VOL. 11, NO. 6, JUNE 2016 ISSN 1990-6145 ARPN Journal of Agricultural and Biological Science ©2006-2016 Asian Research Publishing Network (ARPN). All rights reserved. www.arpnjournals.com ETHNOMEDICINAL STUDIES OF PLANTS FROM SHANGLA DISTRICT WITH SPECIAL REFERENCE TO ECONOMICALLY IMPORTANT SPECIES Ashraf Ali Tabani1, Shah Masaud Khan1, Abdul Majid2, Ijaz Hussain1, Muhammad Saeed1, Sher Aslam Khan1, Khalid Naveed1 and Sardar Ali1 1Department of Agricultural Sciences, University of Haripur,Khyber Pukhtunkhwa, Pakistan 2Department of Botany, Hazara University, Mansehra, Khyber Pukhtunkhwa, Pakistan E-Mail:
[email protected] ABSTRACT District Shangla is located in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province of Pakistan, in the Himalayan mountain ranges and is unique for its diverse flora. A detailed survey was conducted during 2013-14 to explore economically important indigenous medicinal plants species of district Shangla. Study was designed with the purpose of providing baseline information on the use of plant species in local system through surveys and field visits. The economic potential of these species was investigated by surveying the four most popular markets Alpurai, Puran, Besham and Shahpur. A total number of 76 medicinal plant species were collected and identified from four different sites of District Shangla. Among these 76 plant species 12 plants were shrubs, 52 plants were herbs, 11 were trees and one was fungus. There were 44 different families, highest number of species (11) were belonging to Lamiaceae followed by to Asteraceae (6 species) and then Violaceae (5 species). Top ten economically most important species, identified in the area were Morchellaesculenta, Aconitum hetrophyllum, Dactylorhiza hatagirea, Podophyllum emodi, Trillium govanianum, Viola canescens, Thymus linearis, Thalictrum foliosum and Geranium wallichianum.