Ethnobotanical notes about medicinal and useful plants of the Reventino Massif tradition (Calabria region, Southern Italy)

Abstract

This paper presents an ethnobotanical survey of the traditional uses of plants in the Reventino Massif (Calabria Region, Southern Italy). The aim of study was to record local knowledge on plants used for food, medical and other purposes based on new information provided by inhabitants in the study area. Fifty people, aged between 52 and 91 years, were interviewed between January and June 2016, using open and semi-structured ethnobotanical interviews. For each described plant species, the Italian common and local folk names, the part of the plants used, the uses and the relative use value (UV), were recorded. 76 plant species belonging to 43 families have been identified, with Asteraceae (10 species) and Lamiaceae (9 species) being most frequently used. The decoction and infusion in water, is the main preparation method for oral administration, while direct application of plants is the most important method for topical use. Several uses were never reported before. Phytotherapy in the Reventino Massif Area is nowadays practiced by a few elderly people that resort to medicinal plants only for various mild complaints such as tooth-ache, rheumatic pain, headaches; they also serve as first aid, as cicatrizing, lenitive, haemostatic agents. On the contrary, food uses are still commonly practiced.