~ 81 ~ International Journal of Herbal Medicine 2018; 6(6): 81-91 E-ISSN: 2321-2187 P-ISSN: 2394-0514 IJHM 2018; 6(6): 81-91 Received: 01-09-2018 Accepted: 05-10-2018 Sardar Irfan Mehmood Department of Botany, Govt. Boys Degree College Abbaspur Poonch Azad Kashmir, Pakistan Sajid Majeed Department of Horticulture University of Poonch Rawalakot Azad Kashmir, Pakistan Zeenat Jannat Department of Zoology University of Poonch Rawalakot Azad Kashmir, Pakistan Tariq Habib Department of Botany, University of Muzaffarabad Azad Kashmir, Pakistan Correspondence Sardar Irfan Mehmood Department of Botany, Govt. Boys Degree College Abbaspur Poonch Azad Kashmir, Pakistan Imaging based ethno botanical studies of district Poonch, Azad Jammu and Kashmir Sardar Irfan Mehmood, Sajid Majeed, Zeenat Jannat and Tariq Habib Abstract Present paper aims to study each plant in natural habitat including live imaging of field plant, leaf dorsal, ventral view and flower. A set of standardized digital images with enough features of a plant represent significant role in unambiguous plant identification, gross morphology of a species and taxon recognition, as a supplement herbarium collection. A total of 24 MAPs species belong to 24 families and 24 genera including 9 herbs 3 shrubs, 4 trees and 8 vines were documented. The important plants Aster thomsonii C.B. Clarke., Aquilegia pubiflora Wall. ex Royle, Boerhavia procumbens Banks ex Roxb., Bombax ceiba L., Clematis orientalis L., Dioscorea deltoidea Wall. ex Griseb., Hypericum oblongifolium Choisy, Hedera nepalensis K. Koch, Hort., Ipomoea cairica (L.) Sweet, Litsea tomentosa Heyne ex Wall, Leycesteria formosa Wall., Mucuna pruriens (L.)DC., Morina longifolia Wall. ex DC, Oxyria digyna (L.) Hill, Polemonium caeruleum L., Punica granatum L., Rubus fruticosus Loureiro, Reinwardtia indica Dumort., Symplocos paniculata (Thunb.) Miq., Solena heterophylla Loureiro, Trifolium pratense L., Tylophora hirsuta (Wall.) Wight, Viola odorata L., Ziziphus jujuba Mill. were investigated. It is an effort to solve privilege identification errors, adulteration and misconception for end users due to routine lists of ethno botanical information solely based on botanical names and interviews. This fundamental ethno botanical study will provide opportunity to re-examine botanical information and paved the way for effective and sustainable utilization of local medicinal flora. Keywords: digital image, ethno botany, medicinal and aromatic plants (MAPs), photography 1. Introduction The Poonch region of Azad Kashmir has diverse climatic attributes with sub-tropical, temperate, humid and sub-alpine ecological regions. Due to unique geographical and climatic conditions, this area is bestowed with valuable medicinal and aromatic plants miscellany. Poonch region is located between 33-36 North latitude and 73-75 East longitude, encompassed by Pir Punjal Mountains on the East, Islamabad on West, Kotli on South and Muzaffarabad capital of AJK on the North. Total area is 8500 hectare having average elevation of 1750-2500 m from sea level, inclining from South North to North East. Yearly rainfall of the area is about 1600mm. Famous mountains like Toli Pir, Haji Pir, Mehmood Gali, Lasdhana, Bedori I and Bedori II are situated in this area [1] . Ethno botany is engage in crucial concern about our awareness of the effectual interactions between plant diversity and human social, economical and cultural systems [2] . Now a day’s many modern medicines are originated from plants and medicinal plants are important source of beneficial drugs [3] . Regardless of many new attainments have been taken place in area of new medicines, majority of people in developing countries still feel necessity for traditional folk medicines gained from plant resources. Integrated active constituents of plant manifest good curative outcomes than single extracted constituents [4] .Usage of indigenous plants by historical healers has always been a low-cost and affordable resource for the poor people [5] . Azad Jammu Kashmir and northern areas of Pakistan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Baluchistan are natural habitats of medicinal and aromatic plants and herbal medicine is still the basis of healing practices in these regions [6] . About six hundred medicinal plants have been reported which are being used in folk medicines in our country [7] . Ethno botanical information in Poonch Valley (an administrative division of Azad Jammu and Kashmir) has been infrequently explored with the exception of a fewer investigations [8] . A small piece of efforts has been made to investigate biodiversity of this region including taxonomic description, field collection and the rate of genetic variations among plant species along with their divided communities [9] . The medicinal and aromatic plants (MAPs) along with other plant biodiversity are being evacuated by the human interference and natural disasters. Conservation of traditional knowledge and sustainable utilization of local medicinal plants is touching depleting standards