Abstract The study was developed in order to collect information about knowledge on medicinal plant uses by students from some primary school classes located in a small community on the western shore of Lake Como (northern Italy). This information was compared with the one collected from the students' relatives and from other people they were in contact with, in order to evaluate differences and similarities between the children's and the adults' knowledge. Two workshops were led in each of the classes taking part in the project. The first one was performed to introduce our research and the topic of healing plants to the students. During the second workshop we asked the students to fill a survey focusing on which plant remedies they would use as medicines. In another phase of the project each child was given a new survey to be filled in at home while conducting the interviews with their relatives or other adults. Tremezzina children reported the use of 24 medicinal species; 78% of students listed at least one species but only 9% showed to know more than three species and uses. In total, adults reported 85 species in eighteen categories of use. Children listed eight species and eleven uses that were not reported by the adults, suggesting that some of the Tremezzina children's knowledge of the medicinal plants are specific to them. Both children and adults learned about the use of the medicinal plants mainly from their family; however, other sources of knowledge were also reported. Differences related to age and gender in both the informants' groups were also discussed. Our results provide valuable qualitative and quantitative data on the plants used for the medicinal purpose within the studied community.

Phenotypic variation in four natural populations of Parrotia persica (Hamamelidaceae), a species considered a living fossil endemic to the Hyrcanian forest, was evaluated through leaf morphometric and multivariate analysis. Furthermore, plasticity and leaf fluctuating asymmetry (LFA) were studied. Our findings clearly displayed significant divergence among sites. The smallest lamina size, the highest plasticity, and the lowest LFA values were recorded in the eastern and more xeric sites (Ghorogh and Daland), thus it seems these sites endure a larger environmental stress. Although our findings showed that multivariate and leaf morphometric analyses are suitable instruments to detect levels of phenotypic variability among P. persica natural populations, further study of allozyme and DNA diversity is necessary.

Se evaluó la variación fenotípica en cuatro poblaciones naturales de Parrotia persica (Hamamelidaceae), una especie endémica considerada como un fósil viviente del bosque hircaniano, a través de un análisis morfométrico y multivariado de las hojas. Asimismo, se estudiaron la plasticidad y la asimetría foliar fluctuante (AFF). Nuestros hallazgos mostraron claramente una divergencia significativa entre sitios. El tamaño más pequeño de la lámina foliar, la plasticidad más grande y los valores más pequeños de AFF fueron registrados en los sitios más xéricos de la parte oriental (Ghorogh y Daland), por lo que parece que estos sitios están sujetos a un mayor estrés ambiental. Obtuvimos resultados interesantes, pero hace falta realizar nuevos estudios de la diversidad de aloenzimas y ADN.