WEED DIVERSITY IN WHEAT AND MAIZE WITH SPECIAL REFERENCE TO THEIR ETHNOMEDICINAL USES AT RECH VALLEY, HINDOKUSH RANGE, CHITRAL, PAKISTAN

District Chitralis located in the extreme north-east of Pakistan with unique phytogeography having Irano-Turanian and Sino-Japanese floristic regions. The present study reports the weeds of wheat and maize crops of Rech valley, Torkow, Upper Chitral, Pakistan with special reference to their medicinal uses. There were 31 weeds distributed in 27 genera and 15 families. Asteraceae was leading family with 8 species (25.8 %) followed by Brassicaceae with 5 species (16.12%). Chenopodiaceae has 4 species (12. 90%), Papilionaceae and Polygonaceae have 2 species (6.45%) each. The remaining families Apiaceae, Caryophyllaceae, Convulvulaceae, Euphorbiaceae, Lamiaceae, Malvaceae, Oxalidaceae, Plantaginaceae, Schrophulariaceae and Solanaceae have one species (3.22%) each. Life form classes revealed that there were 26 (83.88%) therophytes, 4 (12.90%) geophytes and one (3.22%) hemicryptophyte. Similarly, leaf size spectra showed 12 (38.71%) mesophylls, 9 (29.10%), 4 (12.90%) macrophylls and 3 (9.67%) each leptophylls and microphylls The same weeds also have important ethnobotanical values and used as astringent, constipation, diuretic, laxative, anthelmintic, to cure jaundice, ulcer, cosmetics, dried skin, skin freckles, piles, abdominal pains and diabetes.