Materials and methods

Study area. The Province of Taza located in the North-East of Morocco is a part of the Fez Meknes Region. Its legal population according to data from the general census of population and housing of September 2014 reached 528,419 inhabitants, including 259,260 Masculine, extending over an area of 7,098 Km² (^{CDS-T 2014}). The administrative organization of the province after the last administrative division presents 4 urban communities and 34 rural communities (^{DRF-M 2016}).

The Province of Taza has a strategic geographical position (Figure 1), which has a Mediterranean climate, with a cold and wet winter and a semi-arid summer (^{Hakkour et al. 2016}). The temperature and rainfall vary respectively between 1.4 and 45.2 °C and between 100 and 200 mm (^{Hakkour et al. 2016}). The Province of Taza includes Tazeka National Park. The latter, created in 1950, is one of the oldest national parks in the Kingdom (^{Fougrach et al. 2007}). It has a richness and botanical diversity resulting from its geographical position, orography, edaphic structure, geological history and past and present climatic conditions (^{Fougrach et al. 2007}).

Figure 1 Map showing the study area in the Province of Taza. [created based on (^{DRF-M 2016})]. 

Our study area (Figure 1) is divided into 28 communities in the province of Taza, including four urban and 24 rural, which represents a total of 28 communities out of a total set of 38 communities constituting this province.

Methodology followed for an update of the medicinal flora traditionally used in the Province of Taza. To update the medicinal flora used by the local population in the Province of Taza compared to other previous works (^{Khabbach et al. 2012}, ^{Boulfia et al. 2018}, ^{El Haouari et al. 2018}, ^{El Brahimi et al. 2022}), the methodology followed in this study aimed to expand the study area in the province of Taza. The present survey is carried out in 28 communities from a total of 38 communities in the province of Taza. However, compared to all previous works carried out in the same province, the ethnobotanical survey reported by ^{Khabbach et al. (2012)} was limited to 11 communities: Aknoul, Ajdir, Oued Amlil, Taza city and Had Msila (Msila), Jbarna, Merzouka and Malal (Gzenaya Al Janoubia), Bouhdoud (Bni Ftah), Sebt Boukalal (Meknassa Charkia) and Tizi Ousli. Indeed, ^{Boulfia et al. (2018)} have worked in four communities: Taza City, Aknoul, Gueldamane and Bab Boudir, while ^{El Haouari et al. (2018)} have surveyed one community of Taza City and ^{El Brahimi et al. (2022)} have surveyed one community of Bouchfaa.

In addition to the 14 communities previously mentioned (^{Khabbach et al. 2012}, ^{Boulfia et al. 2018}, ^{El Haouari et al. 2018}, ^{El Brahimi et al. 2022}), another 14 communities were included for the first time in an ethnobotanical survey (Traiba, Bni Lent, El Gouzate, Tahla, Bouhlou, Taifa, Matmata, Ghiata Al Garbia, Oulad Chrif, Maghrawa, Kaf El Ghar, Tainaste, Meknassa Al Gharbia and Oulad Zbair), which may allow listing new medicinal plants (especially spontaneous taxa) and/or new vernacular names. Especially since the study area presents a very significant natural richness and biodiversity (Figure 2).

Figure 2 Some photos that illustrate the richness and biodiversity in the province of Taza. [A: Tainaste: Longitude (4° 7′ 20″ W) - 4.1223 Latitude (34° 33′ 39″ N) 34.561. B: Taifa: Longitude (4° 0′ 58″ W) - 4.0161 Latitude (34° 21′ 4″ N) 34.3511. C: Jbarna: Longitude (3° 51′ 41″ W) - 3.8616 Latitude (34° 30′ 18″ N) 34.5051. D: Matmata: Longitude (4° 32′ 51″ W) - 4.5477 Latitude (34° 6′ 31″ N) 34.1086. E: Bab Boudir: Longitude (4° 7′ 18″ W) - 4.1218 Latitude (34° 4′ 6″ N) 34.0685. F: Bni Ftah: Longitude (4° 3′ 15″ W) - 4.0544 Latitude (34° 29′ 11″ N) 34.4865. G: Oulad Chrif: Longitude (4° 6′ 5″ W) - 4.1015 Latitude (34° 18′ 11″ N) 34.3031. H: Bab Marzouka: Longitude (4° 8′ 44″ W) - 4.1457 Latitude (34° 11′ 34″ N) 34.193. 

Finally, compared to previous local works cited above, our methodology aimed to update all scientific names listed, referring to the International Code of Nomenclature for Algae, Fungi and Plants (Shenzhen Code) (^{Turland et al. 2018}), not only to avoid confusion with an old scientific name, but also to maintain their accuracy and stability in the identification and classification, with a view to such possible use.

Methods. This survey is a descriptive and transversal exploratory ethnobotanical study that was carried out among herbalists and ordinary citizens using questionnaire sheets of paper (face-to-face) and note-taking, between March and October 2021.

