The herbal market of Thessaloniki (N Greece) and its relation to the ethnobotanical tradition.

The results of a survey of the medicinal plants found in the herbal market of Thessaloniki, which comprises traditional shops, modern shops and open-air market stalls, are presented. A total number of 172 taxa, Pteridophyta and Spermatophyta, were found in 18 selected market spots. Information is provided on the origin, the plant parts used, the ways of drug preparation and the medicinal uses of the herbs found. The majority of them (133 taxa) are of Greek origin and are gathered from the wild (99). A remarkable number of herbs (93) found in the market of Thessaloniki are mentioned by Dioscurides whereas the comparison to the recent ethnobotanical information shows that the utilization of Dioscurides' plants remains uninterrupted. Thus it is suggested that the herb trade is still based on the Greek ethnobotanical tradition, dating from antiquity.