Ethnobotanical Study of Most Commonly used Species of State Azad Jammu and Kashmir

Plants provide food, fodder, medicines, drugs and all other daily usage products directly or indirectly. An ethnobotanical survey was made on the State of Azad Jammu and Kashmir Pakistan to investigate local flora with respect to their usage and taxonomy. 30 most evenly distributed and commonly used species from three families i.e., Asteraceae, Amaranthaceous and Poaceaewere were taken in study, to convey the importance of local flora of AJK to the concerning people and departments. Plants were divided according to their number of uses by percentage and by presence and absence of other important properties. Asteraceae, Amaranthaceous both contain multi usage plants used as food, ornaments, drugs and medicines while Poaceaecontain species, which are used as fodder and handicrafts. There is need for making policies for their conservation and preservation because; these species are facing heavy stress from both biotic (from Hakeems, Sanyasies, Gypsies and local inhabitants) and abiotic factors. Local people, government and semi-governmental departments need to cooperate with concerning people for the conservation and preservation of precious flora of AJK.