Ethnobotanical Study of some Medicinal Plants of Shazand City in Markazi Province, Iran

Background: Ethnobotany is the study of a region's plants and their practical uses through the traditional knowledge of a local culture and people. Traditional plant usage for medicinal purposes is a main part of indigenous people culture which has been formed during centuries in rural area. This knowledge has played important role in the development of new drugs on the modern medicine. Objective: The present study was conducted with the purpose of introducing the traditional usage of medicinal plants of Shazand city for medicinal purposes. Methods: The data were collected through field surveys, face-to face interviews with local botanist and documentary studies. After samples collection, plant species were identified and local name, life form, therapeutic characteristics, used plant organs, routes of administration were gathered. Results: In this study, 56 plant species belong to 23 families were identified. The most frequently used plant was as comforting, healing wounds, stomach tonic, painkiller and anti-inflammation and other use in traditional medicine that they can be exploited with careful planning and management. Conclusion: Shazand with 56 medicinal plant species is considered a rich source of these valuable plant; and this provide suitable field to increase the area under cultivation of medicinal and aromatic plants, afterwards to reduce wild-harvesting medicinal plants from natural areas.