Ethnobotanical analysis for traditional knowledge of wild edible plants in North Jeolla Province (Korea)

This study aims to investigate how wild edible plants are used according to orally transmitted traditional knowledge in North Jeolla Province, Korea. Data was collected utilizing semi-structured questionnaires through the participatory rural appraisal method. This study utilized 91 informants who produced 244 viable usages from the collection of 108 species, within 96 genera in 52 families. Regarding the distribution of recorded families, Asteraceae (22 species) occupied 29.6 % of the total use-reports. Within usage, vegetables (55 species) occupied 50.9 % of the whole. Overall, 22 kinds of plant-parts were selected as edible materials requiring 48 various preparatory methods. The category of preparatory methods with the highest degree of consensus from the informants were food dye, fried dry vegetables, pan fried cakes, seared spikelets, seasoned cooked vegetables (Type V), and steamed rice cakes. For fidelity levels (FL) of plants regarding preparatory methods, 27 plant species recorded a FL of 100 %. The results of this study will be enhanced due to the value of traditional knowledge of the local community concerning wild edible plants and will provide various usages for the plants as nutritional sources for the residents of local communities.     

Multi‐criteria‐based Plant Species Selection for Gully and Riverbank Stabilization in a Sub‐humid Tropical Area

Selection of appropriate plant species for rehabilitation of degraded lands while fulfilling socio‐economic interests of local communities is one of the decision‐making challenges. This research was undertaken to select multipurpose trees, shrubs and grasses to stabilize degraded lands in the Gilgel Gibe catchment of Southwest Ethiopia, situated in the sub‐humid tropics. Two multi‐criteria decision analysis methods, analytical hierarchy process and simple multi‐attribute rating technique, integrated in the excel‐based multi‐criteria tree selection tool, were used. Focus group discussions were held with experts and local communities to prioritize 40 plant species from a preselected regional pool of 129 species, using six criteria groups containing 47 individual criteria. Root characteristics of the top 9 ranked plants were studied for triangulating the multi‐criteria decision analysis results. Both local communities and experts gave priority to indigenous trees over shrubs and grasses as the best five species for multipurpose use, whereas the top 5 species prioritized for riverbank stabilization contained both trees and grasses. In contrast, communities preferred indigenous trees, and experts selected grasses as the best five species for gully stabilization. The root system characterization revealed that the five top‐ranked multipurpose species also have the required root characteristics for effectively reinforcing unstable slopes. However, communities prefer to plant Eucalyptus and Grevillea trees because of their short‐term economic benefits although they understood the multipurpose value of indigenous plants. The trade‐off between direct economic benefit and multipurpose benefits could be solved by awareness creation, incentives to communities and policy re‐enforcement. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Eating from the wild: Turumbu,Mbole and Bali traditional knowledge on non-cultivated edible plants,District Tshopo,DRCongo

Wild Edible Plant (WEP) knowledge is very important for the survival of many African communities and may constitute a genetic resource pool for the development of novel food products. Only very limited and general information on WEPs of the Tshopo District, DRCongo, is available in international literature. Ethnobotanical research was carried out in 3 ethnic groups, Turumbu, Mbole and Bali, in 3 different territories of the Tshopo District. In 3 villages per ethnic group, WEPs were inventoried and their properties discussed in focus groups. Via ‘walks-in-the-woods’ with key informants all WEPs were collected to constitute a reference herbarium. Preferences in taste, commercial, nutritional and cultural value, were discussed during participatory ranking exercises. A total of 166 WEPs (165 species and 2 varieties) in 71 families, together with their uses, preparation methods, availability and commercialization possibilities were documented. Comparisons between the 3 ethnic groups showed that the use and knowledge of WEPs is clearly culturally defined with high diversity between ethnic groups. Therefore, we should make a difference between species with regional importance and ethnospecific species when it comes to priority setting for further study and participatory domestication. Based upon the preference ranking exercises, Anonidium mannii, Landolphia owariensis and Megaphrynium macrostachyum are some of the species with regional importance. Participatory domestication aims at ameliorating nutrition security and diversifying and increasing local farmers’ income whilst protecting the tropical rainforest from overexploitation.     

