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Vernacular construction uses locally available materials, including plant-based materials. The sustainability of plant use raises concerns. Social evaluation using an ethnobotanical approach gives a clear overview of the sustainability of wild plant harvesting as it incorporates the views of resource users. In Ghana, plant-based materials are commonly used for vernacular housing construction, especially in rural areas. However, the cultural significance of plant species used for vernacular building construction remains unexplored. This study aimed to take an inventory of plant species and use their ethnobotanical indices to evaluate the sustainability of utilization in vernacular building construction. Ethnobotanical data on plant species used for vernacular building construction was collected from 258 respondents in the Adaklu district of the Volta region. Quantitative ethnobotanical analysis revealed that of the 26 plant species identified to be used for vernacular building construction, Bambusa vulgaris, Borassus aethiopum, Elaeis guineensis, Senna siamea, and Azadirachta indica were the most culturally significant and valuable. Bambusa vulgaris had the highest cultural importance, value, and relative importance index. Elaeis guineensis had the highest relative frequency of citations. The findings reveal a high potential for valorizing the culturally important and valuable plant species in the local construction industry. Promoting culturally significant and valuable plant species commercialization presents an opportunity for poverty alleviation at the local level, as most of the species are abundant in the natural environment and are among the commonly planted species for the afforestation program in Ghana., Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist., (Copyright: © 2024 Maxwell Kwame Boakye. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.)

Indigenous knowledge of medicinal plants is vital to local communities and cultural heritage, particularly in Ethiopia. This study aims to document native medicinal plants in the Jawi district, including associated traditional knowledge. The study involved conducting semi-structured interviews, focus group discussions, and guided field walks with a purposefully selected 54 traditional healers. The study identified 87 medicinal plant species from 50 families used treat over 50 ailments, with a preference for wild herbs. Fabaceae, Malvaceae, and Solanaceae were the most prominent families, each with five species; Zehneria scabra, was the most often mentioned species, followed by Lepidium sativum, Myrica salicifolia, Carissa spinarum, and Momordica foetida. 43% of identified species were herbs, with 44% of remedies made from roots. Pounding was the most common preparation method, and oral application was the most frequent use, followed by dermal application. 60% plants treated human ailments, 16% treated livestock, and 24% were used for both. Preference rankings indicated specific plants favored for certain ailments. The study highlights key plant families and species crucial for local healthcare but notes threats like habitat destruction and knowledge loss. Urgent conservation actions are needed to preserve medicinal plants and inform future research and strategies., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

This research purpose was focused to document the traditional ethnobotanical knowledge (TEK) associated with important wild plants and indigenous communities residing in mountainous zone of District Sudhnoti of Azad Jammu and Kashmir, Pakistan and to determine their conservation status with suggestions and recommendations to protect and propagate the rare and endangered wild flora of the area for sustainable use. The data regarding traditional ethnomedicines (TEMs) and phytogeography with conservation analysis of wild plants were collected via structured and semi structured interviews of 150 participants belonging to various professions and of both genders. Prior consent and permission were obtained from family heads and from all the participants, and the data were shared with all the informants through the local female translator guide. To validate the collected data, various microstatistical tools, such as the informant consensus factor (ICF), fidelity level (FL) and data matrix ranking (DMR) were used. The relative frequency of citations (RFC) and rank order of popularity (ROP) were also calculated to determine and authenticate the relative importance of TEMs which may be further studied in future research and used for drug discovery. In the present study, 150 locally important plants belonging to 69 families were documented, and the Rosaceae was the most dominant and prevalent family. The results indicated that many locally important plants have multiple uses such as food, medicine, fodder, shelter, ornamental and fuel. The TEMs obtained from these plants have been known to be useful for curing various infirmities such as flu, renal disorders, fever, malaria, cough, migraine, whooping cough, influenza, skin rashes, allergies, stomach aches, wounds and bruises, diabetes, tumours and joint pains. The ICF analysis revealed that renal calculus, malaria, fever, whooping cough, rheumatoid arthritis and arthritis were prevalent infirmities of the mountainous area. The FL analysis indicated the popularity of these plants used in various TEMs and among these Artemisia maritima and Berberis lycium were the most common. The DMR indicated that Pinus roxburghii was the most common species being used for multipurpose by the indigenous communities. The highest use value index was found for Indigofera linifolia. The relative frequency of citations was calculated to determine the importance of plants in traditional ethnomedicine, highlighting Morus nigra, Pinus wallichiana, and Rosa indica as significant species. The Jaccard index indicated a high level of novelty in the research which can be exploited for neo-drug discovery and drug development. In conclusion, this study has successfully documented the ethnobotanically and ethnomedicinally important plants in District Sudhnoti, Azad Jammu and Kashmir, Pakistan. The findings of this research contribute to the preservation and documentation of cultural heritage, as well as provide a foundation for further studies in ethnobotany, ethnopharmacology and biodiversity conservation efforts for sustainable provision of wild flora to the indigenous communities which will also assist in combating drasting climatic changes., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Medicinal plants have constituted a fundamental aspect of human health and wellness for millennia. The objective of this study was to document medicinal plants used to treat human and livestock ailments in the Tehuledere District. The data were collected using semistructured interviews, focus group discussions, and field observations with local informants. Preference ranking, direct matrix ranking, and informant consensus factor were used for data analysis. A total of 63 medicinal plant species belonging to 59 genera and 41 families were documented. The predominant families identified were Lamiaceae and Asteraceae, each containing 6 and 5 species, respectively. Of the recorded medicinal plants, 53 (80.95%) species were used for human ailments, whereas 12 (19.05%) species were used for animal health issues. Among the recorded medicinal plant species, shrubs constitute the highest number with 35% species. The most frequently used plant parts were leaves, accounting for 59% of remedies targeting human ailments. The administration of herbal treatments was primarily oral, aimed at addressing various diseases. The most significant threat to these medicinal plants was attributed to agricultural expansion, followed by the collection of firewood. The aim of documenting the use of medicinal plants in the treatment of diseases was to capture traditional practices, with species such as Eucalyptus globulus , Olea europaea subsp. cuspidata , and Lepidium sativum serving as the foundational basis for future pharmacological studies. It is imperative to prioritize the conservation of Laggera tomentosa and Urtica simensis to safeguard biodiversity and the cultural traditions associated with these endangered species. Engaging local communities in the management and conservation of plant resources, along with the preservation of their traditional knowledge, presents a cost-effective and sustainable solution., Competing Interests: The author declares no conflicts of interest., (Copyright © 2024 Worku Misganaw and Yalew Yiblet.)

