ETHNOMEDICINAL STUDY OF FLORA OF DISTRICT KARAK, KHYBER PAKHTUNKHWA, PAKISTAN

The present attempt was carried out for the exploration and documentation of ethno medicinally important flora of Union Council Ahmad Abad District Karak, Pakistan. Data was carried out through out the year depend upon the availability of medicinal plants. A questioner method was used to interview people of different age mostly old men and women and hakims who were more well-known with indigenous knowledge about medicinal plants. Total 43 plants belonging to 39 genera and 24 families were recorded. In which about 30 plants were treated for different dieses most of them were used as a pain killer (9 spp), skin disorder (6 spp) and for fever, (5 spp). Most of the plants were herbs there for most of them were used as a whole plant for treatment of ailment. The dominant specie was solanaceae (5 spp) followed by asteraceae and euphorbeaceae (4 spp each) and zygophylaceae (3 spp). The area of Ahmad Abad is rural and the people are mostly depending on plants for survival. They used the plants as medicines, fodder and fuel to earn money. Most of them are uneducated and they cutting the plants unwisely and collecting plants unsustainably. As a result the flora of investigation area is in thread. There for the inhabitants of the study area should be train to know the value of plants and to utilize the plant wealth sustainably.