The consumption of wild and semi-domesticated edible plants in the Arribes del Duero (Salamanca-Zamora,Spain): an analysis of traditional knowledge

The collection and consumption of wild (including naturalized) and semi-domesticated (cultivated and reverted to wild status, and neglected cultivated plants for food) edible plants in the rural communities of the Arribes del Duero (western Spain), a highly heterogeneous Mediterranean agroecosystem, were analysed. Through semi-structured interviews with 80 informants, data on the gathering, preparation and consumption of 76 wild edible plant species were acquired. To analyze how traditional knowledge varies with the characteristics of the informants, we performed an ANCOVA. The “age” variable was found to have a significant effect. The most frequently cited species in the study area (i.e. Rubus ulmifolius, Foeniculum vulgare, Quercus ilex, Laurus nobilis, Origanum vulgare) are widely consumed in the Mediterranean region. Also, from a cluster analysis it was observed that the grouping succession this territory matches those of analysed areas of the Iberian southwest. Certain species have traditionally been consumed as an important supplement to the diet, particularly during food shortages (i.e. Rumex induratus, Chondrilla juncea). Several species are ethnobotanical novelties, among which are Erodium botrys and Astragalus pelecinus, whose immature fruits are eaten raw as a snack. Some ecological and cultural aspects of the gathering of wild plants for food are discussed.     

Traditional medicinal plant knowledge among Albanians, Macedonians and Gorani in the Sharr Mountains (Republic of Macedonia)

A medico-ethnobotanical study was conducted among Albanians, Macedonians, and Gorani in forty-one villages located in the Sharr Mountains in western Macedonia. The survey was conducted by interviewing local people of each community about the medicinal plants and their uses and properties. Seventy-six mainly wild taxa were found to represent the remaining folk medical heritage of the area. The large majority of the recorded plants are used in form of teas, and mainly for minor dysfunctions of the respiratory system. Among the findings, the uncommon uses of Ballota nigra L. (leaves) tea as a digestive, Convolvulus arvensis L. (aerial parts) tea against hypertension, Chenopodium urbicum L. leaves (topically applied) for treating hemorrhoids, and Cornus sanguine L. (leaves and fruits) tea against stomachaches could be of interest for further phytopharmacological studies. A significant portion of study participants raised concerns regarding the possibility of over-exploitation of a few species due to collecting practices serving both local and outside (pharmaceutical) markets. Most of the uses reported by Macedonians and Gorani were also recorded among Albanians, while a significant portion of plants quoted by Orthodox Macedonians showed an idiosyncratic use. This may be explained by the fact that the Gorani lived very close to the Albanian communities in the study area over the last century, with marriages between the two communities being commonplace and facilitated by their shared (Muslim) faith.     

A nonparametric lower bound for the number of species shared by multiple communities

In biological and ecological statistical inference, it is practically useful to provide a lower bound for species richness in a community. Chao (1984, 1989) derived a non-parametric lower bound for species richness in a single community. However, there have been no lower bounds proposed in the literature for the number of species shared by multiple communities. Based on sample species abundance or replicated incidence records from each of the N communities, we derive in this article a nonparametric approach to constructing a lower bound for the number of species shared by N (N≥2) communities. The approach is valid for all types of species abundance distributions (for abundance data) or species detection probabilities (for replicated incidence data). Variance estimators for the proposed lower bounds are obtained by using typical asymptotic theory. Simulation results are reported to examine the performance of the lower bounds. Replicated incidence data of ciliate species collected in three areas from Namibia, southwest Africa, are used for illustration. We also briefly discuss the application of the proposed method to estimate the size of a shared population (i.e., the number of individuals in the intersection of multiple populations) based on capture-recapture data from each population.     

“Tum-thang” (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Crotalaria tetragona</Emphasis> Roxb. ex Andr.): a little known wild edible species in the north-eastern hill region of India

Crotalaria tetragona Roxb. ex Andr., locally known as “Tum-thang” was collected from Mizoram state of north-eastern hill region of India during 2008. Its flowers were being sold by the tribal communities in local markets. The buds and flowers are cooked as vegetables and used in garnishing of local food preparations especially in non-vegetarian recipes. This species is reported here as little known Edible type in Indian region and may be considered as a multi-purpose species with potential. Edible uses of some of the Crotalaria species in different regions of world have also been included in the present communication.     

