Volume 151, Issue 1, 10 January 2014, Pages 253–264
The use of the local flora in Switzerland: A comparison of past and recent medicinal plant knowledge
Abstract
Ethnopharmacological relevance
This
analysis of documented medicinal plants of the Swiss Flora over the
last two millennia provides a rich source of knowledge on earlier uses
of plants and use patterns of the local flora. We ask which local plant
species were used during different time periods of the last 2000 years
and how the numbers of species and the use intensity of specific plant
families, growth forms and habitats changed over time.
Materials and methods
Totally
25 herbals from the antiquity, monastic medicine, Renaissance, early
modern era and the contemporary time as well as five recent
ethnobotanical studies were considered. Use patterns were analysed with
the Bayesian approach.
Results
A
total of 768 species, i.e. 32% of the vascular plants of the Swiss
Flora have been documented as medicinal plants. Numbers increase until
the monastic period (366 spp.) and the Renaissance (476) and remain
relatively stable since then (modern and contemporary era: 477). But,
465 formerly documented species do not occur in the ethnobotanical
studies and thus seem not to be used any more. Overall, 104 species are
documented through all time periods. Archeophytes, trees and forest
plants are generally overrepresented in herbals from all time periods
while plants from above the timberline are generally underrepresented.
Most widely used are the Lamiaceae and Apiaceae.
Conclusion
A
constant body of medicinal plant knowledge in Switzerland exists since
ancient time. This knowledge was always influenced by knowledge from
neighboring countries and no “typical Swiss specialties” seem to exist.
Medicinal plants are not randomly chosen from the available flora.
Certain species are deliberately introduced others are neglected. This
process, which is still ongoing, can be traced back with the help of
herbals to the antiquity.
Graphical abstract
Graph of the number of medicinal plants of the Swiss flora documented over the last two millennia.
Keywords
- Ethnobotany;
- Herbals;
- Medical history;
- Medicinal plants;
- Swiss flora
- Corresponding author. Tel.:
+41 44 634 83 52.
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