Background: Morocco faces a substantial public health challenge due to diabetes mellitus, affecting 12.4% of adults in 2023. The Moroccan population makes extensive use of phytotherapy and traditional medicine to address the difficulties this chronic condition poses. The aim of this study is to document the use of medicinal plants in traditional medicine for managing type 2 diabetes in the provinces of the Casablanca-Settat region., Methods: The study employed a semi-structured questionnaire for data collection. A study was conducted between August 1st and September 30th, 2023, and 244 individuals diagnosed with diabetes were invited to take part in the research, all of whom used at least one medicinal plant to manage type 2 diabetes, by visiting primary healthcare facilities in Morocco. The analysis included the use of Relative Frequency of Citation (RFC) to scrutinize the data., Results: A total of 47 plant species belonging to 25 families were documented. Notably, the Apiaceae, Lamiaceae, and Fabaceae families were frequently mentioned in the context of treating type 2 diabetes in Morocco. Prominent among the cited plant species were Sesamum indicum L., Lepidium sativum L., followed by Foeniculum vulgare Mill., and Rosmarinus officinalis L. Seeds emerged as the plant part most commonly mentioned, with infusion being the prevailing preparation method and oral consumption being the most frequently depicted method of administration., Conclusion: This research underscores the practicality of incorporating traditional medicine into the healthcare framework of the Casablanca-Settat region. The findings not only offer valuable documentation but also have a vital function in safeguarding knowledge regarding the utilization of medicinal plants in this locality. Moreover, they provide opportunities to delve deeper into the phytochemical and pharmacological potential of these plants., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Background: Traditional knowledge about plants is unfortunately subjected to a progressive loss, mainly due to globalization and depopulation of the rural areas. This work enhances the ethnobotanical knowledge from Northern Italy, specifically Bologna district, and contributes to preserving Italy's plant-based traditional knowledge and to valorize local resources also in view of an ecological transition., Methods: The study was conducted between 2010 and 2016 in Bologna district encompassing 22 municipalities, which were grouped into three areas: hill, mountain, and plain. In total, 1172 key informants were interviewed, ranging in age from 50 to 85 years, and having strong links with traditional activities in the area., Results: The final inventory included 374 taxa belonging to 91 families. Among these, 251 were wild native, 40 wild alien, 74 cultivated and 6 were products bought from the market. Hill, mountain, and plain provided information on 278, 213, and 110 taxa, respectively. The most cited families were Asteraceae, Lamiaceae, and Rosaceae. The information was systematized in 12 use categories (UC): medicinal (MED), food, cosmetic, domestic, superstitious-magical-religious (SMR), agropastoral, craft, repellent-insecticide, veterinary, toxic, games, other uses and information. The most relevant UC were in turn divided into subcategories. A descriptive table with all the results was also created. MED was the most relevant UC (310 taxa), and among the 17 MED subcategories, the most significant ones were: gastroenteric (160 taxa), respiratory (133 taxa), and dermatologic (122 taxa). Food was also relevant (197 taxa, and 16 subcategories), and the widest food subcategory was nutraceutical (98 taxa). In cosmetic, the most relevant subcategory was skin treatment (37 taxa). Within SMR, the majority of the plants were cited to heal a disease in a ritual or superstitious way (15 taxa), while for agropastoral, the majority of the taxa (29) were cited as feed., Conclusions: The data collected has highlighted a significant traditional use of plants in Bologna district. Some plants or uses emerged for the first time from an ethnobotanical study carried out in Italy. The inclusion of a large number of municipalities and informants enabled the collection of a wide spectrum of data, encompassing various uses, anecdotes, and historical curiosities, which are crucial to preserve from being forgotten., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Background: Ethnoveterinary medicinal plants have been used by the people of Dugda District in the primary health care system to treat various livestock ailments for generations, particularly, in underserved rural areas. However, these ethnoveterinary practices and medicinal plants are dwindling without proper documentation, due to undergoing socio-cultural and environmental changes. Hence, this study aimed at inventory and analysis of ethnoveterinary medicinal plants and the associated indigenous and local knowledge used in the treatment of livestock health problems in Dugda District., Methods: Data were collected from 378 local inhabitants through semi-structured interviews, 18 focus group discussions with 6 to 8 participants in each couple with participant field observations. Informant consensus factor (ICF), fidelity-level (FL) and relative importance value (RI) were used to evaluate the agreement of informants on ethnoveterinary practices, healing potential of medicinal plants and the most multipurpose species. Using standard taxonomic procedures, voucher specimens were collected, identified and deposited at the National Herbarium of Addis Ababa University., Results: In total, 64 medicinal plants of ethnoveterinary uses, belonging to 33 families were reported to treat 37 livestock health problems. Anthrax, inappetence and diarrhoea were said to be the most prevalent veterinary health problems treated by traditional medicinal plants. Family Fabaceae was the most widely reported (7 spp.), followed by Apocynaceae, Cucurbitaceae and Solanaceae (5 spp. each). Herbs were the dominant life forms (21spp.), followed by shrubs (20 spp.). The most commonly sought plant parts were leaves (55.25%), followed by roots (23.44%). The principal method of preparation was pounding remedial parts (46.85%) and mixing with cold water. The main route of administration was via oral application (72.67%), drenching diseased livestock. Withania somnifera and Kedrostis foetidissima were the most cited medicinal plants with 53 and 43 use reports (URs), respectively. ICF showed that respiratory diseases scored the highest value (0.94), while most of the reported medicinal plants were gastrointestinal agents. RI value analysis revealed that Croton macrostachyus had highest diversity of uses, followed by K. foetidissima and W. somnifera. Ethnoveterinary uses of some medicinal plants such as Phytolacca dodecandra, Calpurnia aurea, Cyphostemma cyphopetalum and Verbascum sinaiticum as prophylaxis against rabies were a new input for ethnoveterinary database., Conclusion: The study revealed that the people of the Dugda District are endowed with rich ethnoveterinary knowledge and medicinal plants. However, ethnoveterinary knowledge associated with medicinal plant species significantly differ (P < 0.05) between general and key informants, young and matured age groups and informants' educational level. This infers the impact of mode of ethnoveterinary knowledge transfer, literacy, modern education and globalization on ethnoveterinary uses of medicinal plant species. And also most of the medicinal plants are found in wild habitats with nearly no conservation attention. Therefore, it is imperative to implement participatory conservation actions for medicinal plants in collaboration with traditional institutions (Gada system). The disparity of ethnoveterinary knowledge could be also minimized through awareness creation among local communities about the knowledge and its revitalization. Furthermore, medicinal plants, which are widely utilized and multipurpose, should be screened for their phytochemicals, pharmacological and toxicological activities to confirm ethnoveterinary uses and for future development of veterinary pharmaceuticals., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Background: Medicinal plants have been used for centuries and are still relied upon by over 80% of the Ethiopian population. The people of Gamo, southern Ethiopia, have a rich cultural and traditional lifestyle with a long history of using plant resources for various uses including traditional herbal medicine. However, their traditional knowledge of traditional medicinal plants in Boreda Abaya District has not been explored Ethnobotanically yet, despite preserving diverse indigenous traditional medicinal plants. Hence, the study aimed to document and analyze traditional medicinal plants and associated traditional knowledge and practices used by local people., Materials and Methods: Quantitative ethnobotanical data were collected via semi-structured interviews, face-to-face conversations, group discussions, and guided field trips between September 2022 and February 2023. In total, 92 informants participated, of which 25 were key informants. Quantitative data indices (informant consensus factor-ICF-and use report-Ur) were computed by MS Excel spreadsheet software. Scientific names of medicinal plants were checked via World Flora Online., Results: In the present study, we recorded 188 traditional medicinal plant species belonging to 163 genera and 73 plant families. Lamiaceae (16 species), Asteraceae (16 species), Fabaceae (11 species), and Euphorbiaceae (8 species) contributed highest number of species and were found to be predominant family in the area. Leaves and seeds were most frequently used plant parts, and pounding (46%) was the main method to prepare remedies. The sudden sickness disease category scored the highest consensus (ICF: 0.35), followed by blood and circulatory-related disease categories (ICF: 0.33). The highest number of plant taxa (61 species) used to treat dermal disease has a 71-use report score, while fewer plant taxa (21 species) were utilized to treat genitourinary system-related disease category, having 25 use reports. Ocimum lamiifolium (Ur:56) and Moringa stenopetala (Ur:51) are widely used species and received highest use report value., Conclusion: Gamo people possess extensive traditional knowledge of ethnomedicine. The region's vegetation hosts diverse medicinal species, but deforestation, agriculture, and droughts threaten them. Local conservation practices require scientific support, prioritizing species having higher use reports (Ur), and in-depth investigations of promising species for drug development are essential., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Plants have been an essential source of human medicine for millennia. In this review, we argue that a holistic, interdisciplinary approach to the study of medicinal plants that combines methods and insights from three key disciplines - evolutionary ecology, molecular biology/biochemistry, and ethnopharmacology - is poised to facilitate new breakthroughs in science, including pharmacological discoveries and rapid advancements in human health and well-being. Such interdisciplinary research leverages data and methods spanning space, time, and species associated with medicinal plant species evolution, ecology, genomics, and metabolomic trait diversity, all of which build heavily on traditional Indigenous knowledge. Such an interdisciplinary approach contrasts sharply with most well-funded and successful medicinal plant research during the last half-century, which, despite notable advancements, has greatly oversimplified the dynamic relationships between plants and humans, kept hidden the larger human narratives about these relationships, and overlooked potentially important research and discoveries into life-saving medicines. We suggest that medicinal plants and people should be viewed as partners whose relationship involves a complicated and poorly explored set of (socio-)ecological interactions including not only domestication but also commensalisms and mutualisms. In short, medicinal plant species are not just chemical factories for extraction and exploitation. Rather, they may be symbiotic partners that have shaped modern societies, improved human health, and extended human lifespans., Competing Interests: Declaration of interests The authors declare that they are supported by LVMH Research for Dior Science, a company involved in the research and development of cosmetic products based on floral extracts., (Copyright © 2023 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background: Wild edible fruits found in Tanzania's miombo woods are an indispensable source of food and medicine. Unfortunately, with the rapid expansion of human activities and urbanisation in the Tabora rural, Uyui and Sikonge districts of Western Tanzania, some wild fruits are disappearing due to the loss of plant diversity. The objectives of this study wereL: to document the knowledge related to wild edible fruits; to quantify the use and cultural significance, and to determine their threats., Methods: The ethnobotanical study was conducted from June 2022 to February 2023 involving 244 local informants. The study used field visits, the collection of plant parts, and semi-structured interviews with locals for its data collection. Descriptive statistics and correlation test were used to analyse the knowledge related to wild fruits. Frequency citation (f) and use reports (UR) were computed to understand the diversity and cultural significance (CI)., Results: The study documented 27 wild edible fruit species used for food and medicine. The life form constituted deciduous shrubs or trees (64%), shrub trees (21%) and evergreen or deciduous trees (15%). About (56%) of wild edible fruits were collected from June to August after the rainy season, (33%) were harvested between December and May during the rainy season, and (11%) were gathered from September and November before the rainy season. Household size and sex of the respondents were significantly correlated to the knowledge of wild edible fruits. Higher utilisation frequency (f) was recorded for Vitex mombassae Vatke (f = 0.84), Strychnos spinosa Lam. (f = 0.82), Vitex payos (Lour.) Merr. (f = 0.56), Phyllogeiton discolor (Klotzsch) Herzog. (f = 0.45), Vangueria infausta Burchell (f = 0.45), Tamarindus indica L. (f = 0.38), Parinari curatellifolia (f = 0.25), Landolphia parvifolia K.Schum. (f = 0.22) and Microcos conocarpa Burret (f = 0.22) fruits species. Additionally, Phyllogeiton discolor (Klotzsch) Herzog. (UR = 56), Vitex mombassae Vatke (UR = 56), Tamarindus indica L. (UR = 37), Strychnos spinosa Lam. (UR = 14) and Friesodielsia obovata (Benth.) Verdc. (UR = 11), have higher use reports (UR) and considered culturally important. Wild fruits were used to cure diabetes, gastrointestinal, reproductive, and respiratory infections ailments., Discussion and Conclusion: Multiple uses as well as the related knowledge of wild fruits have been documented. Friesodielsia obovata, Grewia flavescens Juss and Thespesia garckeana F.Hoffm. are the medicinal fruit species reported for the first time. Harvesting of wood plants, charcoal activities, crop cultivation, grazing expansion, and environmental change, have had an impact on the diversity of wild edible fruit plants. Over the past three decades, the use of wild fruits has been impacted by the loss of plant diversity due to decline of cultural norms on the forests management. Given the variety of uses for wild fruits, promoting markets for native fruits, sensitising the locals about the cultural importance and innovation on processing techniques are necessary to spur conservation efforts., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Background: The Yi people are a sociolinguistic group living in Mile City, which is their typical settlement in southeastern Yunnan, China. Over the long history of using medicinal plants, the Yi people have accumulated and developed a wealth of traditional medicinal knowledge, which has played a vital role in their health care. However, only a few studies have been performed to systematically document the medicinal plants commonly used by the Yi people. This study provides fundamental data for the development and application of ethnomedicine as well as supports the conservation of the traditional medical knowledge of the Yi people., Methods: This study was conducted from May 2020 to August 2022 and involved five townships in Mile. Information regarding medicinal plants was obtained through semistructured interviews, key informant interviews, and participatory observation. The collected voucher specimens were identified using the botanical taxonomy method and deposited in the herbarium. Ethnobotanical data were analyzed using informant consensus factor, relative frequency of citation, and fidelity level., Results: In total, 114 informants distributed in five townships of Mile were interviewed. The Yi people used 267 medicinal plant species belonging to 232 genera and 104 families to treat various diseases. Asteraceae, Lamiaceae, and Fabaceae were the most commonly used plant families by the Yi people. In addition, herbs were most commonly used by the Yi people. Whole plants and roots were the preferred medicinal parts. Decoctions were the most common method of herbal medicine preparation. There are 49 different recorded diseases treated by Yi medicinal plants, and among them, respiratory diseases, rheumatism, traumatic injury, fractures, and digestive system diseases have the largest number of species used. A quantitative analysis demonstrated that plants such as Zingiber officinale, Lycopodium japonicum, Aconitum carmichaelii, Panax notoginseng, Cyathula officinalis, and Leonurus japonicus played crucial roles in disease prevention and treatment., Conclusion: Traditional knowledge of medicinal plants is closely associated with the social culture of the local Yi people. The medicinal plants used for health care in the study area were diverse. Local healers were skilled at using medicinal plants to treat various diseases. Their treatment methods were convenient and unique, exhibiting distinctive regional characteristics. However, the inheritance of their traditional medicinal knowledge and protection of wild medicinal plant resources are facing serious challenges, including the decreasing number of local healers, aging of healers, lack of successors, and excessive harvesting of medicinal plant resources. This ethnobotanical survey provides a useful reference for the sustainable utilization and protection of medicinal plant resources in Mile and the inheritance of traditional medicinal knowledge of the Yi people., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Background: Ethnoveterinary studies are important to maintain the sustainability of livestock health and support people's livelihoods through the provision of food, maintaining livestock health, and other biological resources. This study was carried out in Soro District, southern Ethiopia, to identify, document and analyse plant species with ethnoveterinary uses along with the associated indigenous and local knowledge., Materials and Methods: Informants were selected using purposive (key informants) and systematic random sampling (general informants) methods. Data on ethnoveterinary plants and their uses were collected through semi-structured interviews, guided field walks, 13 focus group discussions with five to seven members in each and participant observation. Informant consensus factor and fidelity level were computed to identify the most common livestock ailment categories and the best plant species with ethnoveterinary use, respectively. Preference ranking methods were used to identify the potentially effective ethnoveterinary medicinal plants for the most frequently reported livestock ailments. The use diversity of multipurpose plants with ethnoveterinary importance was analysed using the analytical methods of ethnobotany including priority ranking, comparisons and important indices. The T-test statistic was used to compare knowledge differences among different social groups., Results: A total of 132 plant species in 120 genera and 61 families were reported by informants as having ethnoveterinary uses. The plants are said to be used by the local communities in various ways to treat 50 livestock health problems. Higher number of informants (23.77%) cited Momordica foetida for the treatment of 16 livestock ailments. The highest informant consensus value for this species is associated with its use for treating blackleg in cattle; Nicotiana tabacum was cited for the treatment of 15 livestock ailments mainly recommended for the Lumpy Skin Disease/Ailment of bovines; Croton macrostachyus for treatment of 13 livestock ailments including wooden tongue, FMD in bovines; and Gymnanthemum amygdalinum for nine ailments mainly diarrhoea of all livestock types. Achyranthes aspera is claimed to provide the most effective treatment for Aspiration pneumonia (severe coughing in bovines, sheep and goats) alone, while Croton macrostachyus, Ximenia americana, Allium sativum and Juniperus procera were indicated as potential plant species to treat Lumpy Skin Disease in bovines in the order given. The fidelity level analysis showed that Datura stramonium, Dodonaea viscosa subsp. angustifolia and Asparagus africanus were potential medicinal plant species to treat the respective ailments of rabies, Peste des petits ruminants (PPR) and evil eye/spirit. Multipurpose plant species including Prunus africanus, Combretum molle and Afrocarpus falcatus have been highly threatened as indicated by direct matrix ranking mainly due to collection of fuel wood, construction materials and making household utensils, and farm implements rather than for other uses., Conclusion: Soro District has rich and diversified livestock herbal medicinal resources, and indigenous knowledge of remedy preparations and applications is transmitted through generation lines. This resource faces anthropogenic threats with deforestation being the leading factor. Consequently, ethnoveterinary medicinal plants continue to decline before adequate and proper scientific documentation and testing are made. There is a dire need for planning and implementation of appropriate in situ and ex situ conservation strategies and to strive towards ensuring the survival and sustainable utilization of such important plant resources of Soro District. This must be supported by further documentation of the associated indigenous knowledge and pharmacological testing of the key promising species including Balanites aegyptiaca (novel species/NS to treat specific ailment), Brugmansia suaveolens (novel species/NS reported first to treat Livestock ailments/LsAs), Euclea divinorum (NS to treat specific ailments), Grevillea robusta (NS), Hagenia abyssinica (NS for the reported specific ailment), Pentanema confertiflorum (NS), Juniperus procera (NS), Maesa lanceolata (NS), Millettia ferruginea (NS for reported specific ailments), Schrebera alata/NS, Securidaca longepedunculata, Spiniluma oxyacantha/NS, Vepris nobilis (novel species reported first to treat LsAs), Zanthoxylum asiaticum /NS and Ximenia americana (NS for specific ailments). This ethnoveterinary study attempted to fill part of the gaps concerning the prevalent livestock health problems and the associated indigenous and local knowledge in the area., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Background: This ethnobotanical study in Dunyapur, District Lodhran, Pakistan, focuses on traditional medicinal knowledge, exploring 41 plants across 28 families. The research involves 496 informants from diverse backgrounds, including farmers, herbalists, housewives, teachers, and shopkeepers. The prevalence of herbs (68%) aligns with their accessibility and rapid regrowth, shaping the local medicinal landscape. The study investigates socio-demographic features, emphasizing the importance of considering the community's diverse perspectives., Methods: The research employs quantitative ethnobotanical data analysis, introducing various indices like PPV, FUV, FIV, RFC, UV, and RI. The analysis of plant growth habits underscores the dominance of herbs, and the method of preparation evaluation identifies decoction as the most common (23%). Leaves (27%) are the most utilized plant part, and Resedaceae stands out with the highest FUV (0.38). FIV highlights the ecological and cultural significance of Poaceae, Boraginaceae, Fabaceae, and Solanaceae., Results: The RFC values range from 0.016 to 0.032, with Cucumis melo having the highest value (0.032), indicating its frequent citation and cultural significance. The study reveals specific plants like Melia azedarach, Peganum harmala and Salvadora oleoides with high PR values for skin issues, reflecting their widespread acceptance and effectiveness. Oligomeris linifolia emerges with the highest UV (0.38), emphasizing its greater significance in local traditional practices. Leptadenia pyrotechnica records the highest RI (9.85), underlining its exceptional importance in the community's traditional pharmacopeia., Conclusion: The findings offer a holistic understanding of ethnobotanical knowledge in Dunyapur, emphasizing the role of local contexts and ecological factors in shaping traditional plant uses. The study contributes valuable insights into the diverse practices within the community, laying the foundation for sustainable integration of traditional knowledge into broader healthcare frameworks., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Background: The Hani people, who reside in Yuanyang County, Honghe Hani and Yi Autonomous Prefecture, Yunnan Province, rely on rice terrace farming as their primary livelihood. They utilize plants in various traditional ritual practices. The Hani people have categorized the value of plants based on their natural attributes and have refined the ways of using different plants in specific rituals through practical observations and experiences derived from their agricultural culture. Although the plants used in these rituals hold significant cultural value, they have yet to be studied from the perspective of ethnobotany. This study aims to approach the ritual plants using ethnobotanical methods., Methods: Ethnobotanical fieldwork was conducted in 10 villages in Yuanyang County between 2021 and 2023. Data were collected from the local Hani people through semi-structured interviews and participatory observations and 41 informants were interviewed during the field investigations. The frequency of citation (FC) and relative frequency of citation (RFC) were utilized to evaluate the relative importance of ritual plants among the local communities., Results: A total of 36 plant species, belonging to 18 families and 34 genera, were recorded as being used in 11 ritual practices by the Hani people. Rosaceae, Poaceae, and Fabaceae were found to have the highest number of species. Most of the ritual plants used by the Hani people were collected from the wild. FC and RFC analysis showed that the preferred plants for Hani rituals were Rhus chinensis Mill, Oryza sativa L., Phyllostachys sulphurea (Carr.) A. et C. Riv. and Musa basjoo Siebold & Zucc. ex Iinuma. The 11 rituals are all centered around the performance of people, crops and livestock. The Hani people use plants in different rituals mainly based on their biological attributes., Conclusions: Many rituals of the Hani people are closely related to their production and livelihood, and the plants used in these rituals are deeply rooted in Hani's traditional ecological knowledge and beliefs. The Hani people's reverence for nature, respect for life, gratitude towards ancestors, and seeking blessings and disaster prevention for their families, crops, and livestock are all reflected in these rituals and their utilization of ritual plants. The Hani people showcase their agricultural culture in the Honghe Hani Rice Terraces through plant-based ritual performances. Studying ritual plants in the core area of the Hani Rice Terraces is of great significance for protecting the Hani Terrace farming culture. In the future, it is essential to pay more attention to the role of traditional knowledge in biodiversity conservation., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