Differential growth response of Curculigo orchioides to native arbuscular mycorrhizal fungal (AMF) communities varying in number and fungal components

The study reports diversity of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungal (AMF) species in the rhizosphere of an endangered anticancerous herb – Curculigo orchioides Gaertn. in its natural habitat. A total of 18 species of AMF, belonging to three genera (Acaulospora, Glomus and Gigaspora) were recorded, with Glomus microcarpum being the most abundant species type. The AMF species composition across the study sites appeared to be influenced by soil pH rather than soil P and vegetation. Acaulospora laevis spores were restricted to sites where the soil pH was acidic. The effectiveness of these native AMF species on growth performance of C. orchioides plants was compared under experimental conditions. In general, the mycorrhizal plants were superior in most of the evaluated parameters, but the extent to which the growth of mycorrhizal plants was influenced varied with the inocula used. The plants inoculated with mixed consortia containing maximum AMF species richness exhibited improved growth in comparison to consortia containing lower AMF diversity and monospecies cultures. The variable plant responses observed with any two consortia having same species richness in the present study could be due to variable component AMF species and their relative abundance. These results emphasize the need to protect the below-ground diversity of AMF and recommend their usage for restoration practices.     

Chronic effects of different fertilization regimes on nirS-type denitrifier communities across the black soil region of Northeast China

Denitrification is one of the major processes causing nitrogen loss from arable soils.This study aimed to investigate the responses of nir S-type denitrifier communities to different chronic fertilization regimes across the black soil region of Northeast China.Soil samples were collected from sites located in the north(NB),middle(MB),and south(SB)of the black soil region of Northeast China,each with four chronic fertilization regimes:no fertilizer(No F),chemical fertilizer(CF),manure(M),and chemical fertilizer plus manure(CFM).Methods of quantitative polymerase chain reaction(q PCR)and Illumina Mi Seq sequencing were applied to assess the abundance and composition of denitrifier communities by targeting the nir S gene.The results showed that the M and CFM regimes significantly increased the abundances of nir S-type denitrifiers compared with No F at the three locations.The majority of nir S sequences were grouped as unclassified denitrifiers,and the different fertilizers induced little variation in the relative abundance of known nir S-type denitrifier taxa.Over 90%of the sequences were shared among the four fertilization regimes at each location,but none of the abundant operational taxonomic units(OTUs)were shared among the three locations.Principal coordinate analysis(PCo A)revealed that the communities of nir S-type denitrifier were separated into three groups that corresponded with their locations.Although similar fertilization regimes did not induce consistent changes in the nir S-type denitrifier communities,soil p H and NO-3-N content simultaneously and significantly influenced the structure of nir S-type denitrifier communities at the three locations.Our results highlight that geographical separation rather than chronic fertilization was the dominant factor determining the nir S-type denitrifier community structures,and similar chronic fertilization regimes did not induce consistent shifts of nir S-type denitrifier communities in the black soils.     

ARBUSCULAR MYCORRHIZAL FUNGI AND PIRIFORMOSPORA INDICA INDIVIDUALLY AND IN COMBINATION WITH RHIZOBIUM ON GREEN GRAM

Three species of AM fungi, Glomus mosseae, Glomus microcarpum, Gigaspora margarita and a fungus that mimics the properties of AM fungi, Piriformospora indica, were tested on green gram [Phaseolus aureus Roxb. (= Vigna radiata var. radiata)] individually and in combination with Rhizobium for their influence on growth and seed yield. The growth parameters analyzed were dry biomass, total leaf area, total chlorophyll,% root colonization, nodulation, and nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium (NPK) content of leaf tissues using standard methodologies. Glomus microcarpum was found to be more effective in promoting biomass and seed yield when applied alone. But in combination with Rhizobium, G. mosseae enabled highest production of biomass. The tissue nitrogen content was high in G. microcarpum—Rhizobium dual inoculated plants. Many other characteristics were high in dual inoculation, while tissue P was high in individual treatment of G. mosseae. Piriformospora indica was not found to be a good synergist on green gram.     

The species composition and structure of the heterotrophic flagellates in forest-steppe soils of the Middle Volga River basin

The species composition and patterns governing the changes in the structure of the heterotrophic flagellate communities in the soils of the forest-steppe (the Middle Volga River basin, Penza oblast) were studied as related to the spatial and temporal heterogeneity of the environment. Fifty-three species and forms of heterotrophic flagellates were identified. The most widespread are eurybiontic species: Bodo designis, Paraphysomonas sp., Spumella sp. (found in all the biotopes investigated), Heteromita minima (94%), Phyllomitus apiculatus (88%), Ploeotia obliqua (88%), Heteromita globosa (82%), and Goniomonas truncata (82%). Representatives of the Cercomonas genus predominate in number. According to the species composition, the communities are divided into three groups: xerophytic grass and shrub phytocenoses, mesoxerophytic pine and small-leaved forests, and mesophytic broad-leaved forests. With the increasing humidity of the biotopes, the species composition of the soil heterotrophic flagellates becomes higher, as well as the diversity of the amoeboid flagellates well adapted to existence on the surface of soil particles.     

