title: An ethnobotanical study on medicinal plants in Espiye and its surrounding (Giresun-Turkey).
abstract: BACKGROUND
  This paper provides significant ethnobotanical information on medicinal plants in Espiye in the Black Sea Region. Recording such data calls for urgency. This is the first ethnobotanical study in which statistical calculations about plants are carried out by means of FIC method in Northern (Espiye-Giresun) part of Turkey. This study aims to identify the wild plants collected for medicinal purposes by locals of Espiye which is located in the Black Sea Region of Turkey, and to identify the uses and local names of these wild plants.
  
  
  METHODS
  A field study had been carried out for a period of approximately 2 years (2012-2014). During this period, information about medicinal use of 55 wild and 15 cultivated plants were collected. Demographic characteristics of participants, names of the local plants, their utilized parts and preparation methods were investigated and recorded. Through face-to-face interviews, we identified and recorded demographic characteristics of the respondents. We interviewed 128 persons who are over the age of 29. The plant taxa were collected within the scope of the study; and herbarium materials were prepared. In addition, the relative significance value of the taxa was determined, and informant consensus factor (FIC) was calculated for the medicinal plants included in the study.
  
  
  RESULTS
  We have found out in the literature review of the plants included in our study that 70 plant taxa are already used for medicinal purposes while 3 plants are not available among the records in the literature. The most common families are Asteraceae, Rosaceae, Lamiaceae, Malvaceae, and Ericaceae. We include in our study and report for the first time the medicinal uses of Alchemilla crinita Buser, Stachys sylvatica L., and Thymus leucotrichus Hal. var. leucotrichus Hal. Names of local plants in Turkey vary especially due to vernaculars. The plants that the locals of Espiye use are called with the same or different local names in various parts of Anatolia.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  We found out that locals living in the research area use for therapeutic purpose 70 plants taxa which belong to 36 families. Turkish citizens with different ethnic backgrounds took the questionnaire. These people use these wild plants in treatment of several diseases. Comparison of the data obtained in this study with the experimental data obtained in the previous laboratory studies on the wild plants which grow in Espiye proved ethnobotanical usages to a great extent. Literature review indicated that the therapeutic plants that grow in Espiye are used in different parts of the world for the treatment of similar diseases.
authors.affiliation: Giresun University, Espiye Vocational School, Programme of Medicinal and Aromatic Plants, Espiye, Giresun 28600, Turkey. Electronic address: rpolat10@hotmail.com.
authors.forename: Rıdvan
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Polat
authors.affiliation: Tunceli University, Pertek Sakine Genç Vocational School, Pertek, Tunceli 62500, Turkey.
authors.forename: Ugur
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Cakilcioglu
authors.affiliation: Giresun University, Espiye Vocational School, Programme of Food Quality Control and Analyses, Espiye, Giresun 28600, Turkey.
authors.forename: Kaan
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kaltalioğlu
authors.affiliation: Süleyman Demirel University, Faculty of Forestry, Department of Soil Science and Ecology, Isparta 32000, Turkey.
authors.forename: Musa Denizhan
authors.initials: MD
authors.lastname: Ulusan
authors.affiliation: Giresun University, Science and Art Faculty, Department of Biology, Giresun 28100, Turkey.
authors.forename: Zafer
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Türkmen
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D019448:Ethnobotany; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D008517:Phytotherapy; D010946:Plants, Medicinal; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014421:Turkey
keywords: Espiye; Ethnobotany; Giresun; Informant consensus factor; Medicinal plants; Use value