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Plant Science Today (PST)

Research Articles

Vol. 13 No. 3 (2026)

An ethnobotanical investigation in the Serbian foothills of Mount Kopaonik: Regional uniqueness and comparison with other Balkan areas

DOI
https://doi.org/10.14719/pst.13905
Submitted
29 January 2026
Published
31-07-2026 — Updated on 29-09-2026
Versions

Abstract

This study was conducted in the foothills of Mount Kopaonik (Serbia), with a focus on medicinal and food applications. Ethnobotanical data were collected through interviews with local residents at 23 locations. Retrieval-augmented generation (RAG), a novel processing approach, was used to categorise and summarise the free-text ethnobotanical data. A total of 47 plant species and one mushroom species were recorded for medicinal use. These species were primarily used in the form of teas, fresh material, or oils to improve the health of the respiratory, digestive and immune systems. Eleven forest fruits were used to prepare foods such as stews, juices, jams and liqueurs. A comparative analysis of the studied and surrounding sites showed that five plant species- Agropyron repens, Atropa belladonna, Cotinus coggygria, Lycopodium clavatum and Sorbus aucuparia and one mushroom species (Calvatia gigantea) were used only at the foothills of Kopaonik. Two plant species, Aronia arbutifolia and Polygonatum odoratum were used in nearby sites. Plant species such as Crataegus monogyna, Hypericum perforatum, Matricaria chamomilla, Primula vulgaris, Sambucus nigra and Urtica dioica were reported across all compared localities. Our results provide novel information about the local specificity and regional continuity of traditional plant use. The use of several species in this area alone represents a resource for further detailed research on the recorded species.

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