Exploration of near-extinct folk wisdom on medicinally important plants from Shinaki Valley Hunza, Pakistan

Study explores near extinct Ethnobotanical wisdom on medicinaly important plants from Shinaki Valley of Hunza. Research attempted to save and surface rapidly dying healing and treatment practices alongwith the gradually perishing floral wealth from the area. A total of 108 phanerogamic species belonging to 37 families were recorded. Indigenous communities use 38 species (35.18%) for medicinal purposes including abdominal pain, jaundice, flu, cough, dandruff, asthma, bone fracture, blood pressure, rheumatism, diabetes, cancer and cardiac anomalies. Based on the frequency and scope of utilization Berberis lycium stood 1 st followed by Artemisia maritima 2nd and Linum usitatissimum 3rd. At present only 1.4% population practice folk medication compared to 80% in 1950s. Several adverse causes have left many important plant species under severe pressure. Under such visible and invisible hostile pressures, Ethnobotanical knowledge and indigenous wild and cultivated medicinally important floral species are perishing concurrently. Distilled folk insights documented can help pharmacognosy and innovation into existing medication for several ailments. Conservation of threatened species is an exigent need to prevent extinction of several species.

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