While the importance of interdisciplinary approaches is increasingly recognised in conservation, bridging knowledge systems across scales remains a fundamental challenge. Focusing on the Important Plant Areas (IPA) approach, we evaluate how complementing scientific and local knowledge can better inform the conservation of useful plants in Colombia. We worked in three municipalities to investigate knowledge on useful plant richness, species composition and use types, as well as perceptions on area-based plant conservation approaches. Participatory focus groups and ethnobotanical walks-in-the-woods were undertaken with local communities, while scientific data were represented by occurrence records from global data aggregators and digitised collections. A total of 1190 species with human uses were reported. Combining knowledge systems provided the richest understanding of useful plants but the relative contribution of each system varied between study areas, influenced by the history of scientific studies, socio-ecological context and study design. Meanwhile, local perceptions of how conservation areas should be selected differed from global IPA criteria. These results show that working with local communities can improve biological understanding for spatial conservation planning. Additionally, participatory approaches must move beyond community-based conservation and data collection, to inform the design of global conservation programmes., (© 2023. The Author(s).)

Bamboo are the fastest growing perennial woody grasses that have versatile applications. Most of the local people inhabiting the riverine area of the Siwalik region of Nepal rely on bamboo products for economic benefits and medicinal uses. Our objective was to identify the diversity of bamboo species, their ethnomedicinal practices, and economic and ecological importance. Data were collected by direct observation, key informant interviews, participatory rural appraisal, inventory technique, focus group discussions, and a household survey using semi-structured and structured questionnaires. We recorded four genera and nine species of bamboo, of which eight species have been used for agriculture, five for medicine, four for construction, food, fodder, artifacts and religious purpose, three for river embankment, and two for ornamental purpose. As the local people in the study area were deprived of medical facilities, using traditional herbal medicine to cure various diseases was a common practice. The inhabitants responded that they use bamboo-based primary ethnomedicinal care even against snake and scorpion bites. Similarly, they use bamboo young culm for reducing body weight and control diabetes. The value of the informant consensus factor was found to be maximum for the bamboo against snake and scorpion bites (1.0) and minimum for weight loss (0.81). This study concludes that the traditional utilization of all kinds of bamboo in the region is vast despite their less diversity. The recorded bamboo species are used not only for food and fodder but also in preparing artifacts, soil nutrients restoration in the fallow land, construction materials for the rural people, river embankments, and religious and spiritual purposes. Therefore, if grown on a large scale, bamboo can provide sustainable benefits for the local users and ecological aspects. Bambusa tulda and Dendrocalamus strictus have a broad spectrum of pharmacological agents. Considering the multifaceted application of bamboo in the Siwalik area, it is worthwhile to encourage the local people to bamboo plantation, which would contribute to supplement their household requirements and be one of the alternative livelihood options., Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist., (Copyright: © 2024 K. C. et al. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.)

Background: Traditional knowledge associated with medicinal food plants (MFPs) plays a vital role in fighting hidden hunger and safeguarding the health of local people. MFPs resources are abundant in the Gaoligongshan area, a biosphere reserve with the richest biocultural diversity in China. Local people of different linguistic groups also have rich traditional botanical knowledge. However, there are still few comprehensive and systematic studies on MFPs there., Methods: Ethnobotanical investigation including market survey, semi-structured interviews, free listing and key informant interviews was conducted in the Gaoligongshan area, Western Yunnan, Southwest China. A total of 13 local farmers' markets were selected and information about medicinal food plants, including food categories, medicinal and edible parts, modes of consumption, medicinal effects, and distribution were collected. The relative occurrence frequency (RFO) and cultural food significance index (CFSI) were calculated to identify the culturally significant MFPs., Results: A total of 184 species of MFPs, belonging to 83 families, were collected in the Gaoligongshan area, including vegetables (77), medicinal diets (26), fruits (25), spices (18), herbal tea (13), tea substitutes (11), substitutes for staple food (8), nuts (5), oils and fats (4), and dye material (1). The most frequently used families were Fabaceae, Asteraceae and Apiaceae, with 11, 10, and 9 species, respectively. The most frequently used plant parts were the stems, followed by fruits and leaves. Based on the evaluation results of the CFSI and RFO indices, 18 species of MFPs with magnificent local cultural importance have been screened out, such as Houttuynia cordata, Eryngium foetidum, Sechium edule, Centella asiatica and Pseudocydonia sinensis., Conclusion: These findings have guiding significance for conservation of traditional knowledge associated with MFPs and facilitation of scientific utilization of MFPs to meet local people's needs for a healthy life., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Background: The Bai people in Yunlong County, northwest Yunnan, China, have used medicinal plants and traditional remedies for ethnoveterinary practices. The Bai have mastered ethnoveterinary therapeutic methods in livestock breeding since ancient times. The Bai's traditional ethnoveterinary knowledge is now facing extinction, and their unique ethnoveterinary practices have rarely been recorded. This study documented animal diseases, EMPs, and related traditional knowledge in Yunlong County, China., Methods: Ethnobotanical fieldwork was conducted in six villages and townships of Yunlong County between 2021 and 2022. Data were obtained through semi-structured interviews, participatory observations, and keyperson interviews. A total of 68 informants were interviewed, and the informant consensus factor and use reports (URs) were used to evaluate the current ethnoveterinary practices among the local communities. Information on livestock diseases, medicinal plants, and traditional ethnoveterinary medicine knowledge were also obtained., Results: A total of 90 plant species belong to 51 families, 84 genera were recorded as being used as EMPs by the Bai people, and Asteraceae plants are most frequently used. A total of 68 informants were interviewed, including 58 men (85.3%) and 10 women (14.7%). The most commonly used EMPs parts included the roots, whole plants, leaves, and stems, and the common livestock diseases identified in this field investigation included trauma and fracture, gastrointestinal disorders, respiratory disorders, parasitic diseases, miscellaneous, venomous snake bites, reproductive diseases, infectious diseases, skin disease, and urinary diseases. Most of the EMPs are herbs (77.78%). Courtyard is one of the habitats of medicinal plants in Yunlong County., Conclusion: Traditional knowledge of ethnoveterinary medicine is related to the local sociocultural characteristics of the Bai. Plants are used in cultural traditions, which, in turn, nourish the plant culture. Cultural diversity and biodiversity are interdependent. This traditional knowledge is at risk of disappearance because of the increasing extension of Western veterinary medicine, lifestyle changes, and mainstream cultural influences. Therefore, it is important to continue research on ethnoveterinary practices., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Background: The documentation of ethnobotanical knowledge in Sudan is restricted to specific regions, and there is a far-reaching lack of written information on the traditional use of medicinal plants in other places like Darfur State, in western Sudan. The present study was designed to document the medicinal plants used in traditional medicine of Melit area in North Darfur State., Method: Ethnomedicinal information was collected from 135 local informants through semi-structured questionnaires. Data were analysed for use value (UV), informant consensus factor (ICF) and fidelity level., Results: A total of 59 medicinal plants, belonging to 32 families and 55 genera, were recorded for their traditional uses in Melit area. Fabaceae were represented by highest number of species (13) followed by Asteraceae and Malvaceae (4 each) and Poaceae (3). Herbs comprise the main sources (50.8%) of traditional remedies. Fruits and stem bark (17.9% each) were the major plant parts used. Decoction (36.5%) is the most mode of preparation used. Geigeria alata was most commonly used species with UV of 2.37. The highest ICF values were recorded for swellings (ICF = 1.00) and respiratory system (ICF = 0.95) categories. Ten plants, namely Carica papaya, Corchorus trilocularis, Eragrostis cilianensis, Heliotropium sudanicum, Mollugo cerviana, Psiadia punctulate, Rhynchosia minima, Solanum coagulans, Solanum forskalii and Tephrosia purpurea, were cited for the first time as medicinal plants used in Sudan traditional medicine. Resins of Boswellia papyrifera, seeds of Nigella sativa, pods of Vachellia nilotica (syn. Acacia nilotica) and clove of Syzygium aromticum were used to make different preparations for the treatment of the corona virus., Conclusion: This is the first ethnobotanical survey conducted in this region which is always suffering from security issues, and results indicated that Melit area harbours high diversity of plants used traditionally to cure different health conditions. The present study aids in conserving such rich heritage, and it is recommended that the newly reported species worth further studying over their phytochemical and biological properties., (© 2023. The Author(s).)

