Traditional Ethnobotanical Knowledge of the Central Lika Region (Continental Croatia)-First Record of Edible Use of Fungus Taphrina pruni

This study analyzed the use of plants and fungi, some wild and some cultivated, in three municipalities of Lika-Senj County (Perušić, Gospić and Lovinac). The range of the study area was about 60 km. Forty in-depth semi-structured interviews were performed. The use of 111 plant taxa from 50 plant families and five taxa of mushrooms and fungi belonging to five families was recorded (on average 27 taxa per interview). The results showed quite large differences between the three studied areas in terms of ethnobotanical and ecological knowledge. In the Perušić area, (101 taxa mentioned), some people still use wild plants on a daily basis for various purposes. The most commonly noted plants are , spp., , , and . In the Lovinac region, people used fewer species of plants (76 species mentioned). The most common species used there are: , , , , and . In the town of Gospić, the collection and use of plants was not so widespread, with only 61 species mentioned, the most common being: , , , sp., and . The medicinal use of herbal tea and against diarrhea was well known in the study area and is used medicinally, mainly in the rural parts of the Gospić area. The consumption of the species ( and ) is an interesting local tradition in Perušić and Lovinac. Species that are difficult to find in nature today and are no longer used include: sp., ssp. , and The use of has also died out. We can assume that the differences in ethnobotanical knowledge between the three studied areas are partly due to minor differences in climate and topography, while other causes lie in the higher degree of rurality and stronger ties to nature in the Lovinac and Perušić areas. The most important finding of the study is the use of the parasitic fungus (Fuckel) Tul. as a snack. The use of for ethnoveterinary practices is also worth noting. The traditional use of plants in the study area shows many signs of abandonment, and therefore efforts must be made to maintain the knowledge recorded in our study.