Traditional plant use in the areas of Monte Vesole and Ascea, Cilento National Park (Campania, Southern Italy)

• Published in: Journal of ethnopharmacology 2005-02, Vol.97 (1), p.129-143
• Main Authors: Scherrer, Ayalla M., Motti, Riccardo, Weckerle, Caroline S.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adult; Aged; Aged, 80 and over; Ascea; Biological and medical sciences; Cilento National Park; Cooking - methods; craft plants; Ethnobotany; Female; General pharmacology; Humans; indigenous knowledge; Interviews as Topic; Italy; Male; Medical sciences; medicinal plants; Medicine, Traditional; Middle Aged; Monte Vesole; national parks; Pharmacognosy. Homeopathy. Health food; Pharmacology. Drug treatments; Phytotherapy - methods; Plant Extracts - isolation & purification; Plant Extracts - pharmacology; Plant Extracts - therapeutic use; Plant Preparations - isolation & purification; Plant Preparations - pharmacology; Plant Preparations - therapeutic use; Plant Structures; plant-based foods; Southern Italy; traditional medicine; Traditional plant use; wild plants
• ISSN: 0378-8741; 1872-7573
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jep.2004.11.002

The present ethnobotanical field study conducted during summer 2003 in two distinct regions of the Cilento National Park (Mt Vesole and Ascea) documents the local use of 90 different plant species for medicinal, food and domestic purposes. Overall, 59 people native to the area were interviewed, and 883 use-reports have been recorded. The scientific names, local names, plant parts used, preparation and administration processes are given and compared with practices in other Italian regions. In total, 63 species are documented as medicinal, 49 as food, and 22 as craft plants. Over 40% of all species are used in more than one category and over half of the food plants are also used for medicinal purposes. In general the recorded species are well known in the traditional phytotherapy of Campania and Italy. However, some uses are unusual and are discussed in detail.