Traditional Medicinal Uses and Ethnopharmacological Significance of Alchemilla L. Species in Azerbaijan

The present ethnopharmacological study investigated the traditional medicinal uses of Alchemilla species distributed across different geobotanical regions of Azerbaijan. Field surveys were conducted in five mountainous regions of the country during 2024–2025, and ethnopharmacological data were collected from 125 informants through semi-structured interviews and questionnaire surveys. A total of 21 Alchemilla species belonging to the Rosaceae family were documented. Quantitative ethnobotanical indices, including Use Value (UV), Relative Frequency of Citation (RFC), Fidelity Level (FL), and Informant Consensus Factor (ICF), were applied to evaluate the ethnobotanical significance of the recorded species. The results revealed that Alchemilla species are mainly used for the treatment of digestive, hepatobiliary, respiratory, and skin disorders, as well as for the management of diabetes. The highest ICF value was recorded for antipyretic use (ICF = 1.00), whereas the greatest number of use reports was documented for digestive system disorders (Nur = 278). Alchemilla sericea, A. sericata, A. caucasica and A. grossheimii exhibited the highest UV and RFC values. The high quantitative ethnobotanical indices reflect the relative local importance of these species and the strong consensus among informants regarding their traditional medicinal uses. The findings demonstrate the important role of Alchemilla species in the traditional medicine of Azerbaijan and indicate that species with high ethnobotanical indices represent promising candidates for future phytochemical and pharmacological investigations.