Woody Plants and their Ethnomedicinal uses by Tribal Communities of the Northern Balochistan, Pakistan

Abstract

The relation between plants and man is immemorial old as his hunger, and long before the science was born. The medicinal uses of plants for the treatment of various disorders are common practice in many parts of the world. The ethnobotanical information about the medicinal uses of woody plant species in Balochistan, Pakaistan was obtained from 112 informants through semi-structured interviews, rapid appraisal approach, open ended questionnaire and personal observations. The data was analyzed using quantitative values indices such as: Use value (UV), Fidelity level (FL), informant consensus factor (ICF), relative frequency citation (RFC) and Family importance value (FIV). A total of 67 woody plants belonging to 30 families were collected and identified. Family Rosaceae was dominated over other families by donating (9 species) with (FIV 20). These plants were often used as decoction (28%) and consumed internally (89%). Leaves of the woody plants were used most often. The highest use value and highest fidelity level was recorded for Punica granatum and high relative frequency of citation was calculated for Ephedra intermedia (0.23). The highest ICF (0.33) was calculated for gastrointestinal ailments. It was observed that there is a gradual loss of traditional knowledge about these plants in new generation and also a rapid loss of woody plant populations due to agricultural expansion, cutting of woody plants for fuel at large scale and seasonal drought. These preferred plants could be economically important if introduced in market and cultivated for commercial purposes and subjected to further studies related to chemical screening for their authenticity.