Gathering, Identification, Medicinal Utilization and Domestication of Some Wild Edible Plants in Ghasemloo Valley, West Azerbaijan, Iran

We have studied the medicinal plants of Ghasemloo and then surveyed the usage percentage of different parts from each specimen for the medicinal or diet consumptions at three sites from the adjacent villages of Ghasemloo valley, villages of West and East Azerbaijan including 17 questioners. During two years, the medicinal plants that have been collected and provided as herbarium specimens were recognized in 47 families, 124 genera and 149 species. Determining the life form was done by Raunckiaer criterion. Also, the Cultural Index (CI) and mean Cultural Importance of family (mCIf) were surveyed and analyzed by NTSYS-pc Ver. 2.02. The largest families are Asteraceae (n=18), Rosaceae (n=18), Fabaceae (n=11), Lamiaceae (n=11) and Brassicaceae (n=10) species. Hemi-cryptophytes (31.54%), Therophytes (22.15%), Phanerophytes (22.82%), Cryptophytes (10.74%) and Chamaephytes (12.75%) are the most important life forms of reserve. Four families namely Rosaceae, Leguminosae, Labiatae and Juglandaceae had a considerable mCIf. The majority from ten surveyed endemic species indicated a considerable Cultural Index (CI). The studied region includes 0.77% of all endemic species of Iran and this issue confirms the necessity to protect this region more than ever. Thus, the conservation of endemic specimens of this region seems to be necessary.