ABUR RASHID* AND SARFARAZ KHAN MARWAT**
*Senior Scientific Officer, Arid Zone Research Institute, Ratta Kulachi, Dera Ismail Khan,(NWFP)Pakistan ** WNESAM College, Gomal University, Dera Ismail Khan, (NWFP) Pakistan
ABSTRACT
An ethnobotanical study of important wild plants of Bahadur Khel Tract (Tehsil Banda Daud Shah) in Karak District was conducted to understand the human-plants relationship in the area. Field surveys and interviews of local people were conducted to document ethnobotanical uses of plants. In total 37wild plants species belonging to 23 families were identified which are used for various purposes. The plants are Acacia modesta, Acacia nilotica, Achyranthus aspera, Aerva javanica, Alhagi maurorum, Asphodelus tenuifolius, Capparis decidua, Capparis spinosa, Calotropis procera, Convolvulus arvensis,Crotalaria burhia, Desmostachya bipinnata, Echinops echinatus, Euphorbia dracunculoides, Fagonia cretica, Grewia tenax, Heteropogon contortus, Juncus maritimus, Kickxia ramossissima, Kochia indica, Maytenus royleana, Monotheca buxifolia, Otostegia limbata, Peganum hermala, Periploca aphylla, Rhazya stricta, Salvadora oloides, Salvia santoliniaefolia var. pumila , Solanum surratense, Sueda fruticosa, Tamarix aphylla, Taraxacum officinale, Taverniera nummularia, Withania coagulans, Withania somnifera, Zizyphus maurtiana and Zizyphus nummularia. Among these 37 plants are medicinal, 19 are browsed by animals, 14 are fuel wood species, 8 are honey bee species, 8 species are used for fencing and hedging, 7 species are used as timber wood, 6 species are used in making of agricultural tools and 5 species yield edible fruits. The surveys of the area indicated that the wild plants or their products were collected usually for the domestic use of the local people.
INTRODUCTION Bahadur Khel Tract is situated in Karak District, NWFP (Pakistan). It lies
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