Ethnobotany and folk pharmaceutical knowledge of the major trees or shrubs in North of Iran

Subject Areas : Genetic

معصومه Mazandarani ¹ (Department of plant biology, Islamic Azad University Gorgan branch, Iran.)

Received: 2006-02-08 Accepted : 2006-08-10 Published : 2006-08-23

Keywords: Iran, Shrub, Ethnobotany, trees, folk pharmaceutical knowledge, Golestsn province,

Abstract :

An ethnopharmacognostic survey on the traditional pharmaceutical knowledge (TPhk) of old and newly introduced natural remedies used for healing humans in two small mountainous area in Goleston province, Northern Iran. Approximately 56 medicine species of trees or shrubs belongs to 27 families were recorded. The objectives of this study were to introduce important useful parts and their medicinal characteristice them in two indigenous region. We found all these plants in which used by the rural people in traditional uses and food consumption that the main of them included: Juniperus communis, Berberis vulgaris, Alnus glutinosa, Carpinus betulus, Alnus subcordata, Cornus australis, Corylus avelana, Crataegus oxycantha, Rhamnus palassi, Ilex aquifolium, Lonicera caprifolia, Mespilus germaniac, Tillia platyphllus, Paliurus spina christi, Prunus spinosa, Quercus castaneafolia, Rosa canina, Hypericum androsaemum, Rubus fruticosus, Salix alba, Smilax excelsa, Taxus baccata, Viscum album, Cerasus spp, Mespilus sp and Pyrus spinosa. Among these remedies, the common use of the aerial parts of Hypericum androsaemum and the leaves of Morus alba against cough, migraine and healing wounds. Fleshy female cone of Juniperus communis against Urinary Trace Infection. Crataegus for heart tonic and Salix alba against rheumatic pain. The data that we present here could suggest new inputs for further phytochemical and pharmacological studies among Iranian folk pharmacopoeia, and also for sustaining environmentally integrated projects focuses on of the maintenance of TPhk via breeding or controlled gathering activities of local medicinal species.

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