Saps and Syrups, Tinctures and Teas: An Analysis of Medicinal Plant Usage in the Coastal Region of Primorska Province, Slovenia

Abstract

Saps and Syrups, Tinctures and Teas: An Analysis of Medicinal Plant Usage in the Coastal Region of Primorska Province, Slovenia. Despite a growing body of ethnobotanical work on the use of medicinal plants in Europe’s Balkan Peninsula, very little research in this field has been carried out in Slovenia. The present research sought to analyze the usage of medicinal plants and pertinent cultural elements in the coastal region of Slovenia’s Primorska province. Thirty–one informants took part in the study, listing a total of 119 taxa from 47 families. The most prevalent families were the Lamiaceae and the Asteraceae. Overall, medicinal plants were largely used for treating mild health issues, especially those associated with the respiratory and digestive systems. Multiple views of health also emerged, showing that plants were considered medicinal for reasons beyond the simple application to alleviate symptoms. Though the usage of medicinal plants in the region seems to be in decline and to carry negative connotations among the majority of the population, there were some small indications that these traditions may be passed down to some in the younger generations. Further research is needed both in this region and others of Slovenia to ensure the survival of this important traditional knowledge and to further contextualize it.

Analiza sodobne uporabe zdravilnih rastlin v Slovenskem primorju. Kljub številnim etnobotaničnim raziskavam o zdravilnih rastlinah na Balkanu tovrstnih raziskav v Sloveniji skoraj ni. Ta raziskava je analizirala sodobno uporabo zdravilnih rastlin ter povezane kulturne norme v Slovenskem primorju. 31 oseb je sodelovalo v raziskavi, v kateri so imenovali 119 rastlin iz 47 botaničnih družin. Najbolj uporabni družini sta bili Ustnatice (Lamiaceae) in Nebinovke (Asteraceae). Zdravilne rastline so se uporabljale za lajšanje lažjih zdravstvenih težav, še posebej v dihalnem in prebavnem sistemu. Zaznanih je bilo več vidikov zdravja, kar je pokazalo, da rastline niso le olajšale simptomov bolezni, temveč so vidni tudi drugi pozitivni učinki. Čeprav se zdravilne rastline v tej regiji vse manj uporabljajo in ima njihova uporaba negativne konotacije za večinsko populacijo, smo zaznali šibke znake, da se tradicija uporabe zdravilnih rastlin prenaša na predstavnike mlajše generacije. Potrebujemo več raziskav o tej regiji in o drugih delih Slovenije, da bomo lahko zagotovili preživetje tega pomembnega kulturnega znanja.