Resources along the Silk Road in Central Asia: Lagochilus inebrians Bunge (Turkestan Mint) and Medicago sativa L. (Alfalfa)

When moving large amounts of trade goods over vast distances, travelers on the Silk Road needed to obtain basic requirements like food, shelter, and medicines. During these journeys, travelers would have sustained injuries, and local medicines would have been sought. Traveling could be arduous and required the use of pack animals to carry goods long distances over sometimes rugged and difficult terrain. These animals required adequate forage to sustain them along the journey. Herein, the distribution, folk use, and medicinal and phytochemical properties of two significant Central Asian plant resources are discussed. Turkestan mint (Lagochilus inebrians Bunge) is a widely used medicinal plant that has historically been used for its hemostatic, sedative, and intoxicating properties. Alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.), known as the “queen of forage crops”, grows wild through much of Central Asia and was, and remains to this day, an important source of animal fodder.

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