Plants of the Himalaya: Diversity and Conservation. Daya Publishing House.

• Wangchuk, P., Yeshi, K., & Jamphel, K. (2011). Pharmacological Studies of Bhutanese Medicinal Plants. Ministry of Health, Thimphu.