This work aims to make an inventory of plants and their medicinal and cosmetic uses in the Pre-Rif (foothills of the Rif, a massif in Northern Morocco) of the province of Taza. Following ethnobotanical investigations, carried out with the local population and field surveys, 73 plant species used locally in traditional medicine have been identified, as well as six species which have ethno-veterinary properties. They belong to 39 botanical families and were collected essentially in the study area. Most remedies are prepared as decoctions (40 species) or with an aqueous base (infusion, aqueous macerate-8 species); more species are used for internal or oral administration (61 species) compared with external or local ones (27 species). These plants, 14.8% of which are central to herbalists’ activity in the region, are widely used in indigenous pharmacopoeia to treat common symptoms, such as gastrointestinal disorders (33 species), articular-system disruption, ENT (Ear, Nose and Throat) diseases and headaches (24 species), and skin problems (11 species). Moreover, 13 species in particular are used by women for cosmetic purposes. The local population uses medicinal plant species for daily care which may increase the pressure on natural resources, e.g. vulnerable species such as Origanum compactum and Rosmarinus officinalis. Hence, the adoption of a sustainable-management approach to safeguard and preserve the local medicinal flora is urgent. Keywords: Morocco, flora, traditional medicine, cosmetic, preparation, administration.
عبد السلام النبيلي | Abdeslam Ennabili | 5754