Abstract
Alizo is a rural locality in Tehsil Uthmankhel, District Bajaur, Malakand Division, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan. This study documents indigenous knowledge and ethnomedicinal uses of local flora in the area. Ethnobotanical fieldwork was conducted over 13 months (March 2023–April 2024) through repeated surveys for plant collection and community-based documentation. Plant specimens were mainly collected during flowering and fruiting stages to ensure accurate identification. Traditional knowledge was recorded using semi-structured interviews with approximately 250 informants (men and women) aged 25–90 years. In total, 77 medicinal plant species belonging to 42 families were documented for the treatment of diverse ailments. Lamiaceae was the most represented family, indicating its high therapeutic and cultural importance in local healthcare practices. Quantitative indices were applied to assess species significance: the highest Use Value (UV) was recorded for Coriandrum sativum (0.87), while the lowest UV was for Plantago major (0.43). The highest Relative Frequency of Citation (RFC) was observed for Cotoneaster microphyllus (0.48), whereas the lowest RFC (0.14) was reported for Duranta erecta and Plantago lanceolata. Most remedies were prepared in crude form, reflecting a strong dependence on traditional medicine and minimal industrial processing. The documented data provide a baseline for future pharmacological screening, conservation priorities and sustainable utilization of medicinal plant resources, while supporting the preservation of ethnobotanical knowledge in the region.