An ethnobotanical ınvestigation to determine plants used as folk medicine in Kelkit (Gümüşhane/Turkey) district

Local names and medicinal uses of totally 132 plants from 39 families were determined as result of the research conducted for determining the plants used for medicinal purposes by local people of Kelkit district. The biggest five families in terms of their number of taxa were found as Rosaceae (19 taxa), Asteraceae (17 taxa), Lamiaceae (14 taxa), Apiaceae (7 taxa), and Orchidaceae (6 taxa). The mostly used parts of the plants were found respectively as the whole plant (42 taxa), flower (31 taxa), fruit and leaf (29 taxa for each), root (16 taxa) and stem (10 taxa). Distribution of the plant taxa to the phytogeographical regions were determined as Irano-Turanian as 26, EuroSiberian as 18, Mediterranean as 4, and taxa of unknown region or multi-zone as 84. A total of 11 taxa (8.33%)were found to be endemic. The local people have mostly used medicinal plants for gastrointestinal disturbance (47 plants), urinary tract disorders, and infectious problems (45 plants), asthma, bronchitis, cough and flu infections (45 plants), kidney stone and discomfort (25 plants), and the diabetes (21 plants). The most common using method of plants is making tea (infusion). Also, side effects of some plants in the study were also determined. The study results were also compared with the results of other studies carried out in nearby areas, and it was determined that medicinal uses of 51 taxa were revealed in this study for the first time.