Exploration of the Wild Edible Plants Used for Basic Health Care by Local People of Bahawalpur and Adjacent Regions, Pakistan
Authors
Tauseef Anwar
Department of Botany, The Islamia University of Bahawalpur (Baghdad ul Jadeed Campus), Bahawalpur 63100, Pakistan
Huma Qureshi
Department of Botany, University of Chakwal, Chakwal 48800, Pakistan
Hafsa Naeem
Department of Botany, The Islamia University of Bahawalpur (Baghdad ul Jadeed Campus), Bahawalpur 63100, Pakistan
Sumbal Shahzadi
Department of Botany, The Islamia University of Bahawalpur (Baghdad ul Jadeed Campus), Bahawalpur 63100, Pakistan
Zobia Sehar
Department of Botany, The Islamia University of Bahawalpur (Baghdad ul Jadeed Campus), Bahawalpur 63100, Pakistan
Rubeena Hassan
Department of Botany, The Islamia University of Bahawalpur (Baghdad ul Jadeed Campus), Bahawalpur 63100, Pakistan
Keywords:
plants and people, perceptions of plants, human-plant relations, plant cultural markers, wild medicinal plants
Abstract
The current study aimed to explore the traditional knowledge and practices of indigenous communities in Bahawalpur and adjacent regions, Pakistan, to treat a variety of diseases with a particular focus on the usage of ethnomedicinal wild plants. The objective of the study was to collect and evaluate local and indigenous knowledge regarding the quantity, variety, use and management of resources by the people. Data were gathered using Rapid Appraisal Approach (RAA), which involved in-person interviews. The data were analyzed using descriptive statistics methods as well as common ethnobotanical analytical techniques viz. use value (UV), relative frequency of citation (RFC), informant consensus factor (ICF), fidelity level (FL), relative importance (RI), frequency index (FI), family use value (FUV), family importance value (FIV), popular therapeutic use value (POPUT), plant part value (PPV), preference ranking (PR), cultural significance index (CSI), rank order priority (ROP) and Jaccard index (JI). A total of 158 plant species from 49 families were identified. The perennial herbs made up 72% of the documented species of therapeutic plants. There were 21 different species in each of the two major plant families i.e., Fabaceae and Poaceae. The maximum ICF were calculated for gonorrhea and paralysis (1.0) and maximum POPUT was calculated for skin disorders (0.088) and cough (0.077), respectively. The maximum UV was found for Rumex crispus (0.57) and RI for Leucaena leucocephala (4.38). Heliotropium crispum had the highest FL value (83%) and is used to treat kidney diseases. Alhagi maurorum had the greatest RFC (0.009) and FI (0.93). Arecaceae (0.45) and Fabaceae (13.39%) had the greatest FUV while Poaceae and Fabaceae had the highest FIV (13.29 for each). Leaves were the most frequently used plant part (35%). Alhagi maurorum (4.0) and Rumex crispus (32.57) had the highest CSI and ROP, respectively. The maximum JI (28.31) was calculated for Cholistan desert. These results showed the local population’s reliance on herbal remedies to treat prevalent illnesses. To demonstrate the viability of species, it′s crucial to emphasize both the use and conservation of these species. Adopting innovative applications, enhancing their value, and prioritizing the protection of multipurpose wild plants in inhabited environments is vital.
Keywords: plants and people, perceptions of plants, human-plant relations, plant cultural markers, wild medicinal plants
Author Biographies
Tauseef Anwar, Department of Botany, The Islamia University of Bahawalpur (Baghdad ul Jadeed Campus), Bahawalpur 63100, Pakistan
Conceptualization, Methodology, Writing – original draft, Visualization, Supervision, Project administration
Hafsa Naeem, Department of Botany, The Islamia University of Bahawalpur (Baghdad ul Jadeed Campus), Bahawalpur 63100, Pakistan
Investigation
Sumbal Shahzadi, Department of Botany, The Islamia University of Bahawalpur (Baghdad ul Jadeed Campus), Bahawalpur 63100, Pakistan
Data curation
Zobia Sehar, Department of Botany, The Islamia University of Bahawalpur (Baghdad ul Jadeed Campus), Bahawalpur 63100, Pakistan
Formal analysis
Rubeena Hassan, Department of Botany, The Islamia University of Bahawalpur (Baghdad ul Jadeed Campus), Bahawalpur 63100, Pakistan
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