Urban ethnobotany study in Samogitia region, Lithuania

Abstract

The urban ethnobotany study provides a generalized survey on ethnobotanical knowledge preserved in Samogitia (Lithuania) and on the practical application of this knowledge in modern therapy. We registered 113 medicinal plants from 57 plant families used for therapeutic purposes. The most commonly used families of medicinal plants were Asteraceae, Lamiaceae and Rosaceae and the most commonly used plants - Calendula officinalis L., Vaccinium vitis-idaea L., Valeriana officinalis L., Hypericum perforatum L., Artemisia absinthium L., Symphytum officinale L., Quercus robur L., Populus x canescens Aiton, Anthemis tinctoria E.C. Buxton, Achillea millefolium L., Acorus calamus L. and Aesculus hippocastanum L. Most commonly, medicinal plants were used for alimentary tract disorders (22%), disorders of the respiratory tract (20%), wounds, other traumas and bites (10%), renal and urinary tract disorders (10%), nervous and emotional disorders (9%). Despite easily accessible modern medical assistance, the inhabitants of the studied region were actively using their experience in traditional herbal medicine for primary healthcare.