PJB-2010-157
TRADITIONAL ETHNOBOTANICAL USES OF HALOPHYTES FROM HUB, BALOCHISTAN
MUHAMMAD QASIM1, SALMAN GULZAR1, ZABTA KHAN SHINWARI2, IRFAN AZIZ AND M. AJMAL KHAN1*
Abstract
An ethnobotanical study of coastal plants from Hub, Lasbela District, Balochistan is presented. Numerous field surveys were carried out to collect information about the ethnobotanical uses of plants by local people. In total 48 wild coastal plant species from 26 families used for 12 different purposes were noted. Plant uses include fodder (56%), medicine (22%), food (5%), house hold utensils (5%), for increasing milk production in cattle (3%) and other uses (8%). Most frequently used species were from Poaceae (29%) followed by Amaranthaceae (Chenopodiaceae) (10%), Mimosaceae and Convolvulaceae (6%). About 56% of the collected plants were halophytes and rest of them were xerophytes (44%). Different plant parts were used to treat 12 disease conditions however, the use of leaves was highest (44%) followed by that of whole plants (19%). Local vegetation appears to be a major resource for the poor coastal communities which lack basic health care facilities and the information about plants has been passed on from one generation to the others in the family. With a little support, the cultivation and conservation of such natural resources, may result in sustainable maintenance and utilization of this plant wealth and uplift the socio-economic status of the people. It is also recommended that both the public and private sector should be encouraged to invest in these plants which have potential to become an economically viable industry.
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