APPRAISAL OF ETHNOBOTANICAL USES OF THE WETLAND PLANTS OF PUNJAB, PAKISTAN

Background: Aquatic and semiaquatic plants have a multiplicity of traditional and ethnopharmacological uses ranging from medicinal, famine food to fodder and others. Therefore, the present study was carried out during the years 2008-2011 to document the locally used medicinal, ethnobotanical and traditional data of aquatic and semiaquatic plants of the Punjab, Pakistan.
Material and Method: Various visits of the study area were made to collect the data of these plants included local name, habit and habitat with special emphasis on their therapeutic uses against different human ailments. The local elderly, knowledgable people and herbal healers were also interviewed during the visits.
Results: A total of thirty-four aquatic and semiaquatic plants were collected and out of these, eighteen plants belonging to the three monocotyledonous and fourteen dicotyledonous families were reported to medicinal and food value as well as found useful in making ropes, mats, baskets and soil binding.
Conclusion: The wetland of Punjab (Pakistan) possesses a variety of medicinal plants that are being utilized against various human diseases, e.g. Respiratorial, dermatological, gastrontological, neurological and cardio-vascular diseases.