Research paper
Medicinal mosses in pre-Linnaean bryophyte floras of central Europe. An example from the natural history of Poland
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Abstract
Ethnopharmacological relevance
The paper presents information about the earliest botanical work from Poland, Warsavia physice illustratawhich takes bryophytes into account. It was elaborated by a German physician Christian Heinrich Erndtel and issued in 1730 in Dresden. That time understanding of bryophytes was imprecise and in many cases they were confused with lichens and club mosses.
Materials and methods
Bryophyte taxa polynomials (18 names) were identified using pre- and post-Linnaean botanical monographs from years 1590 to 1801. Their current names and pharmacological value are provided, as well as the old ethnobotanical data about bryophytes (cited from 18th-century sources).
Results
Altogether 18 bryophyte species were identified from the vicinity of Warsaw (17 mosses and 1 liverwort). Some of them are still abundant in this area (for example Climacium dendroides, Plagiomnium undulatumand Polytrichum juniperinum) while some other are rare or extinct (for example Neckera crispa andRhodobryum roseum).
Conclusions
Despite the technical ability to observe specific microscopic differences among bryophytes, physicians of 18th century were hardly interested in using any of them as medicinal stock. It may be concluded that the competences in pre-Linnaean bryology did not put into practice using moss-derived materia medica of 18th century (the only exceptions were Fontinalis antipyretica and Polytrichum spp.).
Graphical abstract
Keywords
- Bryophytes;
- Herbal stock;
- Medicinal plants;
- 18th century;
- Central Europe
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