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Table 3 Local plants considered for improving the animals’ well-being in the study area

From: Resilience at the border: traditional botanical knowledge among Macedonians and Albanians living in Gollobordo, Eastern Albania

Taxon, family and voucher specimen code

Folk name(s) recorded among Albanians

Folk name(s) recorded among Macedonians

Status

Plant part(s) used

Recorded local use(s)/perceptions(s)

Alb

Mac

Acer campestre L.

 

Клен

W

Br

Fodder (goats)

 

+

Sapindaceae

CAME 26252

Acer pseudoplatanus L.

 

Jавор

W

Br

Fodder

 

+

Sapindaceae

CAME 26313

Achillea millefolium L.

=

=

W

FAP

Infusion: for treating rumination troubles

 

+

Asteraceae

CAME 26294

Allium sativum L.

#

#

C

Bu

In necklaces to be worn on the cow’s horns against the evil-eye (sysh, naok); evil-eye symptoms include the animal not producing milk

+

+

Amaryllidaceae

     

Crushed, mixed with salt, and given as fodder to the sheep on St. George’s Day (May 6th): considered propitiatory for the good health of the animals

+

 

Alnus glutinosa (L.) Gaertn.

 

Габор

W

Br

Fodder

 

+

Betulaceae

CAME 26307

Arctium minus (Hill) Bernh.

Kokuta

 

W

AP

Fodder

+

 

Asteraceae

CAME 26296

Arctium lappa L.

Asteraceae

Avena sativa L.

 

Овес

C

Fr

Fodder, esp. considered good for the horse’s coat

 

+

Poaceae

Beta vulgaris L.

#

#

C

L

Fodder (raw or in decoctions)

+

+

Amaranthaceae

Bovista sp.

=

=

W

DFB

Externally applied on wounds as an haemostatic (horses)

 

+

Agaricaceae

Capsicum annuum L.

#

#

C

Fr

Lacto-fermented; the resulting fruits opened and externally applied on the forehead for treating headaches

 

+

Solanaceae

Carpinus orientalis Mill.

Shkoza

Шкоз

W

Br

Fodder at St. George’s Day (considered as a good omen)

 

+

Betulaceae

CAME 26301

Chelidonium majus L.

Gjak edhe qumësht

 

W

AP

Crushed, mixed with salt, and given as fodder to the sheep on St. George’s Day (May 6th): considered propitiatory for the good health of the animals, but also as a blood depurative and galactagogue

+

 

Papaveraceae

CAME 26250

Chenopodium album L.

Llabot

 

W

AP

Fodder

+

 

Amaranthaceae

CAME 26300

Clematis vitalba L.

Kurpna

Повит

W

AP

Fodder

+

 

Ranunculaceae

CAME 26259

Cornus mas L.

#

#

W

Fl

Honey plant

+

 

Cornaceae

CAME 26279

Corylus avellana L.

#

#

W

Fl

Honey plant

+

 

Betulaceae

CAME 26242

    

Br

Fodder (sheep and goats)

 

+

Crataegus monogyna Jacq.

#

#

W

Fl

Honey plant

 

+

Rosaceae

CAME 26280

Crataegus sericea Dzekov§

Rosaceae

CAME 26278

    

FB

Hung on churns and stable doors on St. George’s Day (May 6th) as a good omen for the dairy production

 

+

Cruciata laevipes Opiz

=

 

W

AP

Crushed, mixed with salt, and given as fodder to the sheep on St. George’s Day (May 6th): considered propitiatory for the good health of the animals

+

 

Rubiaceae

CAME 26276

Cucurbita maxima Duch.

#

#

C

Fr

Fodder

 

+

Cucurbitaceae

Cydonia oblonga Mill.

#

#

C

Fl

Honey plant

+

 

Rosaceae

CAME 26290

 
    

L

Infusion: stomachache

  
    

FB

Hung on churns and stable doors on St. George’s Day (May 6th) as a good omen for the dairy production

 

+

Euphorbia characias L.

#

 

W

WP

Considered poisonous and irritating the skin

+

 

Euphorbiaceae

CAME 26283

Fagus sylvatica L.

#

#

W

Fr

Fodder (esp. sheep)

+

+

Fagaceae

CAME 26249

    

L

Fodder, esp. for sheep and equines

+

+

    

Wo

Burned, as repellent for the bees when removing honey from the hives

  

Fraxinus excelsior L.

=

 

W

Br

Fodder for sheep

 

+

Oleaceae

CAME 26304

Helleborus odorus Waldst. et Kit. ex Willd.

=

=

W

AP

Ritually hung on doors and gates on March 13th as a good omen

+

+

Ranunculaceae

CAME 26282

    

R

Inserted on the horse ear: panacea

+

 
    

BFAP

Hung on the entry gates (to homes and stables), or on the churn on St. George's Day (May 6th): considered a good omen

+

+

Helichrysum plicatum DC. and other Helichrysum spp.

=

=

W

FAP

Infusion: for treating rumination troubles and diarrhea; kerato-conjunctivitis in sheep

 

+

Asteraceae

CAME 26274

Hordeum vulgare L.

 

Jачмен

C

Fr

Fodder, esp. considered good for improving the beauty of horse’s coat

 

+

Poaceae

Malus domestica Borkh.

#

#

C

L

Fodder for goats

 

+

Rosaceae

CAME 26236

    

FB

Hung on churns and stable doors on St. George’s Day (May 6th) as a good omen for the dairy production

 

+

Medicago sativa L.

Jonxha Njonxhë

 

C

AP

Fodder; considered good for improving the beauty of horse’s coat

+

+

Fabaceae

CAME 26292

    

AP

Galactagogue for animals

+

 

Melissa officinalis L.

=

=

W

Fl

Honey plant

+

 

Lamiaceae

CAME 26235

Populus nigra L.

Plepi

 

W

L

Fodder

+

 

Salicaceae

CAME 26302

Primula veris L.

=

=

W

FAP

Hung on churns and stable doors on St. George’s Day (May 6th) as a good omen

 

+

Primulaceae

CAME 26317

Prunus avium (L.) L.

#

#

W

Br

Fodder

 

+

Rosaceae

CAME 26240

Prunus domestica L.

#

#

C

L

Fodder for goats

 

+

Rosaceae

CAME 26239

Prunus cerasus L.

#

#

C

Br

Fodder

 

+

Rosaceae

CAME 26298

Pteridium aquilinum (L.) Kuhn

Fier

 

W

L

Bedding for animals

+

 

Dennstaedtiaceae

CAME 26315

Quercus cerris L.

Bung, Çarri, Dushk, Lis

Добк

W

Fr

Fodder for sheep and goats

+

+

Fagaceae

CAME 26256

Quercus frainetto Ten.

Fagaceae

CAME 26246

    

Br

Dried, and stored in loft: fodder

+

+

   

W

Sa

Externally instilled in the ear for treating earaches

 

+

Robinia pseudoacacia L.

Akac, Bagren

 

W

Fl

Honey plant

+

 

Fabaceae

CAME 26305

Rosa canina L. s.l.

  

W

Fl

Honey plant

 

+

Rosaceae

CAME 26237

Salix alba L.

Shelçë, Shelgë

 

W

L

Fodder for goats

+

 

CAME 26251

Salicaceae

Salix eleagnos Scop.

Salicaceae

CAME 26248

Salix purpurea L.

Salicaceae

CAMNE 26255

   

W

Fl

Honey plant

+

 

Salvia verticillata L.

Gombelik, Lule bulli

Гомбели

W

AP

Fodder

+

+

Lamiaceae

Sambucus ebulus L.

=

=

W

Fr

Externally for treating wounds in sheep

 

+

Adoxaceae

CAME 26254

     

Consumed by cats and dogs on their own when they do not feel well

+

 
    

Fr

Fermented and distilled into raki (rare)

+

 

Secale cereale L.

#

#

C

St

Galactagogue for animals (esp. given to the cows one month before giving birth)

+

+

Poaceae

Solanum tuberosum L.

#

#

C

T

Fodder

+

 

Solanaceae

Syringa vulgaris L.

 

Jоргован

C

FB

Hung on churns and stable doors on St. George’s Day (May 6th) as a good omen for the dairy production

 

+

Oleaceae

CAME 26309

Tanacetum macrophyllum (Waldst. et Kit.) Sch. Bip.

 

Вратика

W

AP

Together with nettles, this is rubbed on the goat’s mammaries on St. George’s day (May 6th) to improve milk production

 

+

Asteraceae

CAME 26269

Tanacetum vulgare L.

  

W

AP

Hung on churns and stable doors on St. George’s Day (May 6th) as a good omen for the dairy production

 

+

Asteraceae

CAME 26268

     

Mixed with salt and given to sheep who are thirsty

 

+

     

Fodder

 

+

Taraxacum officinale Weber ex F.H. Wigg.

#

#

W

Fl

Crushed, mixed with salt, and ritually given as fodder to the animals on St. George’s Day (May 6th): considered a good omen and galactagogue

 

+

Asteraceae

CAME 26289

     

Honey plant

 

+

Trifolium pratense L.

Detelina

 

W

L

Fodder for sheep

+

+

Fabaceae

CAME 26297,

Trifolium incarnatum L. ssp. molineri (Hornem.) Ces.

Fabaceae

CAME 26318, and other Trifolium spp.

Fabaceae

     

Honey plant

 

+

Urtica dioica L.

#

#

W

AP

Rubbed onto the mammaries of cows affected by the Evil-Eye

 

+

Urticaceae

CAME 26262

     

Together with Tanacetum macrophyllum, this is rubbed onto goat mammaries on St. George’s day (May 6th) to improve milk production

 

+

     

Hung on churns and stable doors on St. George’s Day (May 6th) as a good omen for dairy production

 

+

     

Fodder

 

+

Vicia ervilia (L.) Willd.

 

Уров

C

Se

Fodder

 

+

Fabaceae

Zea mays L.

#

#

C

Fr

Fodder, esp. for increasing the growth speed of lambs and for improving the coat of horses

+

+

Poaceae

     

Galactagogue for all animals

 

+

Diverse tree species

  

W; C

WA

Repellent against other insects in the bee hives

 

+

Not identified

 

Лула манушаче

W

FAP

Hung on home gates, churns and stable doors on St. George’s Day (May 6th) as a good omen

 

+

Not identified

Spenger

 

W

R

Inserted on the animal ear for treating diverse diseases

+

 
  1. §: first record of the species in Albania.
  2. In bold: folk taxa quoted by more than 40% of the informants.
  3. C: cultivated; SD: semi-domesticated; W: wild.
  4. *: past use.
  5. #: see Table 1.
  6. =: see Table 2.
  7. +: recorded use.
  8. Plant part(s) used: AP aerial parts; Br branches; Bu bulbs; BAFP Branches with flowering aerial parts; FAP flowering aerial parts; FB flowering branches; Fl flowers; Fr fruits; L leaves; R roots; Sa sap; Se seeds; St stems; T tubers; Wo wood; WA ashes from wood; WP whole plant.