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INDIGENOUS PLANT RESOURCES AND THEIR UTILIZATION PRACTICES IN VILLAGE
POPULATIONS OF KASHMIR HIMALAYAS
HAMAYUN SHAHEEN1,3*,
ZABTA KHAN SHINWARI2, RIZWANA ALEEM QURESHI1 AND
ZAHID ULLAH1
Abstract:
Indigenous knowledge
systems are culturally valued and scientifically important. The
indigenous knowledge of plant resources has deep roots in the lifestyle
of locals in mountain populations of Kashmir Himalayas. Preference is
given to herbal remedies because of having no alternative choices,
poverty and trust in the effectiveness of folklore herbal remedies.
Field expeditions were carried out in alpine pastures of district Bagh
Azad Kashmir, focusing on ethnobotany, ethnomedicine and diversity of
medicinal plants. A total of 71 herb species belonging to 22 plant
families were collected from the area. The present study revealed that
45 herbs, up to about 70% of the plants collected from the study area
had medicinal value. Asteraceae, Lamiaceae and Polygonaceae were the
largest families having 10, 5 and 5 representatives respectively.
Results revealed that most of the plant species had
multiple uses in the treatment of diseases.
Strengthening the
use and conservation of indigenous knowledge of useful plants may
benefit and improve the public health and living standard of local
people.
1Department
of Plant Sciences, Quaid-i-Azam University, Islamabad, Pakistan
2Department
of Biotechnology, Quaid-i-Azam University, Islamabad, Pakistan
3Department
of Botany, University of Azad Jammu & Kashmir, Muzaffarabad
*Corresponding
author’s e-mail:
hamayunmaldial@yahoo.com
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