Distribution and species grouping of millipedes (Myriapoda, Diplopoda) in dry biotopes in Saxony-Anhalt/Eastern Germany

Within an extensive study on endangered biotopes in the State of Saxony-Anhalt/Eastern Germany, the millipede fauna of 50 dry habitats, belonging to 5 types of biotopes was studied from 1995 to 1998 using pitfall traps. The most abundant species were Glomeris marginata and Cylindroiulus caeruleocinctus. By applying a combination of the criteria repraesentanz, constancy and dominance a new criterion, the “common-habitat-relation”, has been introduced to establish biotope-characteristic species and communities of millipedes. The results show that by using these criteria together, distinct groups can be formed consisting of “characteristic” and “companion species”. Eleven out of 34 species that occurred on the sites fitted into this grouping. Characteristic species groups were determined for mesoxeric meadows (C. caeruleocinctus, G. marginata and Glomeris hexasticha) and “succession” sites (Allaiulus nitidus and Polydesmus angustus). The sandy dry meadows were characterized by companion species only (Megaphyllum unilineatum and Ommatoiulus sabulosus), the heavy-metal grassland by the characteristic species Craspedosoma rawlinsii without companion species. For dwarf-shrub heaths no typical species groups could be found.     

古尔班通古特沙漠人工梭梭林群落生态特征研究

为探究古尔班通古特沙漠南缘莫索湾地区33年来人工梭梭林群落(依靠天然降水)的生态特征,本文对两种造林技术(积雪-客沙造林和秋灌造林)人工梭梭林地梭梭的长势、草本植物、土壤水分进行了调查和监测。结果表明:(1)积雪-客沙造林和秋灌造林梭梭至今生长良好,目前植株高度和冠幅均大于2 m和2 m~2,当年新生枝条长度均大于20 cm;初始造林梭梭存活率较高,分别为40%和63%;经过自然更新,现有密度均有所提高,人工林形成异龄复层混交林,林下生长有不同优势种的草本植物;土壤含水量均2.00%,能够满足梭梭生长。(2)由于两种造林技术的土地处理方式和初期水分供给量不同,导致两种林地梭梭生长、林下草本植物盖度和多样性以及天然更新梭梭植株数量均有很大差异,整体秋灌造林地的状况优于积雪-客沙造林地。(3)两种造林技术对于当地生态条件均有很好的适应性,虽然积雪-客沙造林密度相对较低,但优于自然植被状况,且造林成本低;秋灌造林密度较大,天然更新植株数量较多,但造林成本高,后期生长较缓慢,需要采取一定的人工措施调整密度。综上可知,积雪-客沙造林和秋灌造林梭梭目前生长均较稳定,后者对该区生态条件适应性更强。     

Long-term dynamics of Collembola in two contrasting ecosystems

The dynamics of collembolan communities were investigated in a spruce forest and in a dry natural meadow (Moscow Region, Russia) from 1991 to 1998. The long-term dynamics of springtail communities were compared to understand the role of external and internal factors responsible for changes over time. The two springtail communities were similiar in species richness (54 and 52 species), species diversity, as well as their rank/dominance distribution patterns. There were two dominant species in the forest, Isotomiella minor (Schäff.) and Parisotoma notabilis (Schäff.), and three in the meadow, P. notabilis, Lepidocyrtus lignorum (Fabr.) and Protaphorura armata Gisin. Community organization was much more stable over time in the forest than in the meadow. Population densities of the two dominant species changed synchronously and correlated with mean monthly temperature in the forest. In the meadow, densities of only some dominant species (P. notabilis and L. lignorum) correlated with each other and with temperature. It is supposed that a constant organization of collembolan communities through time arises as a result of successional changes over long periods with relatively stable conditions allowing the gradual formation of complexes of dominant species.     

