Study of Traditionally used Ethnomedicinal plants in Different Parts of Anantnag District, Kashmir Himalaya

Anantnag District is one of the districts of Kashmir with many remote areas where present day medicare facilities are lacking, and people generally depend on indigenous traditional plant based medicare system. The district has not been explored for its medicinal plants yet. The aim of this study was to document the medicinal plants used in the area to treat different human ailments. Personal observations of the utilization method, along with vernacular names, parts used and dose regime were elucidated. Six hundred individuals were interviewed between the age group of 20 and 79. The study found that 64 species, belonging to 40 families, are used to cure 48 aliments such as asthma, stomach problems, abdominal pain, rheumatism, and back pain amongst other. The most dominant famalies are Asteraceae (10 Species), Lamiaceae (9 Species) and Plantaginaceae (3 Species) respectively. Most commonly used parts in traditional medicare system are leaves and roots. Most of the studied plants are under threat due to the excessive use of these plants for medicine. It is recommended that some community based resource management measures be taken to conserve medicinal plant resources from becoming extinct.