Introduction: Fangchenggang is situated in the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, China, renowned for its rich biodiversity and ethnically diverse population. The Zhuang people, constituting the largest minority group in the area, possess a wealth of traditional knowledge concerning wild edible plants (WEPs) owing to the region's favorable environment and dietary customs. With the rapid development of urbanization, tourism, and trade, the Zhuang people's food culture, including the consumption of wild edible plants, has become an attractive aspect of urban development. However, there is almost no comprehensive report available on WEPs consumed by the Zhuang people. The objectives of this study were to: (1) conduct a comprehensive ethnobotanical investigation of the WEPs among the Zhuang people in the region; (2) evaluate the cultural food significance index (CFSI) for the local communities; (3) summarize the cultural characteristics of the wild edible plants consumed, providing scientific support for the development of Fangchenggang as a sustainable and attractive tourism destination., Methods: Ethnobotanical investigation including market surveys, semi-structured interviews, key informant interviews and participatory observations was conducted in Fangchenggang from January 2021 to March 2023. A total of 137 informants were selected using the snowball method. Information about WEPs, including vernacular names, food categories, parts used, mode of consumption, collecting season, and recipes, was collected and recorded. The CFSI (cultural food significance index) was calculated to identify the most culturally significant WEPs., Results: A total of 163 species of wild edible plants consumed by the Zhuang people were identified, belonging to 67 families. The main categories of WEPs include wild vegetables (69) and tea substitutes (42). The most commonly consumed parts are fruits (37), followed by whole plants (33) and leaves (21), with herbaceous plants (74) being the most numerous. The availability of wild edible plants remains high throughout the year, with the peak seasons occurring in August and October, and significant abundance also noted in July and November. In the highly significant category (CFSI > 500), a total of 15 plant species were identified, which play a crucial role in the local diet. Additionally, 17 alien species have become part of the local consumption of wild plants, with 7 species listed as invasive alien species. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSIONS: This study documented 163 wild edible plant species and their associated traditional knowledge of the Zhuang people. The research identified culturally significant WEPs and analyzed their multiple uses. The historical development of wild plant consumption in Fangchenggang showed the strong influence of natural and social environments on the Zhuang ethnic group's dietary traditions. The WEPs are characterized by "sour food", "fresh ingredients" and "cold dishes", aligning with their health-oriented philosophy of "homology of medicine and food". Future prospects encompass the cultivation of economically sustainable wild edible plants (WEPs), the preservation of their traits through cross-breeding, ensuring safe consumption through research and safety evaluations, and advocating for the preservation of WEPs' culinary culture to support tourism and sustainable urban development., (© 2023. The Author(s).)

Ethnobotanical studies that use the participatory research approach seek to involve the residents of a community in different stages of the study, promoting the registration, dissemination and strengthening of local knowledge, as well as the empowerment of decisions related to the sustainable use and management of resources. Using the participatory methodology, this study recorded and made a comparative analysis on the use of plants in two quilombola communities (Quilombo do Cambury-QC and Quilombo da Fazenda-QF) in the State of São Paulo. After a training on anthropological and botanical methods, local researchers selected and interviewed the local experts, recording their knowledge on plant uses and collecting the indicated plants, to be identified and deposited in herbariums. In addition, participant observation and field diaries were used by the academic researchers, helping to analyze the data. To test the differences in the composition of species known to local community, a Jaccard dissimilarity matrix was created, and a Permanova test was employed. During the 178 days of fieldwork, three local researchers from the QC and two from the QF, selected nine and eight experts on the uses of the plants in each quilombo, respectively, corresponding to 214 plant species, indicated for eight ethnobotanical categories. Our hypothesis has been confirmed, since the traditional knowledge found in both quilombos, regarding plant uses and the number of plant species by category, are distinct, since each community occupies particular plant areas and different phytophysiognomies. Most of the indicated species are native to the Atlantic forest, and no significant differences were observed in the proportion of native species vs . introduced among quilombos for any of the categories of use studied. Furthermore, the innovative methodology used, participatory ethnobotany, contributed to the empowerment of community members with regard to the use of their available resources in the environment in which they live, while retaining the intellectual property rights over their own knowledge., Competing Interests: The authors declare that they have no competing interests. Ulysses Paulino de Albuquerque is an Academic Editor at PeerJ., (© 2023 Sauini et al.)

Background: This paper presents a comparative inventory of medicinal plant taxa and their uses by smallholder farming communities of four cultures in the Aswa River catchment of northern Uganda, situated in the eastern Sudanian savanna parkland ecotype of sub-Saharan Africa. The purpose of the study was to document the ethnobotanical use of medicinal plants by the Lango, Acholi, Teso (Atesot) and Ethur (jo Abwor), in an historical moment before civil conflict and mass displacement of the respondent communities disrupted the inter-generational transmission of traditional technical knowledge within the study area., Methods: Following community consultations in four districts of northern Uganda during 1999-2000, interviews were conducted with holders of specialist knowledge on plants used as medicine on basis of a plant specimen allocated a voucher number and identified by the national herbarium. Use reports reflecting specific medicinal applications were compiled in aggregate to obtain a Relative Importance Index ranking. The commonality of medicinal taxa cited between each cultural interface was assessed by the Jaccard Index of Similarity, and the similarity of specific medicinal usage by taxon using Rahman's Similarity Index., Results: The data collected from 112 respondents comprise 280 medicinal use reports describing 263 applications for 62 medical conditions, citing 108 taxa from 44 botanical families of which Fabaceae comprised 20% of all use reports. No earlier mention could be found to corroborate 72 use reports (27% of the total), representing medicinal indications as yet undocumented, and potentially worthy of investigation. The RI values ranged between 15 and 94%, with 13 taxa having RI values above 50%. The JI ratios indicate the highest degree of similarity in the plant taxa used as medicine (21%) between the Lango and Teso cultures who share a common origin; however, Rahman's Similarity Index indicates the highest similarity of specific medicinal usage by taxon between the Lango and Acholi, who share a common language group through cultural assimilation over time., Conclusions: As a comparative study, the results imply that cultural exchange and assimilation may be a greater driver of inter-cultural similarity of ethnopharmacological use of a given taxon, as compared to shared historical origins., (© 2023. The Author(s).)

The ethnic communities living near protected areas are critically dependent on medicinal plants for their healthcare. Although several ethnomedicinal studies are available from the Himalaya, quantitative studies focusing on protected areas in this region are largely overlooked. In this study, we aimed to document the ethnomedicinal plants of the Overa-Aru wildlife sanctuary in Kashmir Himalaya. We conducted a systematic field survey in the study area during 2020 - 2021 to collect primary data from 110 participants through semi-structured interviews and questionnaires. The data was analyzed using quantitative indices and Pearson's correlation. We recorded 64 plant species used against 8 human disease categories, including some first-time reports from the region. Asteraceae and Lamiaceae were the most dominant families and herbs were the dominant growth form. The most common plant part used were leaves, and the main method of preparation was decoction. Plant species with the highest relative frequency of citation was Achillea millifolium (0.83). Informant consensus factor for each disease category ranged from 0.94 to 0.97. We found a strong positive correlation between participants' age and citations ( r  = 0.85), but a negative correlation between the participants' education status and citations ( r = - 0.11). Our results revealed that the younger generation possesses the least ethnomedicinal information. We recommend that the species with high use values and fidelity level merit priority in phytochemical and pharmaceutical studies. Our findings highlight that protected areas, besides their prime importance in biodiversity conservation, play a pivotal role in providing the healthcare provisioning ecosystem services to the ethnic communities., Competing Interests: The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest., (Thieme. All rights reserved.)

Background: Edible flowers (EFs) represent valuable sources of both food and medicinal resources, holding the promise to enhance human well-being. Unfortunately, their significance is often overlooked. Ethnobotanical studies on the EFs are lacking in comparison with their botanical and phytochemical research. The practice of consuming flowers as food has a rich culture and long history in China, especially among different linguistic groups in Xishuangbanna, Yunnan. However, economic activities have led to a decline of this tradition. Consequently, preserving the traditional knowledge and culture tied to the EFs in Xishuangbanna becomes both essential and pressing., Methods: The field ethnobotanical survey was conducted in Xishuangbanna during five visits in April 2021 and May 2023, covering 48 villages and 19 local markets of all three county-level areas and 9 different linguistic groups. By conducting a comprehensive literature review and on-site field surveys, relevant information regarding the EFs of Xishuangbanna was systematically collected and documented. Additionally, the relative frequency of citation (RFC) values were calculated from the survey data., Results: A total of 212 taxa (including species and varieties) of EFs from 58 families and 141 genera were documented in the study area. The edible parts of flowers were classified into 13 categories including peduncle, petal, flower buds, inflorescence as a whole, and etc. They were consumed in 21 ways and as 8 types of food. The inflorescence was the most commonly consumed category, accounting for 85 species (40.1%) of the total categories. They always eat flowers as vegetables (184 species, 86.8%). The preparing form of stir-frying was the preferred food preparation method (138, 65.1%). The Xishuangbanna locals had profound knowledge of which EFs required specific processing to remove their toxicity or bitterness. The dishes can be made from either exclusively from the flowers themselves or by incorporating them alongside other plant parts like stems and leaves. Some EFs with high RFC value, such as Musa acuminata and Bauhinia variegata var. candida, showed significant cultural meanings. These edible flowers occupy specific positions in local traditional culture., Conclusion: Traditional knowledge regarding edible flowers holds substantial significance and serves as a representative element of the flower-eating culture in Xishuangbanna. Nevertheless, this knowledge and cultural practice are currently decreasing. Serving as a bridge between tradition and modernity, the flower-eating culture, which derives from local people's practical experience, shows the potential of EFs and can be applied to the conservation of biocultural diversity, healthy food systems, and sustainable development., (© 2023. BioMed Central Ltd., part of Springer Nature.)

Background: Traditional ecological knowledge (TEK) helps tribal communities adapt to socio-ecological changes, improving the long-term sustainability of their livelihood strategies and fostering social-ecological resilience. TEK provides thorough understanding of ecosystem dynamics, as well as how they relate to societal norms, practices, and resource use patterns. The integrity of TEK is often in jeopardy due to changes in belief systems, regional languages, traditional ways of subsistence, and disruption of traditional social-ecological systems. Landscape restoration has the ability to promote self-determination while safeguarding the livelihoods, beliefs, cultural, and biodiversity of indigenous peoples. However, there is a substantial knowledge gap on how TEK might aid ecosystem restoration, particularly in elephant corridors., Methods: The current study focused on gathering traditional ecological knowledge on the woody tree species from the Dering-Dibru Saikhowa Elephant Corridor using semi-structured interviews, group discussions, and direct observations. The acquired data were applied to heat map cluster analysis and ordination techniques using R software version 4.0.0., Results: Traditional usage information of 31 tree species utilized for food, fodder, timber, fuelwood, medicinal, and livelihood by local people was gathered. Most of the species utilized locally belonged to the families Combretaceae and Fabaceae. The species were classified into single, double, or multi-uses based on the extent of utilization. Azadirachta indica, Phyllanthus emblica, and Syzygium cumini (six each) had the highest utilization, while Mesua ferrea had the lowest. Chionanthus ramiflorus, Artocarpus heterophyllus, and Dillenia indica were among the plants valuable to wildlife, providing both forage and habitat for a wide variety of birds and animals. Artocarpus heterophyllus, Averrhoa carambola, Mangifera indica, P. emblica, Psidium guajava, and S. cumini were among the plants important for the livelihoods of the local community. Our findings demonstrated that local people were knowledgeable about the plant species to use as pioneer species, such as Bombax ceiba, Albizia lebbeck, D. indica, S. cumini, P. emblica, Lagerstroemia speciosa, and Alstonia scholaris, for habitat restoration in a diverse habitat. We classified the habitat of the enlisted species into different categories, and two clusters (clusters 1 and 2) were identified based on the similarity of woody species in different habitats. We prioritized multiple tree species for eco-restoration using the information collected through TEK. We planted 95,582 saplings on 150 hectares in the Dering-Dibru Saikhowa Elephant Corridors' degraded habitat patches, which will serve as future reference site for landscape rehabilitation. Out of total saplings planted, 56% of the species were linked to native communities through ethnobotanical uses, as well as providing connectivity and habitat for elephant movement, 16% of all woody species are pioneer species to colonize a degraded habitat, 15% of all woody species are preferred food and foraging by wildlife, and 13% of the species as a source of livelihood for local people, incorporating social, economic, cultural, and biodiversity benefits into the restoration framework., Conclusion: The current study also provides insights how the TEK can assist with aspects of ecological restoration, from reference ecosystem reconstruction and adaptive management through species selection for restoration, monitoring, and evaluation of restoration effectiveness., (© 2023. BioMed Central Ltd., part of Springer Nature.)

