Ethnobotany of Medicinal Plants Used in Jajarm County

The objectives of this study were to document the indigenous botanical knowledge pertaining to medicinal plants uses, introduce the most prevalently used plant species, and undertake a quantitative analysis of data gathered from both urban and rural sectors among the residents of Jajarm County, North Khorasan, Iran. To this aim, 81 knowledgeable individuals from Jajarm and its neighboring villages were queried regarding the used plants, application techniques, and intended purposes. These individuals were selected through a random and snowball sampling methods and interviewed using a semi-structured questionnaire and informal discussions, following their prior consent. Taxonomic identification of all mentioned plant species was accomplished using diverse botanical references. Ethnobotanical metrics such as Use Value (UV), Relative Frequency of Citation (RFC), and Informant Consensus Factor (ICF) were employed to analyze the data. The investigation revealed 69 distinct plant species belonging to 30 botanical families, with Lamiaceae and Apiaceae standing out as the most abundant families. Notably, plant leaves were identified as the most frequently utilized component, predominantly through decoction. Mentha aquatica had the highest UV, Thymus spp. demonstrated the most prominent RFC, while gastrointestinal disorders exhibited the highest ICF. The findings of this research underscored the depth of indigenous botanical wisdom, notably among the older female demographic of the region. the findings of the study provide a basis for the selection of plants for phytochemical and pharmacological studies.