THERAPEUTIC AND ECONOMIC IMPORTANCE OF LOCAL PLANTS IN TEHSIL TANGI, DISTRICT CHARSADDA, PAKISTAN

Abstract

The present study investigated ethnobotanically valuable plants of Tehsil Tangi, District Charsadda, Pakistan. Data was collected from November 2023 to October 2024 from different localities in all four seasons of the year. A total of 84 plant species were collected, belonging to 51 families among which 41 (48%) species were herbs, 25 (29%) were trees, and 18 (21%) species were shrubs. Euphorbiaceae was the most dominant family with five species, followed by Moraceae and Asteraceae, each with four species — the families most frequently present in the study area.Among the collected plants used as resources, 41 (48.23%) were fuel-wood species, 31 (37.64%) were fodder species, 21 (24.70%) were shelter plants, 7 (8.23%) were ornamental, 10 (8.50%) produced edible fruit, 16 (18.82%) were used as vegetables, and 9 (10.58%) had other uses. The medicinal plants were most commonly used to treat diarrhea (7; 8.23%), headache (2; 3.20%), toothache (4; 5.43%), as carminatives (8; 9.56%), cough and cold (6; 7.20%), fever (5; 6.15%), eye irritation (2; 3.20%), wounds (4; 5.43%), as tonics (7; 8.23%), diabetes (6; 7.20%), as blood purifiers (6; 7.20%), stomachache (3; 4.20%), dysentery (8; 9.42%), as laxatives (6; 7.20%), and as pain killers (5; 6.15%). People still use these medicinal recipes to cure diseases. These medicinal plants require proper conservation for future use.