Ethnobotanical survey of the flora of Maidan valley, Lower Dir District, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province, Pakistan

Abstract

An ethnomedicinal survey of the plants of Maidan Valley, Lower Dir District, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province, Pakistan was carried out to collect and document the information available with the local people. A total of 43 ethnomedicinal taxa were identified, that were distributed among 40 genera and 31 families and utilized by the local people for the treatment of various ailments. Amongst them thirty eight taxa were Angiosperms that included thirty four Dicotyledons and four Monocotyledons. The remaining five taxa comprised of two Pteridophytes, two Gymnosperms and one Fungus. Lamiaceae was the largest family with seven taxa, Apiaceae, the second largest family with three taxa followed by Amaranthaceae, Berberidaceae, Rhamnaceae, Rutaceae and Violaceae having two taxa each. The remaining families viz. Anacardiaceae, Asteraceae, Buxaceae, Canabiaceae, Cucurbitaceae, Euphorbiaceae, Fagaceae, Fumariaceae, Geraniaceae, Juglandaceae, Liliaceae, Morchellaceae, Oleaceae, Papaveraceae, Papilionaceae, Punicaceae Rosaceae, Saxifragaceae and Solanaceae had one taxa each of ethnobotanical importance.. They were mostly used in the form of dicoctions and infusionsas remedies against respiratory diseases viz. asthma, bronchitis, emphysema and pneumonia, kidney and urinary problems, circulatory disorders and skin diseases.