Backgrounds: Guangxi Fangcheng Golden Camellias national nature reserve, situated in Fangcheng City, Guangxi Province, China, is a coastal region renowned for its exceptional natural environment. Over time, the residents of this area have acquired extensive knowledge regarding medicinal plants, owing to their close association with the abundant flora. Our study aims to document the medicinal plants used by the local community near the Guangxi Fangcheng Golden Camellias national nature reserve. We seek to investigate the unique regional properties, cultural significance, and potential connections between medicinal plants used in surrounding villages and those sold in markets., Methods: During 2019-2021, 96 informants, including 36 key informants, were interviewed in the study area. The snowball sampling method was used to select respondents from medicinal markets and villages. Local therapists were defaulted as key informants. A panel discussion was held on the protection and threat of medicinal plants and traditional knowledge. In this study, two quantitative indicators, relative frequency citation (RFC) and informant consensus factor (ICF), were used to analyze the traditional medicinal plants in the study area., Results: According to the investigation, a total of 396 species of medicinal plants belonging to 295 genera and 116 families were recorded. From the perspective of Lifeform, herbs accounted for 38.9%, followed by shrubs. Most of the medicinal parts are whole plant (120 species, 25.59%), branches and leaves (116 species, 24.73%), and roots (101 species, 21.54%). Medicinal bath is the most commonly used therapeutic method. Among the 13 therapeutic targets recorded, rheumatic drugs accounted for the highest proportion, followed by muscular system diseases and skin-related diseases, which are closely related to local climate and livelihood. ICF shows that the use of local medicinal plants and related knowledge is very diverse, so local people have more options for treating diseases. Melicope pteleifolia, Clerodendrum cyrtophyllum, Lygodium flexuosum, Elephantopus scaber, Artemisia argyi, Plantago asiatica, Centella asiatica, Grangea maderaspatana, and Liquidambar formosana have high RFC, which are closely connected to local people's daily lives and are potentially vital to them. The wild vegetation, mostly around the nature reserve, is the primary source of medicinal materials sold in the urban medicinal market. Urban areas have fewer varieties of medicinal plants compared to villages near protected areas. However, there is consistency in their usage and application., Conclusion: The medicinal plants used in the villages near the Golden Camellia Nature Reserve are diverse, and the relevant traditional knowledge is relatively well preserved. The collection of medicinal materials by local people is sustainable. This study suggests that the local government should also protect relevant traditional knowledge in the decision-making process., (© 2023. The Author(s).)

Icacinaceae, an Angiospermic family comprising 35 genera and 212 accepted species, including trees, shrubs, and lianas with pantropical distribution, is one of the most outshining yet least explored plant families, which despite its vital role as a source of pharmaceuticals and nutraceuticals has received a meagre amount of attraction from the scientific community. Interestingly, Icacinaceae is considered a potential alternative resource for camptothecin and its derivatives, which are used in treating ovarian and metastatic colorectal cancer. However, the concept of this family has been revised many times, but further recognition is still needed. The prime objective of this review is to compile the available information on this family in order to popularize it in the scientific community and the general population and promote extensive exploration of these taxa. The phytochemical preparations or isolated compounds from the Icacinaceae family have been centrally amalgamated to draw diverse future prospects from this inclusive plant species. The ethnopharmacological activities and the associated endophytes and cell culture techniques are also depicted. Nevertheless, the methodical evaluation of the Icacinaceae family is the only means to preserve and corroborate the folkloristic remedial effects and provide scientific recognition of its potencies before they are lost under the blanket of modernization., (Copyright© Bentham Science Publishers; For any queries, please email at epub@benthamscience.net.)

Background: Domingo de Ramos, or Palm Sunday, is a traditional Christian religious event where devotees use ramos, which are bouquets currently elaborated from palm leaves and other natural elements. In various countries, it is assumed this use of biodiversity leads to the depletion of the species involved. However, other important aspects must be considered, including the role of the people who produce and sell these ramos, the associated symbolism that has been overlooked, as well as commercial aspects that have barely been documented. This ethnobotanical study evaluates the regional-scale cultural, biological and socioeconomic aspects associated with Domingo de Ramos in central Mexico from an emic perspective., Methods: Ethnographic and commercial information was obtained through interviews with ramos sellers in 28 municipalities in the state of Hidalgo, Mexico. We specifically sought sociodemographic data regarding the interviewees, as well as information pertaining to the ramos themselves and the palms. These aspects were explored with all of the sellers. The free list method was used to describe the uses and key elements associated with the ramos., Results: Although the ramos are used for religious purposes, they have eight different uses in the daily life of the sellers, the main one being "protection." They serve to protect families, crops and animals, as well as against several diseases. Likewise, they are considered valuable for diminishing strong storms. This belief in the protection conferred by the ramos preserves pre-Hispanic concepts and is combined with their use in blessing corresponding to Western beliefs. Ramos are made from 35 introduced and native plant species and comprise a base (made of palm, wheat or sotol), a "reliquia" (palm, rosemary, chamomile and laurel) and natural or artificial flowers. The ramos sellers are mostly adult women of indigenous origin and heads of family., Conclusions: This study of Domingo de Ramos, carried out at a regional scale, highlights a syncretism that is reflected in both the symbolic importance of ramos palm and in the species used, as well as socioeconomic aspects that had not previously been identified in the study area and reflect the occurrence of complex relationships in non-timber forest products that remain little addressed., (© 2023. The Author(s).)

Background: Despite their paramount importance all over the globe in supporting food security, information about wild edible plants is generally patchy. In this study, we investigated the wild edible plants used by the local people in the Soro District of Hadiya Zone, southern Ethiopia. The main purpose of the study was to document and analyze the indigenous and local knowledge of the people on their abundance, diversity, use and management., Methods and Materials: Purposive sampling and systematic random sampling were used to identify informants who can give information about the wild edible plants of the area. Data were collected by interviewing 26 purposively sampled key informants and 128 systematically randomly sampled general informants using semi-structured interviews. Guided observations and 13 focus group discussions (FGDs) consisting of 5-12 participants/discussants at each FGD session were also undertaken. Statistical analyses (mainly descriptive statistics approaches) and common analytical tools of ethnobotany including informant consensus, informant consensus factor, preference ranking, direct matrix ranking, paired comparison and index of fidelity level were applied to the data sets., Results: A total of 64 wild edible plant species belonging to 52 genera and 39 families were recorded. All of these species are indigenous, 16 are new additions to the database and seven of them, including Urtica simensis and Thymus schimperi, are endemic to Ethiopia. In about 82.81% of the species, the edible plant part is also used in the Ethiopian traditional herbal medicine. It is striking to see that almost all wild edible plants recorded from the study area are nutraceutical plant species, serving multiple roles as food and therapeutic sources for the local people. We recorded five growth habits of 34.38% trees, 32.81% herbs, 25% shrubs, 6.25% climbers, and 1.56% liana. We found the Flacourtiaceae, Solanaceae, and Moraceae to be families that represented more species (4 each), followed by Acanthaceae, Apocynaceae, Amaranthaceae, and Asteraceae, which accounted for 3 species each. Fruits (53.13%) and leaves (31.25%) were consumed in more proportions than other edible parts (15.63%); mostly the ripe, raw fruit is eaten upon simple processing, followed by leaves eaten after boiling, roasting and cooking., Conclusion: The frequency and intensity of consumption of these plants varied significantly (P < 0.05) with gender differences, key and general informants, and people's religious backgrounds. We postulate that priority setting for in situ and ex situ conservation of multipurpose wild edible plants in human-inhabited landscapes is essential to warrant sustainable use and conservation of the species as well as the use of new modes of application and valorization., (© 2023. The Author(s).)

Introduction: This study conducted an ethnobotanical survey of wild medicinal plants in the multi-ethnic areas of Gansu-Ningxia-Inner Mongolia intersection zone. Traditional knowledge of medicinal plant use in the region was compiled to identify important medicinal plants currently used for treating relevant diseases and to determine species with potential for development., Methods: Key informant interviews, semi-structured interviews, participatory rural appraisal methods, and ethnobotanical quantitative evaluation were used to investigate and study the traditional knowledge of local residents' use of wild medicinal plants in the region. The relative importance of the referenced plants was assessed, as well as the prominent species widely used in medicinal applications., Results: The study found that the region has a total of 204 wild medicinal plant resources, belonging to 149 genera of 51 families. Among these resources, a total of 50 commonly used plants were identified (44 of which were herbs, some of which were multi-origin), belonging to 27 families, with the most species found in the Asteraceae family, with 11 species. These herbs are mainly used for preventing and treating colds and nourishing health, followed by treatment of fever, stomach problems, and bleeding. The most frequently used medicinal plant in the region is "Ai", which includes Artemisia argyi Lévl. et Van. and Artemisia kanashiroi Kitam. All respondents provided information about the use of this medicinal plant to varying degrees, followed by Artemisia annua Linn., Ephedra sinica Stapf, Taraxacum mongolicum Hand.-Mazz., Sonchus arvensis Linn., Artemisia capillaris Thunb., among others., Conclusion: Our investigation gained a wealth of traditional knowledge about the use of wild herbs, using wild herbs, which plays an important role in the lives of local residents. Especially, the herbs and application methods used for treating colds, bleeding, and stomach problems are worthy of further research and development., (© 2023. The Author(s).)

Background: By comparing the differences in plant use between various cultures or regions, we can gain a better understanding of traditional knowledge of plant use among different groups, which may lead to a more objective understanding. Even though the Tibetan and Daman people live in the same ecosystem in Gyirong town, China, their cultural backgrounds and livelihoods differ. Therefore, the objective of this study is to document the traditional knowledge of plant use among the Daman people and compare it with the local Tibetan knowledge of plant use. By doing so, we aim to explore the relationship between plant selection and use and the cultural backgrounds of different groups., Methods: During fieldwork, ethnobotanical data were collected using various methods including free listings, key informant interviews, and semi-structured interviews. To quantify the importance of plant species in the Daman people's culture, the culture importance index, informant consensus factor index, and The Index of Agreement on Species consensus (IASc) were used. In addition, we cited previous ethnobotanical survey data from the Tibetan in Gyirong. To more comprehensively compare the differences in plant use between the Daman and Tibetan, this study constructed a knowledge network to compare the knowledge differences between the two groups., Results: In this study, traditional knowledge was collected from 32 Daman informants, resulting in a total of 68 species belonging to 39 families mentioned by Daman people and 111 species mentioned by Tibetans. Of these, 58 plants were used by both populations. The plants were classified into 3 categories and 28 subcategories, with 22 identical classes in both groups. The majority of use categories showed a high degree of sharing in both groups, and the Tibetan people had more plant use categories than the Daman people. Five plants with IASc value > 0.5 were identified in both groups: Rhododendron anthopogon D. Don, Artemisia japonica Thunb., Juniperus indica Bertol., Gastrodia elata Blume, and Rheum australe D. Don. The analysis of the knowledge network revealed a 66% overlap between the knowledge of the Daman and the knowledge of the Tibetans. Additionally, the plant knowledge of Tibetan people was found to be richer and more complex than that of the Daman people. However, the Daman people possess 30 unique knowledge items., Conclusions: From the perspective of plant use, the history of the Daman people's discrete migration on the border between China and Nepal allows them to retain their own knowledge of plant use. The status quo of joining Chinese nationality and settling in Gyirong town allows them to gradually integrate into the local Tibetan society. In summary, despite living in the same ecosystem and biodiversity background, the plant utilization of the Daman people and Tibetans still shows significant differences, which are due to their different cultural backgrounds and social status., (© 2023. The Author(s).)

