title: Inventory of medicinal flora from Thal Desert, Punjab, Pakistan.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  This article reports the preliminary findings of an ethno-botanical survey that was carried out in the Thal Desert, Punjab, Pakistan during 2010 to 2013. The aim of this study was to document the traditional use of medicinal plants from the study area.
  
  
  METHODS
  The whole area was surveyed for inventorying medicinal flora by using a semi-structured questionnaire.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The people of the study area are extremely knowledgeable, hence reported 120 plants which are being used in treating various human diseases. The detailed inventory including botanical name, parts used, method of preparation and diseases treated is provided in this paper.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study revealed that the inhabitants possessed empirical knowledge of medicinal plants which would be useful in developing health care products and preserving traditional cultures as well as phyto-diversity.
authors.affiliation: Department of Botany, Pir Mehr Ali Shah Arid Agriculture University, Rawalpindi, Pakistan.
authors.forename: Humaira
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Shaheen
authors.affiliation: Department of Botany, Pir Mehr Ali Shah Arid Agriculture University, Rawalpindi, Pakistan.
authors.forename: Rahmatullah
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Qureshi
authors.affiliation: Department of Botany, Pir Mehr Ali Shah Arid Agriculture University, Rawalpindi, Pakistan.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Akram
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry, Pir Mehr Ali Shah Arid Agriculture University, Rawalpindi, Pakistan.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Gulfraz
mesh_terms: D019448:Ethnobotany; D006801:Humans; D010154:Pakistan; D010946:Plants, Medicinal / Q000145:classification*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires
keywords: Ethno-botanical survey; Inventory; Medicinal flora; Phyto-diversity; Semi-structured questionnaire; Thal Desert