Traditional use of medicinal plants among the indigenous communities in district Baramulla, Jammu and Kashmir, India

A number of indigenous communities reside in the Himalayan belt of
Baramulla, where the lack of modern health care facilities represents
crucial problems to their survival. Therefore the current study was aimed
at documenting traditional knowledge of medicinal plants in the region.
Ethnomedicinal data was collected during 2018-2020. Fifty-one informants
were interviewed in seventeen villages via questionnaires, semi-structured
interviews and group discussions. Data was also analyzed by various
ethnobotanical indices. A total of 85 plant species distributed in 40
families were documented. Asteraceae was reported to be the dominant plant
family and leaves were the most frequently utilized plant part.
Musculoskeletal disorder scored the highest ICF value (0.87). Colchicum
luteum (0.61), Verbascum thapsus (0.59) reported highest UV and Viola
odorata, Ajuga integrifolia had the highest FL of 100%. Of the documented
species about 18 plants (21%) were reported for the first time to be used
in the area. Medicinal plants still play an important role in the
healthcare sector and the folk knowledge attached to them is remarkable in
the region, although declining among the younger generations. Medicinal
plants reported for the first time, needs to be studied pharmacologically.