Background: Herbal tea drinks, different from classical Camellia beverages, are a wide variety of herbal drinks consumed for therapeutic purposes or health promotion. Herbal tea is widely consumed in Guangxi. However, the documentation on the plants for herbal tea and their related health benefits is still limited., Methods: An ethnobotanical survey was conducted in 52 villages and 21 traditional markets in Guangxi from 2016 to 2021. Semi-structured interviews, key informant interviews, and structured questionnaires were applied to obtain ethnobotanical information of herbal tea, in which 463 informants had participated. Relative frequency of citation (RFC) and cultural food significance index (CFSI) were used to evaluate the most culturally significant herbal tea plants, and informant consensus factor (ICF) was applied to assess the agreement among informants., Results: This study recorded 155 herbal tea species belonging to 49 families. The most commonly used parts included leaf (27.61%), whole plant (22.09%), branch and leaf (19.02%), and flower (13.50%). The most frequent preparation method of herbal tea was decoction. Herbal tea was very popular in Guangxi, attributing to its therapeutic value, special odor, and good taste. There are 41 health benefits classified into eight categories. Among them, clearing heat was the most medicinal effects. Local people had high consistency in tonic, removing cold and cough, improving blood circulation, and clearing heat away. Based on CFSI values of each species, the most culturally significant herbal tea species were Siraitia grosvenorii (Swingle) C. Jeffrey ex A. M. Lu & Zhi Y. Zhang, Plantago asiatica L., Gynostemma pentaphyllum (Thunb.) Makino, Zingiber officinale Roscoe, Pholidota chinensis Lindl., and Morus alba L., Conclusion: Herbal tea is a valuable heritage that carries the local people's traditional knowledge, like health care and religious belief. The recorded herbal tea species in this study possess tremendous potential for local economic development in the future. Further research on efficacy evaluation and product development of herbal tea species is necessary., (© 2023. The Author(s).)

Childhood diseases remain an increasing health problem in many developing countries and also associated with an enormous financial burden. In South Africa, many people still rely on traditional medicine for their primary healthcare. However, inadequate documentation of medicinal plants used to manage childhood diseases remain a prominent gap. Hence, the current study explored the importance of medicinal plants to treat and manage childhood diseases in the North West Province, South Africa. An ethnobotanical survey was conducted with 101 participants using semi-structured interviews (face-to-face). Ethnobotanical indices such as Frequency of citation (FC), Use-value (UV) and Informed Consensus Factor (ICF) were used for data analysis. A total of 61 plants from 34 families were recorded as medicine used for managing seven (7) categories of diseases resulting from 29 sub-categories. Skin-related and gastro-intestinal diseases were the most prevalent childhood health conditions encountered by the study participants. Based on their FC values that ranged from approximately 0.9-75%, the most popular medicinal plants used by the participants were Aptosinum elongatum (75.2%), Commelina diffusa (45.5%), Euphorbia prostrata (31.6%) and Bulbine frutescens (31.7%). In terms of the UV, A. elongatum (0.75), C. diffusa (0.45), E. prostrata (0.31), H. hemerocallidea (0.19) and E. elephantina (0.19) were the dominant plants used for treating and managing childhood diseases. Based on ICF, skin-related diseases dominated with the highest ICF value of 0.99. This category had 381 use-reports, comprising 34 plants (55.7% of total plants) used for childhood-related diseases. Particularly, B. frutescens and E. elephantina were the most-cited plants for the aforementioned category. Leaves (23%) and roots (23%) were the most frequently used plant parts. Decoctions and maceration were the main preparation methods, and the plant remedies were mainly administered orally (60%) and topically (39%). The current study revealed the continuous dependence on the plant for primary health care relating to childhood diseases in the study area. We generated a valuable inventory of medicinal plants and associated indigenous knowledge for child healthcare needs. However, investigating the biological efficacies, phytochemical profiles and the safety of these identified plants in relevant test systems remain essential in future research., Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist., (Copyright: © 2023 Ndhlovu et al. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.)

Ethnopharmacological Relevance: Due to the long biogeographical isolation since ancient times, Soqotra Island (southern Yemen) is rich in medicinal endemic plants. However, information on their traditional therapeutic knowledge is scarce in scientific literature and still not completely documented., Aim of the Study: (1) Documentation and search the native traditional therapeutic knowledge focusing on the medicinal plants which are endemic to Soqotra (2) Identification of the important endemic plants treating diseases by quantitative analysis of the collected data., Materials and Methods: Ethnobotanical data were collected from 105 local informants through open interviews, semi-structured questionnaires and field survey in February 1990 to document the traditional medicinal plants in Soqotra Island. Of them we reported in this study the data of the endemic species, due to their wide biodiversity in the island. The quantitative data were analyzed for use reports (URs) and the informant consensus factor (ICF). The reported diseases were classified according to the International Classification of Primary Care-2 (ICPC-2). New reported medicinal plants in this study were identified compared to literature review. The level of traditional Soqotri knowledge among Islanders was observed during 1990-2003., Results: In the study, 86 medicinal endemic plants with 7654 therapeutic URs were explored for 69 ailments types belongs to 11 (ICPC-2) groups. The highest ICF value (0.99) were calculated for both eye and ear diseases categories, followed by general and unspecified ailments (0.98), digestive and skin (0.97 for each), and musculoskeletal ailments (0.96) among all diseases categories. While the highest URs (2276) were identified for skin diseases, followed by digestive diseases (URs = 2146). All the 86 recorded medicinal plant species were endemic to Soqotra, belonging to 57 genera and 29 families. Euphorbiaceae and Burseraceae were the dominant families, followed by Apocynaceae, Fabaceae and Asteraceae. Shrubs were the dominant growth form (41 species, 47.67%), followed by herbs (27; 31.4%), and trees (14; 16.28%). Leaves (45 species; 31.25%) were the most frequently used parts, followed by stems (34 species; 23.61%) and barks (species 23; 15.97%). The most cited preparation method was paste for 51 species followed by liquid exudates (48 species) and powder (26 species). Based on the comparative literature review, we recorded 36 new endemic medicinal plants and reported new traditional therapeutic uses for the remaining 50 endemic plants for the first time. On the other hand, all the reported endemic medicinal plants have been enlisted in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species, of them 21 endemic species enlisted as highest threatened species., Conclusion: According to the quantitative data analyzed, Soqotra Island has a valuable traditional knowledge in several medicinal endemic plants that used by local people in the primary health care until the study time at 1990. This study emphasizes the importance of early time in documenting traditional indigenous knowledge before losing and to protect and conserve the endemic plants against highly endangered. Consequently, these ethnomedicinal data could be used in the future as guide for pharmacological and phytochemical studies to discover new therapeutic drugs., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest Author declares no conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2022 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Background: The mountainous territory of Kohistan shelters diverse food plant species and is considered one of the important hotspots of local plant knowledge. In the era of globalization and food commodification, wild food plants (WFPs) play an important role in supporting local food systems and related local knowledge is one of the important pillars of food sustainability across the region. Since the area is populated by different cultural groups and each culture has retained particular knowledge on the local plant species, therefore, to make a cross-culturally comparison, the study was planned to record and compare the local plants knowledge among three linguistic groups viz Gujjar, Kohistani and Shina in order to not only protect the local knowledge but to determine the food cultural adaptations among these groups looking through the lens of their food ethnobotanies., Methods: Field ethnobotanical survey was carried out in 2020-2021 to gather the data on wild food plants. We used semi-structured interviews. Use reports were counted, and the results were visualized through Venn diagrams., Results: In total, 64 plant species belonging to 45 botanical families were documented. Among these Ajuga integrifolia, Barbarea verna, Clematis grata, Impatiens edgeworthii, Ranunculus laetus (vegetables), Parrotiopsis jacquemontiana (fruit), Indigofera tinctoria (flower), Juniperus excelsa, Primula elliptica, P. macrophylla (flavoring agent), Leontopodium himalayanum (Chewing gum), and Juniperus excelsa (snuff) were reported for the first time. The highest use reports (≥ 90) were recorded for Mentha longifolia, Amaranthus hybridus, Quercus semecarpifolia, Solanum miniatum, Oxalis corniculata, Ficus palmata, and Urtica dioica. Maximum number of wild food plant species (WFPs) were reported by Kohistani, followed by Shinaki and Gujjari linguistic groups. The percentage overlap of traditional knowledge on WFPs was highest among Kohistani and Shinaki (56.0%), followed by Shinaki and Gujjars (17.0%), and Kohistani and Gujjars (15.0%). Kohistani and Shinaki groups exhibited maximum homogeneity in traditional knowledge. However, Gujjars had more knowledge on WFPs compared to Kohistani and Shinaki. In addition, some dairy products viz. Bhorus, Bagora, Bak, Cholam, Kacha, Gurloo and Poyeen were reported also reported that are consumed orally and used in traditional cuisines., Conclusions: The study indicates that Kohistan is one of the important spots of biocultural diversity and could be recognized as biocultural refugia. WFPs have been an integral part of the traditional food systems among the studied groups, particularly the Gujjars have reported more distinct plant uses which could be referred to their distinctive ecological experiences among others. However, social change is one of the challenges that might lead to the erosion of local plant knowledge. Moreover, intercultural negotiations among the studied groups are also a matter of concern which could homogenize the local knowledge among them. Therefore, we suggest solid policy measures to protect the local knowledge and celebrate diversity across this mountain territory., (© 2023. The Author(s).)

Ethnopharmacological Relevance: Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) is a country with a highly diverse ecosystem, containing over 5000 confirmed taxa of vascular plants. The traditional medicinal use of plants has always played a crucial role and gained in importance in the time of war in the 1990s due to a lack of medical facilities. Still nowadays, the health care system is poorly developed, which altogether makes the region interesting for ethnopharmacological researches., Aim of the Study: Focusing on the area of Zavidovići Municipality in the central part of the country, we aimed to document the diversity of the used medicinal plants and the knowledge of their therapeutic usages., Material and Methods: Data was collected in individual open and semi-structured interviews. Therapeutic uses were classified into 14 disease categories following the International Classification of Primary Care-2 (ICPC-2), a classification system recognized by the World Health Organization's Family of International Classifications (WHO-FIC). Use reports have been used to evaluate the acquired knowledge., Results: The findings revealed a total of 113 species belonging to 46 families. 14 informants well respected for their knowledge in the area listed 77 therapeutic uses for the indicated plants. Based on a comparison with other ethnobotanical surveys of BiH and to other important relating literature, three taxa have not been previously reported in BiH and for 19 species, new medicinal uses were stated. Based on use reports, oral application of remedies is far more common (76,7%) than external application (23,3%), the dominant mode of preparation thereby is an infusion. Usages of most concern were digestive, urological and respiratory diseases, their consensus factor ranging between 0,63 and 0,71., Conclusion: These results summarize the usage of traditional plants among people who are highly valued in their community of Zavidovići Municipality for their knowledge and thereby aim to preserve the indigenous knowledge associated with the medicinal plants of the area., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper. This research did not receive any specific grant from funding agencies in the public, commercial, or not-for-profit sectors., (Copyright © 2022 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Ethnopharmacological Relevance: Sarawak is located in one of the world's most biodiverse regions and is home to more than 40 sub-ethnic groups that each have their own distinct culture, language and lifestyle. This has given rise to numerous, unique ethnobotanical systems. However, due to rapid urbanization, this traditional knowledge is at a risk of extinction. Yet, ethnobotanical studies in Sarawak are almost non-existent, especially among Orang Ulu communities like the Kenyah., Aim of Study: Therefore, this study was conducted to document the ethnomedicinal knowledge of the Kenyah community. The main objectives of this study are: 1) To determine and document the diversity of medicinal plants used by the Kenyah community, 2) To determine whether the availability of modern medicine has affected Kenyah traditional medicine, and 3) To identify plants which have not been previously cited or used for previously unreported medical uses., Materials and Methods: We conducted repeated interviews and field surveys at the Asap-Koyan Resettlement Area, Belaga Sarawak. A total of 24 respondents from four Kenyah longhouses were interviewed in this study. Individuals possessing extensive traditional medicinal knowledge were identified via preliminary interviews or by viva voce. Translators were employed to ensure that there was no miscommunication. The results were evaluated based on the plant's total use-reports and number of respondents citing the plant. The data was also evaluated based on use-reports by ailment category., Results: Over 95% of the respondents were 40 years and older (58.21 years old ± 11.21). This was due to the younger members of the community (40 years old and below) admitting that they had almost no knowledge regarding traditional medicine, as they preferred relying on modern medicine. A total of 61 plant species were mentioned by the 24 respondents Seven plants had five or more respondents citing it, which was more than 20% of the respondents. These plants were Piper betle, Homalomena cordata, Senna alata, Annona muricata, Derris elliptica, Blumea balsamifera and Coscinium fenestratum., Conclusion: Almost all of the cited plants had been previously recorded to be used in either Ayurvedic, Chinese herbal medicine, Malay traditional medicine or other Asian ethnomedicinal systems. However, there were four highly cited species that were used for treatments that were scarcely reported in past literature. These were piper betle (used by Kenyah to treat fever), Sauropus andrognus (used by Kenyah to treat fever), Derris elliptica (used by Kenyah to treat fever and influenza) and Coscinuim fenestratum (used by Kenyah to treat toxic effects from non-medical substances)., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2022 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Traditional herbal medicine is still used for basic healthcare by a significant portion of the population in developing countries. This study aimed to explore the medicinal plant's diversity and to document related traditional knowledge in the Safi region of Morocco. We used semi-structured questionnaires to interview 222 informants living in the study area. To perform data analysis, we used quantitative indices like use value (UV), family use value (FUV), fidelity level (FL), the relative popularity level (RPL), rank of order priority (ROP), and informant consensus factor (ICF). We reported the ethnomedicinal uses of 144 medicinal plants belonging to 64 families. According to the findings, the dominating families were Lamiaceae (17 taxa), Asteraceae (15 taxa), and Apiaceae (12 taxa). The most commonly utilized plant part (48%) was leaves. The decoction was reported as the main preparation method (42%). Highly cited plant species were Marrubium vulgare (UV = 0.56), Salvia rosmarinus Spenn. (UV = 0.47), Thymus serpyllum (UV = 0.32), and Dysphania ambrosioides (UV = 0.29). Papaveraceae (FUV = 0.26), and Urticaceae (FUV= 0.23), Geraniaceae (FUV = 0.17), Oleaceae (FUV = 0.17), Lamiaceae (FUV = 0.17) had the highest family use-values. Gastrointestinal disorders (88%), respiratory diseases (85%), and anemia (66%) have the greatest ICF values. This study reveals the indigenous people's reliance on plant-derived traditional medicine to prevent, alleviate, and treat a broad range of health concerns. Our findings will provide a scientific basis for ethnomedicinal legacy conservation and further scientific investigations aimed at new natural bioactive molecules discovery., Competing Interests: The authors declare no conflict of interest. JTC is serving as one of the Guest editors of this journal. We declare that JTC had no involvement in the peer review of this article and has no access to information regarding its peer review. Full responsibility for the editorial process for this article was delegated to GD., (© 2023 The Author(s). Published by IMR Press.)

