Ethnobotany of Mountain Region of Himalaya, District Poonch, Azad Kashmir

Abstract

_{District Poonch was investigated for ethnopharmacological studies, and a total of 121 plants was recognized. Both open-ended and closed-ended questionnaires were developed, together with data from local inhabitants about the medicinal uses of plants, and 100 key informants were selected. The largest plant families according to the number of medicinal species present were Asteraceae (12 species), followed by Rosaceae (11 species), Apiaceae (6 species), Brassicaceae (5 species), Solanaceae (5 species), Cucurbitaceae (4 species), and Chenopodiaceae and Poaceae (3 species each). Acanthaceae, Amaranthaceae, Araliaceae, Moraceae, and Buxaceae were represented by 2 species, and Fabaceae, Geraniaceae, Oleaceae, and Piperaceae were represented by only 1 species. The most widely utilized plant parts were leaves (27%), natural products (29), and the entire plant (36%), followed by flowers (16%), seeds (8%), roots (7%), stems (5%), aerial parts (1%), and bulbs (1%). The best known techniques for producing homemade cures were powder (50%), decoction (30%), juice (19%), glue (13%), and implantation and poultice (11% each). The highly medicinal plants included Artemisia vulgare, Berberis aristata, Artemisia dubia, Cannabis sativa, and Saussurea lappa. Diospyros kaki was used for liver and carcinogenic ailments. Berberis lyceum (95%) was utilized for typhoid, tuberculosis, jaundice, hepatitis, and fever, followed by Dioscorea bulbifera and Impatiens glandulifera (90%), utilized for joint pain, and Artemisia vulgaris (90%), utilized for liver issues. Species uses demonstrated that Olea ferruginea was versatile when comparing therapeutic utilization development and cash profits, and for firewood, fodder, and construction of fences and hedges. Other tree species were Pinus roxburghii, Juglans regia, and Populus alba.}