An ethnobotanical survey of medicinal plants in Sivrice (Elazığ-Turkey).

OBJECTIVE

This study aimed to identify wild plants collected for medical purposes by the local people of Sivrice County, located in the Eastern Anatolia Region of Turkey, and to establish the uses and local names of these plants.

METHODS

Field study was carried out over a period of approximately two years (2005-2006). During this period, 146 vascular plant specimens were collected. In addition, the relative importance value of the species was determined and informant consensus factor (FIC) was calculated for the medicinal plants included in the study.

RESULTS

A total of 81 medical plants belonging to 32 families were identified in the region. 9 plants out of 81 were recorded to be used for curative purposes for the first time. It was determined that the local names of five different kinds of plants used in Sivrice were same as the different kinds of plants used in different regions. The most encountered medicinal plant families were Asteraceae (>19% of use-reports), Rosaceae and Urticaceae (>17%), Lamiaceae and Fabaceae (>11%), Polygonaceae (>8%), Poaceae (>5%); the most common preparations were infusion and decoction. Urtica dioica L. was found out to be the plant most commonly used by the local people. Thymus haussknechtii Velen, Mentha spicata L. subsp. spicata, Malva neglecta Wallr., Rosa canina L., Hypericum perforatum L., Rheum ribes L., Rubus discolor Weihe & Nees, Portulaca oleracea L. were the other plants commonly used for curative purposes. The medicinal uses of Echinophora tenuifolia L. subsp. sibthorpiana (Guss.) Tutin, Onopordum tauricum Willd., Vaccaria pyramidata Medik. var. grandiflora (Fisch. ex DC.) Cullen, Astragalus gummifer Lab, Quercus pubescens Willd, Erodium cicutarium (L.) L'Hérit. subsp. cicutarium, Scutellaria orientalis L., Rumex scutatus L., Rubus discolor Weihe & Nees were recorded for the first time.

CONCLUSIONS

These plants, used in the treatment of many different diseases, are freely harvested in this region at abundant amounts. Plants which are used in different parts of the world for the treatment of similar diseases may be deemed to be effective in pharmacological terms.