The traditional medicinal use of Himalayan plants growing in Tromsø

Purusotam Basnet is professor II in medicine at UiT, but has studied the ethnobotany of plants of his home country Nepal before coming here.

A favourite of his is the genus Swertia (’søtesøster’ in Norwegian), the neighbouring genus of gentians, and a genus which the Garden has gradually become fond of, and a nice collection is established on the northern slope of the Gentian Hill.

This interest has been shared by his fellow countryman Dilli Prasad, now in the phase of completing his PhD on ‘tromsøpalme’ at Tromsø Museum, and he will probably also be present during the guided tour, with supplementary information on ‘tromsøpalme’, known as a delicacy in Iran which is its home country.

The Café will be open, and it is possible to buy plants.

Welcome!

Swertia kingii. Photo: Arve Elvebakk, Tromsø University Museum