ROLE OF ECONOMIC PLANTS IN THE COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT OF DIR VALLEY KHYBER PAKHTUNKHWA, PAKISTAN

Abstract

The study was carried out in Dir Valley; district Dir Upper of the Province, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan, to explore the flora of Taxo-ethnobotanical potential and estimation economic value of the local flora. It is the first attempt to document such type of study in the selected area. About 144 Angiospermic species were recorded, which consisted of 61 families and 111 genera. Among these Poaceae was the leading families represented by 13 species, followed by Rosaceae are represented by 10 species. Similarly Asteraceae and Lamiaceae had 9 species each. The ethnobotanical study identified that these species for 46 different uses. The part used data shows that mostly the whole plant, leaves, fruit, roots and stem were in common use.