Ethnobotany of medicinal plants in Qaen, southern Khorasan

Abstract

Preservation, and revival of information on how to use the medicinal plants, which are the fruit of the ancestors’ experience, are among the leading research priorities in Khorasan with its long history [1, 2]. The present study aimed to identify the medicinal plants and recognize their use in rural pastures around Birjand villages. The herbal plants cultivated in the rural pastures were identified, and data gathering was conducted based on the interviews with the villagers and the elders, who numbered about 80. The study results showed that there are 42 species of medicinal, edible, and industrial plants. The Lamiaceae, Asteraceae and Apiaceae with four species had the highest frequencies. These herbal plants have long been used for various diseases, including gastrointestinal (15 species), hematological (6 species), and rheumatological diseases (2 species), cold (7 species), depression (5 species), and skin diseases (5 species). The most consumption is in the form of brew and after that in raw and edible form. Due to the historical antiquity of the area and its long history in the use of medicinal plants as a result of remoteness from health centers, the present study helps introduce the valuable plant species, guide on how to use them, and preserve the local medical knowledge.