Ethnobotanical study of wild flora of Haroonabad, District Bahawalnagar, Punjab, Pakistan

Abstract

Purpose: The first purpose of this study to record the new and rare use of medicinal plants in the selected area; secondly to discover the plants which were unexplored in the past and thirdly to record the Ethnobotanical data of occurring plant species.Methodology: The studied area surveyed from July to December. The plants were dried and mounted on standard herbarium sheets. The Ethnobotanical data were collected from 85 local people of Haroonabad by questionnaire.Findings: The wild flora contained 81 species within 28 families. The largest family was Poaceae with 15 species followed by Euphorbiaceae with 8 species while Asteraceae and Amaranthaceae with 7 species. The life span of plants was comprised of 47 annual species (58%) and 34 perennial species (42%). The life-form spectrum explains that Therophyte 48 species (59%) were the dominant followed by Phanerophytes 7 species (8%) and Chaemophytes 13 species (17%), Hemicryptophyte 8 species (10%), Geophytes 3 species (4%) Halophyte 1 specie (1%) and Parasite 1 specie (1%). Leaf venation classes of plants consisted of reticulate 28 species (34%), pinnate 29 species (36%), parallel 20 species (25%), palmate 2 species (2.5%) and 2 species (2.5%) were leafless thus had no leaf venation. The plant species with herbaceous stems was 68 while with woody stems 13 species. The Ethnobotanical data of 70 species were recorded because 11 plants were not known by anyone. The range of UV value was 0.09 (Chrozophora plicata Vahl.) to 0.78 (Acacia nilotica L.) and the RCF value range was 0.03 (Imperata cylindrica L.)  to 0.95 (Acacia nilotica L.). The range of ICF value was recorded from 0.45 (Hormonal disorder) to 0.78 (Respiratory disease). 57% whole plant followed by leaves (53%) was used in the ayurvedic field. Therophytes were supported in the studied region for the reason that the region is a semi-arid zone of Punjab, Pakistan.Unique contribution: The present comprehensive study provides a basic point for other researchers and enhances the knowledge of poor people related to ayurvedic field. The Ethnobotanical study tries to attract the attention towards the conservation strategies of wild plants.