Ethnobotanical Insights to Weeds: Unveiling Traditional Knowledge and Uses in Arang Valley, District Bajaur

Abstract

Arang valley, situated 19 km northeast of Khar (the district headquarters of Bajaur), harbor a remarkable diversity of natural vegetation that play a central role in traditional healthcare. To document this noteworthy knowledge, an ethnomedicinal survey was conducted from April 2019 to May 2020 through repeated field visits across Tehsil Uthman Khel, District Bajaur.  A total of 75 weed species belonging to 29 families were recorded as being locally employed against a wide spectrum of human ailments. The weeds were commonly collected in flowering and fruiting conditions. For collecting data almost two hundred fifty resourceful peoples were interviewed, and collected from different regions of research area which includes male and female and their age were range from 30 to 95 years old. Questions were addressed about the medicinal uses, methods of administration and preparation of drugs, the diseases that they cured, local names and their habitats from the old well-informed peoples of the area. The plants were arranged alphabetically with their botanical name, local name, family, part used and ethnobotanical uses of the weed plants. The leading family was Asteraceae, represented by 12 weed and the dominant pat used are whole plant represented by 37 weeds species. Plants were systematically arranged with details of their botanical name, local name, family, flowering season, part used, and medicinal value. This pioneering study highlights how so-called “weeds” serve as a vital reservoir of indigenous healing wisdom, transforming local biodiversity from nuisance into necessity. By documenting and preserving these practices, the research not only safeguards fragile traditional knowledge but also provides a baseline for future pharmacological, ecological, and conservation studies in Bajaur and beyond.