Ethnobotanical profile of some useful plants and fungi of district Dir Upper, Tehsil Darora, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan

Abstract

Background: The present study was conducted to explore the ethnobotanical and ethnomedicinal uses of plants in 12 remote villages of Tehsil Darora, district Dir Upper, Pakistan. Methods: Among the residents both, men, and women (some traditional healers like Hakeen and Pansires) were interviewed about the useful plants existing in the area using comprehensive questionnaires. Results: A total of 91 plant species belonging to 37 families were recorded in the four seasons (spring, summer, autumn, winter) in 2019-2020. These included 86 angiosperms (94%) 2 gymnosperms (2%) 2 fungi (2%) and 2 pteridophytes (2%). Asteraceae was the dominant family having 9 species, followed by Lamiaceae (8 species), 6 species of Amaranthaceae, and Cucurbitaceae, Fabaceae (5 species), Euphorbiaceae, and Rosaceae, each with 4 species. Conclusions: The documented plants were used by the local communities medicinally and for other purposes such as fuel, vegetables, fodder, shelter, and timber wood, etc.