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Vol. 8 (2023), Issue 1, pg(s) 10-19

BUSINESS

Traditional Tea Uses of Wild and Cultivated Plants in Albania and Kosovo, an Ethnobotanical Review

  • 1 Department of Agronomy, University Fan Noli Korça, Albania

Abstract

Folk uses of wild plants for tea making are particular strongly linked to specific biodiversity and cultural knowledge. As part of Mediterranean climate, Albania and Kosovo have a reach plant diversity. This literature review, based on ethnobotanical studies in both countries, gather wild and cultivated plant species used in the form of the herbal infusions, with an attempt to document diversity of plant species and information for making herbal tea. Results obtained showed that plants listed in this study represented by around 150 taxa, grouped in 53 families. The Lamiaceae with 25 species, Asteraceae with 20 and Rosaceae with 17 species were the most represented botanical families. In Albania are used 128 plant species, while on Kosovo 75 species. Of these, around 53 plant species used in both countries, 75 species have usage only in Albania and 22 only in Kosovo. A large portion of the wild plant reports to be used as tea making in both countries. The most used plants in both countries are Origanum vulgare L., Matricaria chamomilla L., Melissa officinalis L., Achillea millefolium L., Rosa canina L. etc.

Keywords

References

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