Table 1 Home herbal remedies that the Romani study participants quoted
Botanical taxon and family | Local name (English common name) | Used parts | Preparation | Treated illnesses | Frequency of citation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Achillea millefolium L., Asteraceae | Coada şoricelului, Sporiš (Yarrow) | Aerial parts | Infusion | Stomach pains; digestive issues; baby washes (external use) | low |
Allium cepa L., Amaryllidaceae | Ceapă (Onion) | Whole plant (bulb, stem, and leaves) | Dense sweetened decoction (with honey or sugar) mixed with walnut decoction | Cough; flu | medium |
Allium sativum L., Amaryllidaceae | Beli luk (Garlic) | Bulb | Consumed raw | Hypertension; cold; Candida infections | low |
Arctium lappa L, Asteraceae | Čičak (Burdock) | Entire plant leaves | Compress, infusion | Headache (externally); flu | low |
Beta vulgaris L., Amaranthaceae | Cvekla (Beetroot) | Roots | Fresh, in salads and beverages | “To purify the blood.” | medium |
Brassica oleracea L., Brassicaceae | Kelj, Varză (Cabbage) | Leaves | Leaves added to homemade distillate (țuica); lacto-fermented in brine | Flu; alcohol intoxication; general health | high |
Calendula officinalis L., Asteraceae | Neven (Marigold) | Flowers | Compress | Burns, skin spots, redness (externally) | high |
Chenopodium album L., Amaranthaceae | Loboda (Fat hen) | Aerial parts | Filling for burek | General health | low |
Equisetum arvense L., Equisetaceae | Coada-calului (Horsetail) | Aerial parts | Infusion | Purifying | low |
Juglans regia L., Juglandaceae | Nuc (Walnut) | Pericarp, leaves | Decoction, sometimes with onion or with lemon and honey | Anti-rheumatic (washing); anti-dry cough; adds shine to dark hair (externally) | medium |
Matricaria chamomilla L., Asteraceae | Muşeţel (Chamomile) | Flowers | Infusion | Sedative; flu; adds shine to blonde hair (externally); conjunctivitis; headache; general purifying | high |
Mentha x piperita L., Lamiaceae | Mentă (Mint) | Leaves | Infusion | Digestive; antispasmodic; anti-diarrheal | high |
Oryza sativa L., Graminaceae | Orez (Rice) | Seeds | Raw | Anti-diarrheal | low |
Pinus spp., Pinaceae | Brad (Pine) | Young shoots | Syrup (decoction with water and sugar); jam | Expectorant (syrup for children, jam for adults) | low |
Rumex crispus L., Polygonaceae | Dragavé (Dock) | Leaves | Consumed | General health, digestive | high |
Sambucus nigra L., Caprifoliaceae | Soc (Elder) | Flowers | Infusion: fermented beverage (with lemon and sugar) | Flu; refreshing | medium |
Solanum tuberosum L., Solanaceae | Krompir (Potato) | Tuber (sliced) | External application | Headache (externally) | medium |
Tilia spp., Tiliaceae | Var (Linden) | Flowers | Infusion (tea) | Sedative (contraindicated in male adolescents as it is anaphrodisiac); headache; conjunctivitis (externally) | low |
Urtica dioica L, Urticaceae | Urzică (Nettle) | Leaves | First, leaves boiled and sautéed with garlic (residual broth also consumed); infusion | Purifying (kidneys, lungs, blood); hair wash for dandruff; iron deficiency | high |