Quantitative Ethnobotanical Investigation Of Flowering Plants of Laspur Valley (Chitral), Pakistan

Abstract

The use of medicinal plants for treatment, cure and prevention of diseases has been described by many people since time immemorial. Because of this, the scientific interests have emerged, making it necessary to realize ethnobotanical surveys of plants species, which is important for subsequent phytochemical and pharmacological bio prospections. This paper deals with the indigenous uses of 44 flowering plants of Laspur Valley, District Chitral. These species distributed in 26 families and 42 genera. Asteraceae was the largest family with 6 species (14.89%), followed by Rosaceae with 4(8.51%) species. In the rest of families, less than 3 species (6.38%) per family were recorded. Leaves of 6 plants were used for medicinal purposes. Similarly, roots of 24 species and fruit / flowers of 6 species were used, while 24 species were used as whole plant and seed of six were used for different purposes. About 30 species were as fodder, 26 medicinal purposes, 7 for hatching, 7 as fire wood, 5 as timber, 5 as vegetable, 3 fencing, 3 furniture 5 agricultural purposes while 4 used for making handy craft instrument. Further, the study is required to quantify the availability of plants which are important traditionally for various purposes. The pressure on natural resources increases day by day which further led the local floral diversity to destruction. The conservation strategies must be implemented in the study area to save the God gifted natural wealth.