Ethnobotanical Survey of Medicinal Plants of Bhaderwah, Doda District of Jammu and Kashmir

Aim: The present study emphasized on ethnobotanical study of medicinal plants of Bhaderwah, Doda district, Jammu and Kashmir. Material and Methods: A survey was conducted in Bhaderwah, Doda district and information collected from 25 local herbalists and traditional healers. An herbarium prepared of 32 plants, identified and authenticated by Dr. Swarn Singh, Government Degree College, Bhaderwah. A quantitative ethnobotanical assessment was conducted using standardized indices, Informant consensus factor (ICF), Fidelity level (FL), Percentage and Direct matrix ranking, Relative frequency of citations and Importance value (IVs) Results: Out of 32 plants documented were used as medicine most of them were herbs, shrubs, trees and climbers. The highest number of taxa documented of Lamiaceae (40%). The quantitative ethnobotanical results showed that digestive disorders showed a high ICF (0.16), with Ocimum sanctum having the highest FL (86%). Percentage ranking showed that Foeniculum vulgare was ranked first based on its degree of treating stomachache. Direct matrix ranking results showed that Pinus wallichiana ranked first on the basis of usage including medicine, charcoal, fences, and furniture. The maximum relative frequency of citations on the basis of utility was obtained in Cedrus deodara (0.88). The highest IVs was recorded for Mentha viridis, Cannabis sativa, Ocimum sanctum and Papaver somnifera. Conclusions: The present study provides information and a step to conserve medicinal plants with appropriate measures to be taken for therapeutic use with fewer side effects.