Restoration of Plant and Animal Communities in a Sanitary Landfill: A 10‐year Case Study in Hong Kong

This study was conducted in the South East New Territories landfill in Hong Kong, with the objectives to (i) investigate the plant and animal communities' establishment and performance within 10 years after restoration and (ii) provide important information on pioneer plants species selection recommendations for restoring sanitary landfills. The studying sites were re‐vegetated in 2003, with 14 pioneer plant species, including Acacia auriculiformis, A. confusa and Schefflera heptaphylla, planted. In total, four permanent quadrats (10 m × 10 m) were used for monitoring at three restored sites (sites E, N and S) and the control site C. The soil properties and plant and animal communities inside plots were investigated annually in summer and winter between 2003 and 2014. The similarity of plant and animal communities between the restored and control sites was compared using Jaccard's index. Ten years after restoration, animal and plant communities were gradually established at all sites. No animal was introduced into the restored sites in 2003; however, there were 29, 31 and 44 animal species recorded at sites E, N and S, respectively, between 2003 and 2012. Within the studying period, 38 plant species (trees: 52·63%, shrub: 21·05%, herbs: 23·68% and climber: 2·63%) were recorded in all sites and 17 (36·84%) of them were self‐seeding. Exotic species, such as those from the family Acacia and Mimosaceae, were dominant at all restored sites, which implies that exotic species are more competitive and suitable to be used as pioneer species in sanitary landfill restoration. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Molecular characterization of LMW glutenin genes from <Emphasis Type="Italic">Taeniatherum</Emphasis> Nevski

We characterized 45 LMW glutenin genes from three diploid species of Taeniatherum using 63 primer combinations, designed according to 264 genes reported in wheat and related species. The genes had 909–1,059 bp nucleotides and 301–351 amino acids. The deduced peptides shared similar structures with LMW-m proteins of wheat. The 45 genes shared 77.2–99.7% identities in peptide sequence among each other and 60.0–82.0% identities to proteins from wheat and related species. They were divided into five types according to the N-terminals, starting with METSCIP-, METSRVP-, METGRIP-, METGSIP- and VETSCIP-. The last three and some other structural domain variations were not reported previously in the Triticeae. Thirty-three genes encoded full mature proteins with intact ORFs, whereas the other 12 were pseudogenes with incomplete ORFs, in-frame stop codons or frame-shift mutations. Phylogenetic analysis showed that orthologous genes from Taeniatherum were more similar to those in the B and D genomes than in the A genome.     

Microbial communities of the ant Formica exsecta and its nest material

In this study, we investigated the bacterial and fungal microbiomes of the ant Formica exsecta (Hymenoptera, Formicidae), and assessed whether the microbial communities inside the ants differ from those in their nest material. Furthermore, we investigated whether the microbial communities inside the ants are conserved across time. To achieve this, we sequenced the bacterial 16S rRNA, and the fungal ITS region in entire adult worker ants and their nest material by Illumina MiSeq. We found that both the bacterial, and the fungal microbiomes form communities discrete from those in the surrounding nest material. In addition to the differences in species composition, we also found that bacterial species diversity, species richness, ζ diversity, and evenness were lower in ants than in the nest material. For fungi, only species richness was lower in the ants than in the nest material. The rate of within-colony species turnover across sampling events was not statistically significant for bacteria, but highly significant for fungi. This suggests that the fungal communities in the ants are less stable than the bacterial ones. Four bacterial taxa (Alphaproteobacteria, Proteobacteria, Staphylococcus, and Streptococcus), and two fungal taxa (Davidiella and Cryptococcus) formed a core microbiome, being consistently present and more abundant in the ants, but absent in the nest material. In all other cases differences in community composition and structure were due to taxa that were more consistently present and more abundant in the nest material, and frequently absent in the ants. Furthermore, we found 36 unique OTUs identified as Proteobacteria, and 82 unique OTUs identified as Alphaproteobacteria in the ants, representing 2.5% and 5.8% of all bacterial OTUs and 24.6% and 41% of the total number of bacterial sequences. This suggests that F. exsecta harbours a considerable bacterial diversity that so far remains unexplored.     

