Kutki (Picrorhiza kurroa) Conservation
Environment / Species in News / Biodiversity · Saturday, 25 July 2026
Farmers in Mandi district of Himachal Pradesh pioneered a sustainable stolon-based cultivation and harvesting model for Kutki. Kutki is an endangered high-value Himalayan medicinal herb known in Ayurveda as Katuki or Katukarohini.
Quick highlights
- Kutki’s botanical name is Picrorhiza kurroa Royle ex. Benth.
- It is also known in Ayurveda as Katuki or Katukarohini.
- It grows in alpine and sub-alpine Himalayan regions at 2,700-4,500 metres.
- It is listed as Endangered on the IUCN Red List and in CITES Appendix II.
- The active drug component is in the stolon, not the non-medicinal fibrous root.
- The Mandi model harvests lateral creeping stolons while leaving the mother rhizome intact for regeneration.
Context
Farmers in Mandi district of Himachal Pradesh pioneered a sustainable, stolon-based cultivation and harvesting model for Kutki, or Picrorhiza kurroa.
Key Facts
Kutki is a high-value creeping perennial medicinal herb known as Katuki or Katukarohini in Ayurveda. It is native to cold alpine and sub-alpine Himalayan regions at 2,700-4,500 metres, especially moist, rocky, north-west facing slopes with well-drained porous sandy-clay soil.
Significance
Kutki is a renowned Ayurvedic liver tonic used for hepatitis, cirrhosis and liver disorders and is a key ingredient in Arogyavardhani Vati. It also has uses linked to chronic fever, diabetes, asthma, cough, digestive disorders and inflammatory skin diseases.
Challenges / Way Forward
Kutki is Endangered due to severe population decline caused by overexploitation and destructive wild harvesting. The new model harvests only lateral stolons while keeping the mother rhizome in the soil, allowing regeneration and turning Kutki into a multi-year perennial crop.
Exam Angle
Important for prelims under species in news, IUCN status, CITES, Himalayan biodiversity, medicinal plants, sustainable harvesting and conservation-linked livelihoods.
Remember this
- Botanical name: Picrorhiza kurroa Royle ex. Benth.
- Ayurvedic names: Katuki and Katukarohini.
- Habitat elevation: 2,700-4,500 metres.
- Indian distribution includes Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand and Sikkim.
- IUCN status: Endangered.
- CITES status: Appendix II.
- Medicinal component is the stolon, not the fibrous root.
- Kutki contains Picroside I and Picroside II.