DefinePK

Abstract

Ethnobotany is the study of diverse usage of plants by people, especially by indigenous community. Natives of Gulistan region of district Killa Abdullah, province Balochistan possess a wealthy culture and rich history of tribal society with regard to the usage of local plants. The residents use the plants for cooking, curing diseases, fuel, construction etc. This traditional knowledge has passed from generation to generation. The field survey and interview are the best ways to document their knowledge. In the present study a total of 35 wild and cultivated plants belonging to 20 families were compiled which were traditionally used by the community mostly for treatment of various ailments. Maximum number of species studied belongs to the family Rosaceae with 5 species, and the remaining families were represented by less than five species. The aims of ethnobotanical research activities in Balochistan were to provide awareness to the local community; overall global trend towards the indigenous knowledge, re-emergence and the transmission of knowledge has also been initiated. Traditional knowledge may be preserved and utilized in modern pharmaceutical industry and for conservation of plants.
Keywords: Ethnobotany; Flora; Indigenous knowledge; Medicinal plants; Gulistan
http://dx.doi.org/10.19045/bspab.2016.50047