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Indigenous uses of
economically important flora of Margallah Hills National
Park, Islamabad, Pakistan
Asma Jabeen1,
Mir Ajab Khan2, Mushtaq Ahmad2,
Muhammad Zafar2* and Farooq Ahmad2
1Fatima
Jinnah Women University, Rawalpindi, Pakistan.
2Department
of Plant Sciences, Quaid-i-Azam University, Islamabad,
Pakistan.
*Corresponding author. E-mail:
catlacatla@hotmail.com.
Accepted 6 February, 2009 |
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Informal interviews provided data about 245 useful plants of
77 families of 55 trees, 54 shrubs, 105 herbs, 15 climber,
10 grasses and 6 crops recorded from the Margallah Hills
National Park, Islamabad. Two hundred and fifteen local/
vernacular names were noted of total plants. The inhabitants
of the park have for a long time been dependent on
surrounding plant resources for their food, health care,
fodder, fuel wood and other cultural purposes. A list of
plant species along with their local name, plant part/s
used, popular uses (or troubles treated) are given. The
pastoral nomads of the area make use of 159 (64.89%) as
native medicine, 79 (32.24%) as fodder for their livestock,
47(19.18%) as fuelwood, 33 (13.46%) as food (fruits), 18
(7.34%) as vegetables, 14 (5.71%) as timber, 6 (2.44%) as
industrial, 4 (1.63%) as tannin, 3 (1.22%) as gum and 2
(0.81%) as fiber. Medicinal uses of the 126 plant species
have also been described. This information will serve as
reference for the benefit of pharmacists, researchers,
Hakims (herbalist), veterinarians and public at large.
Key
words:
Indigenous uses, flora, Margallah Hills National Park,
Islamabad, Pakistan. |