LOCAL PERCEPTIONS OF WOODY VEGETATION DYNAMICS IN THE CONTEXT OF A ‘GREENING SAHEL’: A CASE STUDY FROM BURKINA FASO

After decades of drought in the Sahel, several studies have reported a ‘(re)greening’ of the area. However, most of these studies were based on large scale climatological or remotely sensed observations, with little or no ground truthing. The aim of this study was to assess the local perceptions of the distribution of socio‐economically important tree species in the Sub‐Sahel of Burkina Faso. Semi‐structured interviews were performed with 87 groups of informants from 20 villages belonging to three ethnic groups (Mossi, Fulani and Samo). Univariate and multivariate statistics were used to compare perceptions between the targeted ethnic groups. According to the locals, more than 80 per cent of the 90 listed species were declining, with over 40 per cent identified as threatened, including numerous plants of great economic value. Increasing species were mostly drought‐tolerant plants such as Balanites aegyptiaca. A few species were listed as locally extinct. Gender and age did not significantly affect local knowledge, whereas ethnicity did. The major causes of species decline were identified to be drought, deforestation and bushfires. In all ethnic groups, informants observed a southward shift in species distribution. Local perceptions suggest a general decline in woody vegetation. Thus, the alleged (re)greening in the Sahel might not have reversed the degradation of woody species in the area. Data derived from local ecological knowledge were consistent with that of many ecological studies, suggesting the reliability of people's knowledge for obtaining ecological data. Information from this study can be used as baseline for conservation of species identified as threatened. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

紫茎泽兰和黄顶菊入侵对土壤微生物群落结构和旱稻生长的影响

为比较入侵植物与本地植物对土壤微生态影响的差异, 探索外来植物入侵的土壤微生物学机制, 本研究通过同质园试验, 比较分析了2种入侵菊科植物(紫茎泽兰、黄顶菊)和2种本地植物(马唐、猪毛菜)对土壤肥力和微生物群落的影响, 并通过盆栽反馈试验验证入侵植物改变后的土壤微生物对本地植物旱稻生长的反馈作用。同质园试验结果表明: 2种入侵植物和2种本地植物分别对土壤微生态产生了不同的影响, 尤其是紫茎泽兰显著提高了土壤有效氮、有效磷和有效钾含量,紫茎泽兰根际土壤中有效氮含量为39.80 mg·kg^-1,有效磷含量为48.52 mg·kg^-1。磷脂脂肪酸指纹图谱结果表明, 2种入侵植物与2种本地植物相比, 较显著增加了土壤中放线菌数量, 而紫茎泽兰比其他3种植物显著增加了细菌和真菌数量。盆栽结果表明: 黄顶菊生长过的土壤灭菌后比灭菌前旱稻株高增加113%, 紫茎泽兰也使旱稻的株高增加17%。由以上结果可知, 紫茎泽兰和黄顶菊可能通过改变入侵地土壤的微环境, 形成利于其自身生长扩散的微生态环境从而实现其成功入侵。     

Medical ethnobotany of the Tabarkins,a Northern Italian (Ligurian) minority in south-western Sardinia

A medico-ethnobotanical study was conducted among the Tabarkin communities living in Calasetta and Carloforte, in south-western Sardinia. These communities represent a Ligurian minority who have resided in Sardinia since their forebears migrated from Tabarka in Tunisia in the second half of the 18th Century, having previously migrated to Tabarka from Genoa in 1544. In this study, we conducted more than 200 interviews and recorded 53 botanical taxa and 72 folk pharmaceutical preparations, which represent the folk medicine of the Tabarkins. The folk phytotherapy of the Tabarkins living in Calasetta and Carloforte is quite restricted compared with other folk phytotherapy recorded in similar recent ethnobotanical studies conducted in Sardinia. This could indicate that there has been a remarkable erosion of Traditional Knowledge (TK) within these two communities. Of particular interest are a few local medical uses we recorded that have never or only very rarely been documented in Italy; namely the use of Dittrichia graveolens (L.) Greuter as an anti-haemorrhoidal, of Centaurea calcitrapa L. as a remedy for malaria, of Glycyrrhiza glabra L. in ophthalmic treatments, and of Urtica dioica L. as an antiviral in cases of German measles. Most of the botanical species quoted in this research are referred to in the two centres using a local Ligurian idiom. Most of the medico-botanical uses we recorded are very similar to those collected in other ethnobotanical surveys carried out in Liguria and south-western Sardinia. Because there was no evidence in this research of any substantial ethnobotanical traces related to the communities’ North-African experience, it would appear that the Tabarkins have readily adopted their host culture’s use of medicinal plants and have retained their own traditional cognitive concepts and knowledge of the natural plant world through the language only.