Abstract:
The present study reports some important species of the genus Artemisia with their folk medicinal uses from the Northeastern (Gilgit-Baltistan) region of Pakistan. The localities where the awareness of traditional information was not reported previously were surveyed and the local traditional knowledge about novel species of Artemisia was reported. For ethnobotanical data collection, questionnaire-based interviews were conducted from the local inhabitants where a total of 195 key respondents including 72.50% men and 27.50% women with 35 to 60 years of age were included. Interviews were performed in working days of some communal areas like farms, gardens, bazaars, nurseries, colleges, homes, and schools. The majority of the male informers were farmers, herbalists, Hakeem's, laborers, government workers, and shopkeepers while the majority of the female informers were housewives, teachers, and field workers. Here for the first time, we report fifteen Artemisia species, which were popularly used among residents of Gilgit-Baltistan as ornamentals, food, fuel, and these were employed medicinally in the treatment of more than thirty different types of diseases. It is desirable to conclude that the species of Artemisia from this remote region have great significance from the medicinal point of view and characterize a valuable natural asset.
Page(s):
35-48
DOI:
DOI not available
Published:
Journal: Proceedings of the Pakistan Academy of Sciences: B. Life and Environmental Sciences, Volume: 57, Issue: 2, Year: 2020
Keywords:
Pakistan
,
GilgitBaltistan
,
Ethnobotany
,
Rare species
,
Genus Artemisia