title: An ethnomedicinal survey of a Tashelhit-speaking community in the High Atlas, Morocco.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Traditional knowledge about medicinal plants from a poorly studied region, the High Atlas in Morocco, is reported here for the first time; this permits consideration of efficacy and safety of current practises whilst highlighting species previously not known to have traditional medicinal use.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  Our study aims to document local medicinal plant knowledge among Tashelhit speaking communities through ethnobotanical survey, identifying preferred species and new medicinal plant citations and illuminating the relationship between emic and etic ailment classifications.
  
  
  METHODS
  Ethnobotanical data were collected using standard methods and with prior informed consent obtained before all interactions, data were characterized using descriptive indices and medicinal plants and healing strategies relevant to local livelihoods were identified.
  
  
  RESULTS
  151 vernacular names corresponding to 159 botanical species were found to be used to treat 36 folk ailments grouped in 14 biomedical use categories. Thirty-five (22%) are new medicinal plant records in Morocco, and 26 described as used for the first time anywhere. Fidelity levels (FL) revealed low specificity in plant use, particularly for the most commonly reported plants. Most plants are used in mixtures. Plant use is driven by local concepts of disease, including "hot" and "cold" classification and beliefs in supernatural forces.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Local medicinal plant knowledge is rich in the High Atlas, where local populations still rely on medicinal plants for healthcare. We found experimental evidence of safe and effective use of medicinal plants in the High Atlas; but we highlight the use of eight poisonous species.
authors.affiliation: Section of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology (EEB), Harborne Building, School of Biological Sciences, University of Reading, Whiteknights, Reading RG6 6AS, UK. Electronic address: i.teixidor-toneu@reading.ac.uk.
authors.forename: Irene
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Teixidor-Toneu
authors.affiliation: Global Diversity Foundation, Marrakech, Morocco. Electronic address: gmartingdf@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Gary J
authors.initials: GJ
authors.lastname: Martin
authors.affiliation: Department of Biology, Laboratory of Ecology and Environment, Regional Herbarium MARK, Faculty of Sciences Semlalia, Cadi Ayyad University, PO Box 2390, Marrakech 40001, Morocco. Electronic address: ouhammou@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Ahmed
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ouhammou
authors.affiliation: Centre for Biocultural Diversity, School of Anthropology and Conservation, University of Kent, Canterbury, Kent, CT2 7NR, UK. Electronic address: r.k.Puri@kent.ac.uk.
authors.forename: Rajindra K
authors.initials: RK
authors.lastname: Puri
authors.affiliation: Section of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology (EEB), Harborne Building, School of Biological Sciences, University of Reading, Whiteknights, Reading RG6 6AS, UK. Electronic address: j.a.hawkins@reading.ac.uk.
authors.forename: Julie A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Hawkins
mesh_terms: D003466:Cultural Characteristics; D019448:Ethnobotany; D020834:Ethnopharmacology; D005260:Female; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice / Q000208:ethnology; D006801:Humans; D007407:Interviews as Topic; D007802:Language; D008297:Male; D016488:Medicine, African Traditional; D009018:Morocco; D008517:Phytotherapy; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D010946:Plants, Medicinal / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000737:chemistry / Q000145:classification*
chemical_list: D010936:Plant Extracts
keywords: Berber; Ethnomedicine; Informant Consensus Factor; Medicinal plants; Traditional knowledge