Markets Survey On Traditional Medicine of Lijiang City, Yunnan Province, China

Abstract Background: Traditional markets are important trading places for medicinal plants, and market surveys often engage in ethnobotanical research to record the herbal plants used locally and related traditional knowledge. However, information on the market traded medicinal plants is not well documented from traditional markets in Lijiang City, Yunnan. This research is an ethnobotanical survey focusing on medicinal plants traded in traditional markets of Lijiang City, and contributes to the understanding of medicinal plants and related information used by the Naxi people.Methods: Ethnobotanical surveys were carried out during two years (2019-2020). Three traditional markets in Lijiang City were investigated. The methods we used include literature research, participatory surveys, key insider interviews and group discussions.Results: As a result, 318 medicinal plants were recorded including 29 unidentified medicines. The plant medicines were from medicinal plants of 97 families belonged to Angiosperm, Gymnospermae, Pteridophyta, Bryophyta, Lichenes and Fungi. Asteraceae provided the maximum numbers of medicinal plants. Among them, there were 258 species (89.27%) of wild plants, 15 species (5.19%) were cultivated, and 16 species (5.54%) were wild or cultivated. There were 22 species of national protected plants in China, including 3 species of national first-level protected plants and 19 species of national second-level protected plants. Among the recorded diseases, 58.13% of medicinal plants are used to treat musculoskeletal system and connective tissue diseases and digestive system diseases. A total of 31 kinds of medicinal plants can be found in Dongba Sutra or Yu Long Ben Cao.Conclusion: This study surveyed herbal medicine in the market of Lijiang City, analyzing and revealing resource compositions and current market situations. The medicinal plants used by the Naxi people are diverse and are used to treat a wide spectrum of body disorders. There are many wild medicinal plants, and in order to ensure sustainable development, its natural protection should be strengthened. Knowledge of medicinal plants recorded in Naxi medical classics has ethnobotanical value and should be further developed.