Ethnopharmacological Relevance: Skin diseases are among the most common human health affections. A healthy skin promotes a healthy body that can be achieved through modern, allopathic and natural medicines. Therefore, medicinal plants can be a reliable therapy in treating skin diseases in humans through a diverse range of bioactive molecules they contain., Aim of the Study: This review aims to provide for the first-time scientific evidence related to the dermatological properties of Morocco's medicinal plants and it aims to provide a baseline for the discovery of new drugs having activities against skin issues., Methods: This review involved an investigation with different search engines for Moroccan ethnobotanical surveys published between 1991 and 2021. The plants used to treat skin diseases have been determined. Information regarding pharmacological effects, phytochemical, and clinical trials related to the plants listed in this review was collected from different scientific databases like PubMed, Science Direct, Google Scholar, Web of Science and Scopus. The data were analyzed and summarized in the review., Results: A total of 401 plants belonging to 86 families mainly represented by Asteraceae, Lamiaceae, Fabaceae, and Apiaceae which have been documented to be in common use by Moroccans for managing skin diseases. Among those plants recorded, the most commonly used are Allium cepa L, Chamaeleon gummifer (L.) Cass and Salvia rosmarinus Schleid. Mill. Leaves were the most commonly used plant part, while powder and decoction were the most common method of traditional drug preparation. 107 of the 401 plants (27%) have undergone pharmacological validation. A total of 44 compounds isolated from 27 plants were investigated to treat different types of skin diseases, and 25 plants have been clinically studied for their activities against skin diseases., Conclusion: The beneficial effects of using Moroccan medicinal plants to treat skin diseases, according to traditional practices, have been proven in numerous scientific studies. Therefore, other studies should focus on isolating and identifying specific bioactive compounds from plant extracts, revealing more valuable therapeutic properties. Furthermore, additional reliable clinical trials are needed to confirm their beneficial effect on patients with skin diseases., (Copyright © 2022. Published by Elsevier B.V.)

Background: Shexian Dryland Stone Terraced System (SDSTS) in the Taihang Mountains was formally recognized as Globally Important Agricultural Heritage Systems (GIAHS) by Food and Agriculture Organization on May 20, 2022. People there have been relying on the terraced fields for centuries, using various plants, including medicinal plants. However, little information was reported about the flora in SDSTS, nor medicinal plants. Thus, the present study aims to identify and document medicinal plants traditionally used by the local people living around the SDSTS and associated ethnobotanical knowledge., Methods: We conducted investigations in Shexian County, Hebei Province, North China, where SDSTS is distributed. Then, Wangjinzhuang, a community located in the core zone of SDSTS, was chosen as the case site. We selected the informants through purposive and snowball sampling. The data were collected through semi-structured interviews, participant observation, and key informant interviews. The medicinal plants traditionally used by the local people were documented and analyzed. We examined and confirmed the botanical identification based on voucher specimens and by cross-checking the descriptions with the series of books, scientific papers on medicinal plants, and the plant databases., Results: The local people have rich traditional knowledge to collect and use medicinal plants in SDSTS. Records of 123 medicinal plant species belonging to 51 families were obtained from SDSTS. Asteraceae was represented by 16 species, followed by Fabaceae, Lamiaceae and Ranunculaceae. (They all have 8 species.) The majority of the reported plant species were commonly processed into decoctions. And 180 diseases affecting humans were reported to be treated with traditional medicinal plants from SDSTS., Conclusion: It is the first ethnobotanical study on medicinal plants in China-Nationally Important Agricultural Heritage Systems, and in globally important agricultural heritage systems as well. Medicinal plants are crucial for people living in Shexian County. It is necessary to recognize and respect traditional knowledge peculiar to the mountainous region of northern China, especially for those involved in the human-nature interaction and the role of knowledge in agrobiodiversity conservation and rural development that local residents have persisted for centuries., (© 2022. The Author(s).)

The Patagonian steppe is a refuge for several indigenous peoples who live in relatively isolated communities, depending heavily on natural resources for their activities, health, and food security. The local ecological knowledge is a reservoir that generates full wellbeing and for which it must be the object of protection and local development. In this study, we aimed to find which factors can influence local ecological knowledge from a metacommunity on the Patagonian steppe. We analyzed variation in knowledge about cultivated and gathered plants used as medicinal, edible, and firewood according to multiple factors widely discussed in the ethnobiological literature: age, gender, formal education, occupation, indigenous identity, contact with urban centers, use of biomedicine, hunting, and handcrafted textile production. We conducted semi-structured interviews with local experts, accessed by the snowball technique. We found that formal education is a key factor in the variation of local ecological knowledge among people. In addition, we found that knowledge varies between people who practice activities inside and outside the home, concentrating knowledge between cultivated and gathered plants, respectively. Our urbanization proxies did not point to an influence of this factor on local knowledge, but specialists living in a larger community with signs of internal urbanization processes had much less knowledge. Our results allowed us to visualize the importance of studying metacommunities as a whole, to verify complexities and intersections of overlapping factors. Studies in metacommunities open up a range of possibilities for ethnobiological analysis., Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist.

Introduction: In recent years, research on wild edible plant resources has become increasingly popular. The Hassan Nature Reserve is a multiethnic area mainly composed of people belonging to the Han, Hui, and Mongolian groups. The utilization of edible wild plant resources in this area is extremely high. However, with the advancement of urbanization and the development of modern agricultural technology, these resources have been seriously damaged, and related traditional knowledge, such as that related to national medicine, has been lost., Methods: Based on a literature study, interviews with village and community organizations, participatory observation, and quantitative evaluation of ethnobotanical resources, wild edible plants in the Gansu-Ningxia-Inner Mongolia junction zone, were investigated., Results: The survey results showed that there were 53 species (varieties) of wild edible plants belonging to 24 families in this area. The Compositae and Liliaceae families were the most abundant, with 8 and 7 species, respectively. The young stems and leaves were the most edible parts of the plants, as observed for 17 species, followed by fruits (including young fruits), which were considered the edible part of 16 species. Other edible parts included the roots or rhizomes (bulbs), seeds, whole plants, skins, etc. The edible plants were consumed in two forms: raw and cooked; raw plants, mainly fruit, were typically consumed as snacks. The cooked foods mainly consisted of vegetables, with tender stems and leaves as the main food source. These components were also used as seasoning, in medicinal diets, and as an emergency food source in times of famine. Important (CFSI > 500) wild edible plants used in health care in the region include Mulgedium tataricum (L.) DC., Nostoc commune Vaucher ex Bornet & Flahault, Sonchus arvensis L., Taraxacum mongolicum Hand.-Mazz., Allium schoenoprasum L., Robinia pseudoacacia L., Hemerocallis citrina Baroni, Elaeagnus angustifolia L., Medicago sativa L., Ulmus pumila L., Stachys sieboldii Miq., and Toona sinensis (Juss.) M. Roem., and these plants had high utilization values and rates locally., Conclusion: In summary, the species of wild edible plants and their edible parts, categories, consumption forms and roles in health care in this area are diverse. The utilization of traditional knowledge is rich, and some wild plants have high development value., (© 2022. The Author(s).)

Background: Gongcheng Yao Autonomous County (Gongcheng) is typical for the Yao people in northeastern Guangxi, southern China. The Yao people have a long history of using medicinal plants. In this study, we used ethnobotanical methods to collect traditional knowledge regarding herbal medicines in Gongcheng. Our study provides fundamental data for developing and applying local ethnic medicines and their protection., Methods: Ethnobotanical data were collected from 103 villages in nine townships from 2014 to 2018 in Gongcheng. A total of 352 informants (279 male and 73 female) were interviewed through semi-structured interviews, key informant interviews, and guided field walks. All the informants were local inhabitants aged between 28 and 101 years of age, of which 40 key informants were selected based on the recommendations of knowledgeable elders and local medical institutions. The informant consensus factor (ICF) was used to evaluate the degree and importance of differences in medicinal plant species and calculated the relative frequencies of citation (RFC) for the recorded medicinal plants., Results: Data from 352 local healers were collected for the study. The Guanyin and Sanjiang townships had the highest distribution of per capita healers (Pch), while the Gongcheng, Lianhua, and Ping'an townships were relatively lower. Of the 352 local healers, more than half were older than 60 years of age and therefore faced the problem of suitable successors and potential loss of traditional medicinal knowledge. There are 12 types of diseases treated by local healers in the study area, and most of the types had a high ICF value. The highest ICF (0.80) was reported for digestive system disease, followed by urinary system disease (0.78) and nervous system disease (0.77). Traumatic injury and orthopedics, digestive system, and rheumatic disease are the most common ailments. The RFC value calculated in 33 medicinal plant species (with an FC of more than 5) ranged from 0.024 to 0.056. The higher RFC values included Kadsura longipedunculata, Schefflera heptaphylla, Plantago asiatica, etc. The most commonly used medicinal method was decoction; plasters, creams, and some form of moxibustion and cupping skills were locally practiced, but only rarely. The local healers used 306 medicinal plant species (116 families and 255 genera). Herbal plants were most commonly used among these, with whole plants and roots being favored., Conclusion: The Yao people are highly skilled at using medicinal plants to treat various diseases in Gongcheng. Their treatment methods are varied, convenient, and efficient. Due to the impact of urbanization and economic development, knowledge of traditional medicine is under threat, with declining numbers of local healers and a lack of suitable successors. In order to protect and inherit Yao's traditional medicinal knowledge, it is necessary to educate young healers and to protect biodiversity., (© 2022. The Author(s).)

Background: Homegardens in Northern Ethiopia received little investigation into the diversity of plants and no study and recording in the Gozamin District. This study was used to fill the gap in how cultural use and cultural importance conserve species diversity in homegardens in the different agroclimatic zones in northwestern Ethiopia., Methods: The study district and 12 kebeles were chosen using multistage and stratified random selection procedures based on traditional agroclimatic zones in the Gozamin District, Northwest Ethiopia, respectively. The number of plots chosen in each homegarden was determined by the homegarden's size, which ranges from 0.015 to 0.5 ha. These data were gathered by putting plots with a distance gradient from home (size: 10 × 10 m each). A semi-structured interview and complete plant inventory were conducted to document the informant's knowledge of plant species. Sørensen's similarity indices and Shannon-Wiener diversity indices were used to compare the similarity of sites and three agroclimatic zones, respectively. Direct matrix ranking, cultural importance (CI), the relative frequency of citation, and cultural value were used in quantitative analysis to compare the most common multipurpose plants., Results: A total of 238 culturally important plant species from 81 families were identified. The Kruskal-Wallis test showed that there was a significant difference among the three agroclimatic zones species diversity (H = 103.4, Hc = 111.2, p < 0.05). Of the total plant species recorded, 59% were reported to be utilized for environmental uses, 35% were food crops, and 35% were medicinal plant species. The same was true for the three agroclimatic zones; food and medicinal uses were the first and second most important use categories, respectively. The similarity index for 64% of the sites investigated was less than 0.5. Cordia africana (FC = 125) was the most culturally significant species with a value of 2.23 on the CI index., Conclusion: Homegardens are multifunctional systems. The presence of different agroclimatic zones, cultural uses, cultural importance, and cultural value of the species are central to conserving plant species in the area. As the size of the garden increases, so does the diversity of species and uses. Our findings suggest that conservation strategies should take into account the links between plant composition and cultural importance., (© 2022. The Author(s).)

