Romanian ethnomedicinal knowledge extends as far back as the 16th century to the Geto-Dacian priests who used medicinal plants and practiced integrated holistic medicine. The ethnomedicine continued in monasteries by monks who used cultivated medicinal plants and wild harvested plants. There are now over 800 species of medicinal plants in Romania. An earlier work last century entitled "Pharmaceutical Botany: the Culture and Harvest of Pharmaceutical Plants" by Grin?escu refers to approximately 500 Romanian healing plants, although most of them are not recognized in modern medicine. There is clear evidence of ethnomedicine in this important region, particularly those that are endangered.

Features:

• Provides an understanding of indigenous plant-derived natural medicines of Romania.
• Selected plant families are representative members of the most important medicinal plants in the región.
• Includes discussions and critical views on the potentials and challenges for further development of the selected plants in a modern setting.
• Details the important plants and sets out the chapters based on either taxonomy or medical use.
• Traditional and folk medicine of Romania.