Ethnobotany of dye plants in Southern Italy, Mediterranean Basin: floristic catalog and two centuries of analysis of traditional botanical knowledge heritage

Background:Since ancient times, man has learned to use plants to obtain natural dyes, but this traditionalbotanical knowledge (TBK) is eroding. In the late, during, and the early 1800s, there was an increase in researchrelated to dye species, and this allowed the development of industry and economy in rural contexts of SouthernItaly. Today, dyes are mainly obtained from synthetic products, and this leads to risks for human health related topollution.Methods:Starting from the literature, three catalogs of the dyeing species (plants, algae, fungi, and lichens) used inthe Mediterranean Basin and mainly in Southern Italy have been created. Percentages of parts used and colorsextracted from species have been recorded and analyzed. The plant species present in the catalogs have beenverified in the territories of Southern Italy, and the data have been registered. An ethnobotanical survey wasconducted, in the region of Southern Italy, to verify the erosion level of traditional botanical knowledge, linked tothe ethnobotanical dyeing, over time.Results:A total of 524 species were recorded among plants, algae, fungi, and lichens, and related parts used andextracted pigments. Most uses concern the stems and leaves, and the most frequent color is yellow. From the on-field survey operations, 283 plant species have been verified. These represent 64.31% of the species reported in theflora of the dye plants produced. The results, from the ethnobotanical survey, show that only 8.6% of TBK remainedin the collective memory.Conclusions:This catalog is among the largest in this sector and is the basis for studies related to the restorationof an eco-sustainable economy which would allow the development of marginal areas present throughoutSouthern Italy.