Analyzing factors that influence the folk use and phytonomy of 18 medicinal plants in Navarra

Abstract

Background: This article analyzes whether the distribution or area of use of 18 medicinal plants is influenced by ecological and cultural factors which might account for their traditional use and/or phytonymy in Navarra. This discussion may be helpful for comparative studies, touching as it does on other ethnopharmacological issues: a) which cultural and ecological factors affect the selection of medicinal plants; b) substitutions of medicinal plants in popular medicine; c) the relation between local nomenclature and uses. To analyze these questions, this paper presents an example of a species used for digestive disorders (tea and camomile: Jasonia glutinosa, J. tuberosa, Sideritis hyssopifolia, Bidens aurea, Chamaemelum nobile, Santolina chamaecyparissus...), high blood pressure (Rhamnus alaternus, Olea europaea...) or skin diseases (Hylotelephium maximum, H. telephium, Anagallis arvensis, A. foemina).

Methods: Fieldwork began on January 2004 and continued until December 2006. During that time we interviewed 505 informants in 218 locations in Navarra. Information was collected using semi-structured ethnobotanical interviews, and we subsequently made maps using Arc-View 8.0 program to determine the area of use of each taxon. Each map was then compared with the bioclimatic and linguistic map of Navarra, using the soil and ethnographic data for the region, and with other ethnobotanical and ethnopharmacological studies carried out in Europe.

Results: The results clearly show that ecological and cultural factors influence the selection of medicinal plants in this region. Climate and substrate are the most important ecological factors that influence the distribution and abundance of plants, which are the biological factors that affect medicinal plant selection.

Conclusion: The study of edaphological and climatological factors, on the one hand, and culture, on the other, can help us to understand why a plant is replaced by another one for the same purposes, either in the same or in a different area. In many cases, the cultural factor means that the use of a species is more widespread than its ecological distribution. This may also explain the presence of synonyms and polysemies which are useful for discussing ethnopharmacological data.

Figure 1

Location of Navarra, bioclimates and principal biogeographical regions. Bioclimates. Blank area: Temperate oceanic. Randomdotted area: Temperate oceanic sub-mediterranean. Aggregately dottedarea: Mediterranean pluviseasonal. Striped area: Mediterranean xeric. Biogeographical areas of Navarra. A-Pyrenees area. B-Humid area of northwest. C-The Central zone. D-The Ribera.

Figure 2

Linguistics areas of Vasconia (From "Atlas Etnografico de Vasconia. Medicina popular en Vasconia" [14]). Blank area: Spanish-speaking area. Light grey: Contact area. Dark grey: Basque-speaking area.

Figure 3

Map of the distribution of use of teas. ● Jasonia glutinosa. Jasonia tuberosa. ▲ Jasonia glutinosa and/or Jasonia tuberosa. + Jasonia tuberosa and/or Bidens aurea. ◆ Jasonia glutinosa and/or Bidens aurea. ⊕ Sideritis hyssopifolia subsp.guillonii. Bioclimates. Blank area: Temperate oceanic. Random dotted area: Temperate oceanic sub-mediterranean. Aggregately dotted area: Mediterranean pluviseasonal. Striped area: Mediterranean xeric.

Figure 4

Map of the distribution of use of camomiles (except Tanacetum parthenium). ● Santolina chamaecyparissus subsp. squarrosa. Chamaemelum nobile. ⊕Chamaemelum nobile. and/or S. chamaecyparissus subsp. squarrosa. ▲ Chamaemelum nobile and/or Anthemis arvensis. + Santolina chamaecyparissus subsp. squarrosa and/or Helichrysum stoechas. ◆ Santolina chamaecyparissus subsp. squarrosa and/or Matricaria recutita. ■ Helichrysum stoechas. Bioclimates. Blank area: Temperate oceanic. Random dotted area: Temperate oceanic sub-mediterranean. Aggregately dotted area: Mediterranean pluviseasonal. Striped area: Mediterranean xeric.

Figure 5

Map of the distribution of use of Tanacetum parthenium. + Like as "San Juan Lorek". ● Like as camomile. Bioclimates. Blank area: Temperate oceanic. Random dotted area: Temperate oceanic sub-mediterranean. Aggregately dotted area: Mediterranean pluviseasonal. Striped area: Mediterranean xeric.

Figure 6

Map of the distribution of use of hypotensive species (1) (except Urtica dioica). + Olea europea. ● Rhamnus alaternus. Bioclimates. Blank area: Temperate oceanic. Random dotted area: Temperate oceanic sub-mediterranean. Aggregately dotted area: Mediterranean pluviseasonal. Striped area: Mediterranean xeric.

Figure 7

Map of the distribution of use of hypotensive species (2). ● Urtica dioica. Bioclimates. Blank area: Temperate oceanic. Random dotted area: Temperate oceanic sub-mediterranean. Aggregately dotted area: Mediterranean pluviseasonal. Striped area: Mediterranean xeric.

Figure 8

Map of the distribution of use of skin species (1) (except Allium cepa). + Anagallis arvensis and/or Anagallis foemina. ● Hylotelephium maximum or Hylotelephium telephium. Bioclimates. Blank area: Temperate oceanic. Random dotted area: Temperate oceanic sub-mediterranean. Aggregately dotted area: Mediterranean pluviseasonal. Striped area: Mediterranean xeric.

Figure 9

Map of the distribution of use of skin species (2). ● Allium cepa. Bioclimates. Blank area: Temperate oceanic. Random dotted area: Temperate oceanic sub-mediterranean. Aggregately dotted area: Mediterranean pluviseasonal. Striped area: Mediterranean xeric.