Identification of Medicinal Plants in Arshadchamani Rangelands of East Azarbaijan

Abstract

Arshadchamani rangelands are placed in the north foothill of Sahand<br />Mountain and near Kandovan Village. Therefore, it has plant diversity and<br />economical values. In this region, medicinal plants are cut and sold by the stores<br />with non-standard packaging without scientific name. Regarding the economical<br />value of medicinal plants and thereby the investment necessity on these valuable<br />resources for using in chemical, pharmaceutical and food industries, the collection<br />and identification of these plants could be useful. Collection and identification of<br />plants in the region were carried out during two years. 256 collected species were<br />identified in herbarium and then medicinal plants were separated by the scientific<br />references. During this project, 95 species of medicinal plants belonging to 78 genus<br />and 32 families were identified. The highest number of medicinal plants were<br />related to Lamiaceae (17 species), Asteraceae (11 species), Brassicaceae (10<br />species), Fabaceae (9 species) and Apiaceae (7 species). The life form of medicinal<br />plant species was determined by Raunkier's method and they are including 57.89%<br />Hemicryptophytes, 28.42% Therophytes, 7.36% Chamaephytes and 5.26%<br />Geophytes. Six medicinal vegetation types were recognized in the are: Ziziphora<br />clinopoioides Lam. Thymus kotschyanus Boiss. And. Hohen.,Urtica dioica L., Alcea<br />flavovirens (Boiss. and Buhse) Iljin, Stachys lavandulifolia Vahl, Cichorium intybus<br />L., Achillea willhelmsii C. Koch, Stachys inflata Benth., Peganum harmala L., Rosa<br />domescena L. were economically very important.