Background: The relationship of people with natural resources is guided by different sociocultural, ecological and evolutionary factors. Regarding food plants, it is not different. Studies around the world have evaluated the effects of socioeconomic factors, such as age, gender, income, profession, education level, time of residence, ethnic diversity, religion, festive rituals, access to urban areas and migrations. In this sense, the objective of the present study was to characterize the diversity of knowledge and use of food plants by people from Serra dos Morgados and evaluate if the socioeconomic factors influence knowledge and consumption of food plants in the community., Methodology: This research was conducted in the village of Serra dos Morgados, municipality of Jaguarari, Bahia, with the purpose of evaluating the factors that influence in the knowledge and use of food plants. Socioeconomic data such as age, gender, time of residence, and monthly income were collected. The free list technique was applied during the collection of ethnobotanical data in order to analyze the preference of the plants based on the salience index (SI). To analyze the factors that influence knowledge and use forms, we used GLM Lasso., Results: A total of 33 people were interviewed, 8 men and 25 women; their age ranged from 30 to 82 years. People cited 98 species of plants, 41 species being identified of spontaneous occurrence. The plant with the highest salience index (SI) was "cheirosa" (Psidium ganevii) (SI = 0.5679), followed by "massaranduba" (Micropholis sp.) (SI = 0.4323); "araça" (Campomanesia guazumifolia) (SI = 0.3320); and "cambuí" (Siphoneugena sp.) (SI = 0.3144)., Conclusions: The main factors that influence knowledge and use forms in the locality were family income and the collection site, with homegardens cited as the preferred area for collection of food plants. This study provided an overview related to potentially important species for a community located in a region where there are few ethnobiological studies. The results presented here can be used in future studies, providing clues for investigations. Also, there is a contribution to the conservation of biocultural aspects related to the use of food plants in a community living in mountainous regions., (© 2022. The Author(s).)

Ethnoveterinary study was conducted from March 2020 to December 2020 in Mojana Wodera district, centeral Ethiopia. The study was aimed to identify and document ethnoveterinary medicinal plant species and traditional medicinal knowledge of the traditional health practitioners. A total of 105 informants were selected purposely and volunteer sampling approaches, and from these total informants, 15 key informants were identified based on their knowledge difference. Semi-structured interviews, field observation, and discussion were employed to collect information. Descriptive statistical method was employed to analyze the collected data. Informant Consensus Factor (ICF) values were calculated to determine the most common livestock ailment categories that occurred and identify potentially effective medicinal plant species in respective disease categories. T-test was applied to compare knowledge difference. The result showed that a higher average (p< 0.05) was recorded for key informants, illiterate and elder group; however, there is no significance difference (p = 0.53) between gender. A total of 33 ethnoveterinary medicinal plant species, which belong to 23 families and 31 genera were identified. Family Asteraceae and family Solanaceae were the dominant. From this total number of plant species (12.12%) were endemic for Ethiopia. The finding showed that shrubs accounted for 39.39% followed by herbs (36.36%) and trees (15.15%). The medicinal plant parts that were most commonly utilized were leaf (55.36%) followed by root (23.21%) and seed (8.93%) respectively. Higher ICF was recorded for Blackleg (0.82) followed by general illness (0.8) and pasturalosis. In this study, Vernonia amygdalina was the most effective medicinal plants to treat blackleg., Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist.

Background: Traditional markets are important trading places for medicinal plants, and researchers performing market surveys often engage in ethnobotanical research to record the herbal plants used locally and any related traditional knowledge. However, information on market-traded medicinal plants from traditional markets in the Lijiang area of Yunnan is not well documented. This research is an ethnobotanical survey focusing on medicinal plants traded in the traditional markets of the Lijiang area and contributes to the understanding of medicinal plants and related information used by the Naxi people., Methods: Ethnobotanical surveys were performed for two years (2019-2020). Three traditional markets in the Lijiang area were investigated. The methods we used included literature research, participatory surveys and group discussions. The collected voucher specimens were identified using the botanical taxonomy method and were deposited in the herbarium. The data were analysed through the informant consensus factor and use frequency (UF). These medicinal plants were compared with the Information System of Chinese Rare and Endangered Plants from the Chinese Academy of Sciences. Those results were in turn compared with the Dongba Sutras and Yulong Ben Cao., Results: A total of 277 species from 97 families were recorded, with Asteraceae providing the maximum numbers of medicinal plants. Among them, 248 species (89%) were wild plants and 266 species (92.39%) were from the local area. Root (40.43%) was the most common medicinal part. A total of 267 species (96.04%) had a UF value above 0.5. Eighty-three investigated human ailments were grouped into 16 categories. Diseases of the digestive system (166 mentions) were most frequently mentioned in this study. There were 19 species of nationally protected plants in China, including 2 species of first-level nationally protected plants and 17 species of second-level nationally protected plants. A total of 31 species of these medicinal plants can be found in the Dongba Sutra or Yulong Ben Cao., Conclusion: We surveyed the herbal medicine in the markets covering the Lijiang area, analysing and revealing the resource composition and current market situations. The medicinal plants used by the Naxi people are diverse and are used to treat a wide spectrum of body disorders. There are many wild medicinal plants, and to ensure sustainable development, their natural protection should be strengthened. Knowledge of the medicinal plants recorded in Naxi medical classics has ethnobotanical value and should be further developed., (© 2022. The Author(s).)

Background: Black-boned sheep is a precious genetic resource with black quality traits cultivated by the Pumi people in Tongdian Town, Lanping County, Nujiang Lisu Autonomous Prefecture, Northwest Yunnan, China. It has been included in the "National Breed List of Livestock and Poultry Genetic Resources." The local communities have a deep understanding of black-boned sheep. The traditional knowledge of black-boned sheep is essential to their conservation and sustainable development. In spite of this, there was no information on traditional knowledge associated with black-boned sheep so far. The aim of this study wasaimed to document traditional knowledge and culture, to elucidate information about forage plants, and to investigate the conservation strategy of black-boned sheep., Method: Four field surveys were conducted from July 2019 to May 2021. A total of seven villages and the Pumi Culture Museum in Lanping County are being investigated. A semi-structured interview method was used to interview 67 key informants. During the investigation, we also participated in the grazing activities of black-boned sheep, observed the appearance characteristics and the herd structure of the black-boned sheep, and demonstrated traditional knowledge regarding black-boned sheep, including grazing methods, forage plants, and related customs and habits., Results: We assumed that a majority of people in the current study sites were able to could distinguish black-boned sheep from their relatives by their black bones, blue-green gums, and blue-purple anus. The local people manage their black-boned sheep based on the number of sheep by sex, age, and role in a flock in the different breeding environments. Different grazing strategies have been adopted in different seasons. Through ethnobotanical investigations, 91 species of forage plants in 30 families were identified, including herbaceous, shrubs, lianas, and trees. Among all the plant species consumed by the black-boned sheep, Rosaceae species make up the greatest number, with 16, followed by Asteraceae, with 9, and 8 species of Fabaceae and Poaceae. Considering the abundance of forage plants and the preference for black-boned sheep, Prinsepia utilis and the plants of Rubus, Berberis, and Yushania occupy dominant positions. Plants used for foraging are divided into two categories: wild and cultivated. Due to the lack of forage plants in fall and winter, the local people mainly cultivate crops to feed their black-boned sheep. In addition, the black-boned sheep is an influential cultural species in the local community and plays a prominent role in the cultural identity of the Pumi people., Conclusion: Sheep play an essential role in the inheritance of the spiritual culture and material culture of the Pumi ethnic group. The formation of the black-boned sheep is inseparable from the worship of sheep by the Pumi people. With a long-term grazing process, the locals have developed a variety of traditional knowledge related to black-boned sheep. This is the experience that locals have accumulated when managing forests and grasslands. Therefore, both the government and individuals should learn from the local people when it comes to protecting black-boned sheep. No one knows black-boned sheep better than them. The foremost evidence of this is the rich traditional knowledge of breeding black-boned sheep presented by key informants., (© 2022. The Author(s).)

Ethnopharmacological Relevance: As an interdisciplinary field of research ethnopharmacology draws on methodologies and methods from a variety of disciplines. A range of ethnobotanical indices are frequently used to transform primary data obtained through field studies into statistical measures. These indices are claimed to serve as a proxy for efficacy or drug discovery (Fidelity Level 'FL') and to show the importance of botanical drugs and plants used as medicines (Relative Importance 'RI', Use Value 'UV' or Cultural Importance Index 'CI', Cultural Value Index 'CV', Relative Frequency of Citation 'RFC'). This is, however, doubtful, as these indices have not been developed by statisticians, nor by pharmacologists while a proof of concept is lacking. Moreover, the question whether a simple number can summarize the cultural value or importance of plants is not only mathematical but also epistemological., Material and Methods: The FL, RI, UV/CI, CV and the RFC are shortly reviewed. Their statistical rigour is explained and the relevance for ethnobotany, ethnopharmacology and drug discovery discussed., Results: The effect of the sample size on the dispersal of data and the differential probability of botanical drugs being used for the different categories of use are not being considered by these indices. They lack statistical rigour and are simple percentage calculations. Moreover, important factors influencing plant use, such as the availability of pharmaceutical drugs, or the severity of diseases covered by the use-categories, are not accounted for., Conclusion: Especially unexperienced and young researchers may be ensnared by using ethnobotanical indices to describe their field data. However, the cultural value and importance of plants in general, and more specifically, of medicinal plants and botanical drugs cannot be summed up by numbers. The discussed indices encrypt parts of the primary data but fail to show the value or importance of plant use because the reasons for which plants are valued or important to people are far more complex than what the formulations of these indices suggest. The indices also lack the power to pinpoint plant species or botanical drugs for drug discovery that contextualized primary data has. Botanical drugs may be useful for a range of disorders or only for specific indications, according to their pharmacologic properties. Therefore, the exclusiveness of therapeutical applications (FL) does not serve as a proxy for effectiveness. The solution is to use and understand the contextualized primary data., (Copyright © 2022 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

This study hypothesized that native people have unique traditional knowledge of plant resources in the rural areas and basic objective was the documentation of this valuable inheritance. Ethnobotanical data was collected from a remote rural area of Mandi Ahmad Abad, Union council number NA-144 Tehsil Depalpur District Okara, Pakistan. A total of 94 informants were randomly interviewed to collect data about local names of plant species, mode of administration, recipes and ailments, and ethnobotanical uses through semi-structured questionnaire, interviews and group discussion methods. The collected data was statistically analyzed by calculating use value (UV), frequency of citation (FC), relative frequency of citation (RFC), factor of informant consensus (FIC), family importance value, and relative importance (RI). This study is also compared with ethnobotanical literature by using Jaccard's index (JI) for similarity analysis. A total of 126 species belonging to 52 families were documented. The Poaceae (13spp.), Leguminosae (12spp.), Solanaceae (10spp.) and Cucurbitaceae (10spp.) were dominant families. Highest used value (UV = 0.22) was obtained for Azadirachta indica. The minimum used value (UV) was showed by Alhagi maurorum, Eclipta prostrata, Hibiscus rosa-sinensis, Solanum virginianum and Trianthema potulacastrum (UV = 0.01). Hepatitis, stomach ulcer, bowel disorders, urinary problems, psoriasis, cancer, and leucoderma were the most treated ailments with ICF value of 1, followed by leucorrhea (ICF: 0.89), and vomiting (ICF: 0.86). The highest Jaccard's similarity index value (JI = 0.329) showed that plant species reported in our study was more similar with Arid regions of Northern Punjab, Pakistan. This novel ethnobotanical report concluded that traditional knowledge about use of medicinal plants is decreasing due to allopathic medicines. Immediate steps should be taken for conservation and documentation of traditional knowledge of plants especially those having medicinal properties., Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist.