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Table 2 List of wild medicinal plants collected by knowledgeable harvesters of Lemnos (n = 16)

From: Local knowledge about sustainable harvesting and availability of wild medicinal plant species in Lemnos island, Greece

Scientific name

Family

fa

Harvested part(s) b

Harvesting month(s)c

Harvesting equipmentd

Thymbra capitata (L.) Cav.

Lamiaceae

15

46% Flower, 54% upper stem

June-July (April-August)

79% Gardening scissor, 7% knife, 14% hand

Origanum vulgare L. subsp. hirtum (Link) letsw.

Lamiaceae

12

Upper stem

July (June-August)

43% Gardening scissor, 20% knife, 14% scythe, 23% hand

Hypericum perfoliatum L. and Hypericum perforatum L.

Hypericaceae

11

22% Flower, 78% upper stem

May-June (March-July)

22% Gardening scissor, 78% Hand

Matricaria chamomilla L.

Compositae

10

Flower

May (April-June)

8% Gardening scissor, 92% Hand

Mentha pulegium L.

Lamiaceae

10

Upper stem

July (April-November)

25% Gardening scissor, 22% knife–53% hand

Malva sylvestris L.

Malvaceae

8

83% Flower, 17% upper stem

April May (March-July)

Hand

Salvia spp.

Lamiaceae

7

57% Upper stem, 43% flower

June-September (all year)

41% Gardening scissor, 33% knife, 36% hand

Taraxacum spp.

Compositae

7

Whole aerial

November-March (October-July)

89% Knife, 11% hand

Crithmum maritimum L.

Apiaceae

6

38% Leaves, 62% upper stem

June (March-September)

29% Gardening scissor, 71% hand

Portulaca oleracea L.

Portulacaceae

6

20% Leaves, 80% upper stem

June-July (March-September)

20% Gardening scissor, 20% knife, 60% hand

Sonchus oleraceus (L.) L.

Compositae

6

Whole aerial (young/fresh leaves)

November-April (October-May)

88% Knife, 12% hand

Rosa canina L.

Rosaceae

5

29% Flower, 71% fruit

May (March-July) & September-October (November)

12% Gardening scissor, 88% hand

Tordylium apulum L.

Apiaceae

5

Whole aerial (young/fresh leaves)

February-March (October-March)

83% Knife, 17% hand

Asparagus acutifolius L.

Asparagaceae

4

40% Whοle aerial, 60% upper stem

March (November-May)

Hand

Capparis spinosa L.

Capparaceae

4

Upper stem—including flower buds, fruit and leaves

May-June (April-July)

25% Gardening scissor, 75% hand

Foeniculum vulgare Mill

Apiaceae

4

20% Upper stem, 10% flower, 40% leaves, 30% feed

March-September (all year)

Hand

Hypericum triquetrifolium Turra

Hypericaceae

4

25% Flower, 75% upper stem

June (May-July)

20% Gardening scissor, 80% hand

Cichorium intybus L. and Cichorium pumilum Jacq.

Compositae

3

Whole aerial (young/fresh leaves)

October-December (October-April)

Knife

Cichorium spp. and Taraxacum spp.

Compositae

3

Whole aerial (young/fresh leaves)

October-March (October-April)

Knife

Daucus carota L.

Apiaceae

3

50% Whole aerial, 50% leaves

November-March (May-August)

17% Gardening scissor, 50% knife, 33% Hand

Eruca vesicaria (L.) Cav.

Brassicaceae

3

50% Leaves, 50% upper stem

March-May (all year)

25% Gardening scissor, 75% hand

Melissa officinalis L.

Lamiaceae

3

Upper stem

July (April-August)

Gardening scissor

Pyrus communis L.

Rosaceae

3

75% Fruit, 25% branch

June (April-June and September-October)

25% Gardening scissor, 75% hand

Raphanus raphanistrum L.

Brassicaceae

3

Whole aerial (young/fresh leaves)

November-March (November-May)

75% Knife, 25% hand

Rubus sanctus Schreb.

Rosaceae

3

75% Fruit, 25% leaves

September (July-September and January-February)

Hand

Scolymus hispanicus L.

Compositae

3

25% Whole plant, 75% whole aerial

November-February (October-April)

77% Knife, 33% hand

Sinapis arvensis L. subsp. arvensis

Brassicaceae

3

Whole aerial (young/fresh leaves)

November-April (May)

75% Knife, 25% hand

Urtica sp.

Urticaceae

3

67% Upper stem, 33% whole plant

April-May (March-June)

29% Gardening scissor, 71% hand

Alkanna tinctoria Tausch

Boraginaceae

2

Whole plant

August

Digging tool

Anthriscus sp.

Apiaceae

2

Whole aerial (young/fresh leaves)

November-March

77% Knife, 33% hand

Cistus sp.

Cistaceae

2

Upper stem

February-April (June)

Gardening scissor

Ficus carica L.

Moraceae

2

Fruit

July (August)

Hand

Lactuca serriola L.

Compositae

2

Whole aerial (young/fresh leaves)

October-April

63% Knife, 37% hand

Limonium sinuatum (L.) Mill.

Plumbaginaceae

2

Whole aerial (young/fresh leaves)

November-February (October-March)

75% Knife, 25% hand

Papaver dubium L.

Papaveraceae

2

Leaves

March (October-March)

Knife

Plantago lanceolata L.

Plantaginaceae

2

Whole aerial (young/fresh leaves)

February-March (October-April)

77% Knife, 33% hand

Plantago weldenii Rchb.

Plantaginaceae

2

Whole aerial (young/fresh leaves)

November-March

Knife

Rumex obtusifolius L.

Polygonaceae

2

Whole aerial (young/fresh leaves)

November-March (October-April)

75% Knife, 25% hand

Silybum marianum (L.) Gaertn.

Compositae

2

80% Flower, 20% whole plant

June-July (October-February)

80% Gardening scissor, 20% knife

Taraxacum sp.

Compositae

2

Whole aerial (young/fresh leaves)

November-March

Knife

Acanthus spinosus L.

Acanthaceae

1

Fruit

May-June

Gardening scissor

Amaranthus retroflexus L.

Amaranthaceae

1

Whole aerial (young/fresh leaves)

May-August

Hand

Apium sp.

Apiaceae

1

Whole aerial

March-July

Knife

Ballota acetabulosa (L.) Benth.

Lamiaceae

1

Upper stem

April-May

Hand

Calendula arvensis M.Bieb.

Compositae

1

Flower

April

Hand

Cardopatium corymbosum (L.) Pers.

Compositae

1

Root

May-June

Knife

Carthamus dentatus subsp. ruber (Link) Hanelt

Compositae

1

Whole aerial

November-March

Knife

Centaurium pulchellum (Sw.) Druce

Gentianaceae

1

Upper stem

June

Hand

Crataegus azarolus L.

Rosaceae

1

Upper stem—including fruit and leaves

August

Gardening scissor

Crepis zacintha (L.) Babc.

Compositae

1

Seed

June-August

Hand

Cuscuta sp. and Orobanche sp.

Convolvulaceae, Orobanchaceae

1

Whole aerial

June-August

Hand

Cydonia sp.

Rosaceae

1

Fruit

September-October

Hand

Cynodon dactylon (L.) Pers.

Poaceae

1

Whole plant

All year

50% Gardening scissor, 50% knife

Dittrichia viscosa (L.) Greuter

Compositae

1

Leaves

July

Hand

Echium plantagineum L.

Boraginaceae

1

Whole aerial

October-March

Knife

Erodium cicutarium (L.) L'Her.

Geraniaceae

1

Whole aerial (young/fresh leaves)

November-March

Knife

Galium aparine L. and Polypogon monspeliensis (L.) Desf.

Rubiaceae, Poaceae

1

Whole aerial

May

Hand

Hyoscyamus albus L.

Solanaceae

1

Upper stem

July-August

Hand

Hypericum olympicum L.

Hypericaceae

1

Upper stem

May-June

Hand

Juglans regia L.

Juglandaceae

1

Fruit

October-November

Hand

Laurus nobilis L.

Lauraceae

1

Branch (with leaves)

August

Hand

Mentha aquatica L.

Lamiaceae

1

Upper stem

April-May and September-November

Hand

Mentha spicata L.

Lamiaceae

1

Upper stem

June

Hand

Morus sp.

Moraceae

1

Fruit

May

Hand

Olea europaea L. subsp. oleaster (Hoffmanns. & Link) Negodi

Oleaceae

1

Fruit

October-November

Hand

Opuntia ficus-indica (L.) Mill.

Cactaceae

1

Fruit

All year

Hand

Prunus dulcis (Mill.) D.A.Webb

Rosaceae

1

Fruit

September

Hand

Quercus coccifera L.

Fagaceae

1

Trunk bark

All year

Κnife

Robinia pseudoacacia L.

Leguminosae

1

Flower

May

Hand

Rosmarinus officinalis L.

Lamiaceae

1

Leaves

All year

Gardening scissor

Rumex crispus L.

Polygonaceae

1

Leaves

December-June

Κnife

Salicornia europaea L.

Amaranthaceae

1

Whole plant

March

Hand

Sambucus nigra L.

Adoxaceae

1

Flower

June

Hand

Sinapis alba L.

Brassicaceae

1

50% Whole aerial, 50% leaves

February (November-March)

Knife

Solanum villosum Mill.

Solanaceae

1

Fruit

July-August

Hand

Solanum nigrum L.

Solanaceae

1

Upper stem

November-June

Hand

Dioscorea communis (L.) Caddick & Wilkin

Dioscoreaceae

1

Upper stem

March-April

Hand

Viola kitaibeliana Schult.

Violaceae

1

Flower

April-May

Hand

Vitex agnus-castus L.

Lamiaceae

1

Upper stem

July

Hand

  1. aFrequency of referrals for plants that had been harvested by the informants (n = 16) at least once within the last four years
  2. bPercentages refer to the proportion of citations for each plant part harvested as part of the total amount of citations for each plant taxa
  3. cMost frequently cited harvesting time period for each plant taxa. Parentheses indicate the less frequently cited time periods for harvesting a plant taxa
  4. dPercentages refer to the proportion of citations for each harvesting equipment/tool as part of the total amount of citations for each plant taxa