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ETHNOMEDICINAL USES OF HERBS FROM NORTHERN PART OF NARA DESERT, PAKISTAN

RAHMATULLAH QURESHI¹ G. RAZA BHATTI² AND RABIA ASMA MEMON³

Abstract: Ethnobotanical survey of Nara Desert, Sindh, Pakistan was carried out during 1998-2001. Local inhabitants are extremely knowledgeable about the utilization of indigenous flora of the study area. They use them in fever, flue, cough, asthma, digestive troubles, piles, diabetes, urinary diseases, male sexual diseases, gynecological diseases, joints pain/rheumatic pains and inflammation, ear diseases, tooth problems, cuts and wounds, skin diseases, cooling agents and miscellaneous uses. In the present communication, 63 plant species belonging to 50 genera and 29 families are included. The major plant families which contributed in folk herbs included Fabaceae (7 spp.), Boraginaceae (6 spp.), Amaranthaceae (5 spp.) and Cucurbitaceae (4 spp.). For each species, botanical name, vernacular name, part(s) used, medicinal use, method of preparation and applications of the herbal remedies are provided.

¹Department of Botany, Pir Mehr Ali Shah Arid Agriculture University, Murree Road, Rawalpindi, Pakistan

²Department of Botany, Shah Abdul Latif University, Khairpur, Sindh, Pakistan.

³Institute of Plant Sciences, University of Sindh, Jamshoro, Pakistan