Salvadora persica, Tamarix aphylla and Zizyphus mauritiana-Three Woody Plant Species Mentioned in Holy Quran and Ahadith and Their Ethnobotanical Uses in North Western Part (D.I. Khan) of Pakistan

Abstract

The present research work is based on Three woody plant species: Salvadora persica, L. Tamarix aphylla (L.) Karst. and Zizyphus mauritiana Lam. mentioned in the 16^th Ayat of Sura Saba in Holy Quran and Ahadith. These plants were collected from Dera Ismail Khan District, NWFP, Pakistan, during 2007. This is a part of check list of medicinal flora and their uses enlisted in Holy Quran, Ahadith and Islamic literature. The main aim of this study is to document the knowledge of ethnobotanical importance of these plants in the light of Islam. In view of the importance of this study related comprehensive and detailed data was collected. Complete macro and microscopic detailed morphological features of these species were discussed. Results were systematically arranged by alphabetic order of botanical names, family followed by Quranic name, Arabic name, English name, Local/Vernicular name, habit and habitat, distribution, parts used, medicinal uses and references cited from Holy Quran, Ahadith. It is concluded that herbal medicines are being widely used in the world because of better cultural acceptability, least injurious with none or much reduced side effects.