Assessing Biodiversity of the Bath Medicinal Herbs used by the Red Yao in Sapa, Lao Cai

Abstract

The prescription of medicinal bath herbs used by the Red Yao people is not only beneficial for health care but also contributes to maintaining national/ethnic cultural identity. This practice is being exploited and developed in various ways which merit further research and development. The present study focused on the biodiversity of plants being used for medical baths, serving as the basis for the subsequent research. The results of survey, collection and characterization and classification could identify 94 plant species with pharmaceutical activity which the Red Yao people are utilizing for baths, of these 77 species were identified at family level, 75 at genus level and 43 at species level. Of the 94 species being used by the Red Yao people that have been and collected, 22 species are regularly used. These herbs are distributed in the natural ecosystem. Compared with 10 years ago the reserve of medicinal herbs declines dramatically, 19 species being in danger of extinction which should be given priority for conservation. Two species, i.e. illigera sp1. and illigera sp3. have been nearly exhausted