Indian Himalayan region (IHR) supports a wide diversity of plants and most of them are known for their medicinal value. Humankind has been using medicinal plants since the inception of civilization. Various types of bioactive compounds are found in plants, which are directly and indirectly beneficial for plants as well as humans. These bioactive compounds are highly useful and being used as a strong source of medicines, pharmaceuticals, agrochemicals, food additives, fragrances, and flavoring agents. Apart from this, several plant species contain some toxic compounds that affect the health of many forms of life as well as cause their death. These plants are known as poisonous plants, because of their toxicity to both humans and animals. Therefore, it is necessary to know in what quantity they should be taken so that it does not have a negative impact on health. Recent studies on poisonous plants have raised awareness among people who are at risk of plant toxicity in different parts of the world. The main aim of this review article is to explore the current knowledge about the poisonous plants of the Indian Himalayas along with the importance of these poisonous plants to treat different ailments. The findings of the present review will be helpful to different pharmaceutical industries, the scientific community and researchers around the world.

Background: Saussurea is the most diverse genus of the Asteraceae family generally found in temperate areas of Eurasian countries. This genus comprises approximately 27 ethnologically important species such as Saussurea laniceps, S. costus, S. medusa, S. obvallata, S. involucrata, etc. which are traditionally used for treatment of various ailments and also have aesthetic and religious importance. Methods: This study integrated two separate approaches for the literature review, first we reviewed research work conducted on ethnobotany, morphology, pollinators, breeding systems, and the development of fruits of the genus Saussurea. Second, bibliometric analysis for quantitative analysis of published documents on the Scopus database to identify research status and publication trends emerging in the field of reproductive biology and ethnobotany of the Saussurea genus. Results and Conclusion: According to our findings, all Saussurea species use entomophily as their primary method of pollination. In this genus, outcrossing is typically observed, and this breeding system appears to have been responsible for the success in terms of ecology and evolution of this genus. India is one among the top nations having the most published literature on the reproductive biology of the Saussurea genus and its ethnobotanical uses. The top three journals where the manuscripts have been published are the “Journal of Ethnopharmacology”, “Plos One”, “Journal of Ethnobiology and Ethnomedicine”. Research topics such as conservation, ethnopharmacology and Saussurea lappa are highly cited topics, indicating the usage of Saussurea species especially in the pharmaceutical industries. This study provides a snapshot of the research progress in the field of reproductive biology and ethnobotanical studies on the Saussurea genus at the global level and opens doors to future research. Keywords: Saussurea, pollen, breeding system, entomophily, phenology, pollinators.