Traditional Plant Use in the Phlegraean Fields Regional Park (Campania, Southern Italy)

The Phlegraean Fields Regional Park in southern Italy has an especially long history of human exploitation. For our ethnobotanical studies we interviewed 39 people native to the area and recorded 962 use-reports. For each species, we provide scientific and vernacular names, plant parts used, and preparation and administration processes. In all, 69 species belonging to 35 families were classified. The species most frequently mentioned were Citrus limon, Chamomilla recutita, Malva sylvestris, Parietaria judaica, Ficus carica, Foeniculum vulgare and Laurus nobilis. The commonest plant use recorded is medicinal, followed by culinary and domestic; for 26% of the species inventoried, more than one use was recorded. The present study confirms the persistence of traditional plant use in regions of central and southern Italy.