Questionnaire.- Based on previous works (^{Ziyyat et al. 1997}, ^{Ennabili et al. 2000}, ^{Jouad et al. 2001}, ^{Eddouks et al. 2002}, ²⁰¹⁷, ^{El Hilaly et al. 2003}, ^{Hseini & Kahouadji 2007}, ^{Tahraoui et al. 2007}, ^{Benkhnigue et al. 2010}, ²⁰¹⁴, ^{El Amrani et al. 2010}, ^{Hanae 2012}, ^{Khabbach et al. 2012}, ^{Ghourri et al. 2013}, ^{Hassani et al. 2013}, ^{Bousta et al. 2014}, ^{El Yahyaoui et al. 2015}, ^{Daoudi et al. 2016}, ^{Mikou et al. 2016}, ^{Barkaoui et al. 2017}, ^{Benali et al. 2017}, ^{Bouyahya et al. 2017}, ^{Laadim et al. 2017}, ^{Boulfia et al. 2018}, ^{El Haouari et al. 2018}, ^{Chaachouay et al. 2019}, ^{Fatiha et al. 2019}, ^{Mrabti et al. 2019}, ^{Zougagh et al. 2019}, ^{Hayat et al. 2020}, ^{Idm'hand et al. 2020}, ^{Mechchate et al. 2020}), a semi-structured questionnaire (Supplementary material) used face to face has been formulated, includes the registration of the vernacular names of medicinal plants and their status, and 340 people (299 ordinary citizens and 41 herbalists) were interviewed.

Determination of scientific names.- A list of vernacular names of medicinal plants used by the surveyed population was compiled. The phonetic transcription of vernacular names is given by the correspondence between the Arabic letters and the French letters as follows: ﺍ=aː, ﺏ=b, ﺕ=t, ﺙ=θ, ﺝ=ʤ, ʒ, ɡ, ﺡ=ħ, ﺥ=x, ﺩ=d,ﺭ=r,ﺯ=z, ﺱ =s,ﺵ =ʃ,ﺹ =sˁ,ﺽ =dˁ,ðˤ,ﻁ =tˁ,ﻉ =ʔˤ,ﻍ =ɣ,ﻑ =f,ﻕ =q,ﻙ =k,ﻝ =l, ﻡ =m,ﻥ =n,ﻩ= h,ﻭ=w, uː,ﻱ =j , iː.

Almost all of the reported plants used in local traditional medicine have been collected and herbed, and a copy of the herbarium was deposited at the Laboratory of Natural Resources and Environment, Polydisciplinary Faculty of Taza, Sidi Mohamed Ben Abdellah University of Fes. The botanical identification of the scientific names was done by the botanist Pr. KHABBACH Abdelmajid (Laboratory of Biotechnology, Conservation and Valorization of Natural Resources, Faculty of Sciences Dhar El Mahraz, University Sidi Mohamed Ben Abdellah, Fez, Morocco), based on use of specialized literature (^{Nègre 1962}, ^{Quezel & Santa 1962-1963}, ^{Fennane et al. 1999}, ^{Valdés et al. 2002}, ^{Fennane et al. 2007}, ^{Fennane et al. 2014}).

The presentation of the botanical family names of the plants was done in alphabetical order according to the APG III (Angiosperm Phylogeny Group) system (^{Haston et al. 2009}). Scientific names of species and families have been updated. The updating and the checking of spelling and author extensions were done using (^{Bellakhdar 1997b}, ^{Fennane et al. 1999}, ^{Valdés 2002}, ^{Fennane et al. 2007}, ^{Fennane et al. 2014}, ^{Africain Plant Database 2021-2022} (^{APD 2022}), BDPFA 2022, ^{Tela Botanica 2022}, The World Flora Online (^{WFO 2021-2023}). Checklist endemism verification was performed based on the Africain (^{APD 2022}) and ^{Euro Med Plantbase (2023)}. Also, the research plant list of the present work has been examined in the Red List (^{IUCN 2023}).

Data treatments. The entry and the treatment of the data recorded on the survey sheets were carried out by the IBM SPSS Statistics 25 software. Data analysis was carried out within the framework of descriptive statistics by simple methods of determining percentages and frequency. Graphs and tables obtained using IBM SPSS Statistics 25 software are represented by Microsoft Office Excel software. The map of the study area was created using ArcGIS software. The photos were taken using the Samsung Galaxy A51 smartphone.

Results

Interviews distribution. The results of the distribution of the surveyed population (amounts to 340 persons) among the studied communities (28 communities) are presented in Table 1 as percentages and frequency.

Species of medicinal plants used in the Province of Taza. The results of the medicinal plant species used in traditional medicine by the population of the province of Taza and their characteristics are presented in Appendix 1. Ninety-one species of medicinal plants were identified, whose scientific, vernacular names and herbarium codes are given in Appendix 1. Seven new vernacular names have been listed: ðˤraː (Pistacia lentiscus), Zʔˤitˁraː (Origanum compactum Benth. and Origanum vulgare), Ta:u:t (Globularia alypum), iːːziːr (Rosmarinus officinalis), Mrmi:a: (Salvia officinalis) and Lba:kor/ʃri:ħa : (Ficus carica). Scientific names of 28 species and nine families have been updated based on further works from Taza Province (Table 2).

The results obtained showed that the most frequent species (Figure 3) are respectively: Salvia officinalis (206), Trigonella foenum-graecum (154) and Rosmarinus officinalis (151) (Appendix 1). The results showed that 12 species (three spontaneous, four imported and five cultivated) were reported for the first time in a survey from Taza province, including Atriplex halimus, Citrullus colocynthis and Micromeria graeca that are spontaneous; Aloe vera, Croton tiglium, Moringa oleifera and Coffea arabica that are imported, and Brassica oleracea subsp. Capitate, Sesamum indicum, Cenchrus americanus Morrone / Cenchrus spicatus Cav., Triticum turgidum and Capsicum annuum that are cultivated (Appendix 1). Moreover, among these three new spontaneous species, Micromeria graeca was the only species mentioned in a single community (the community of Bab Marzouka).

Figure 3 The most used medicinal species in the province of Taza. 

The most used spontaneous taxa are respectively Rosmarinus officinalis, Olea europaea subsp. europaea, Artemisia herba-alba, Mentha pulegium, Origanum compactum and Calamintha nepeta subsp. spruneri (Clinopodium nepeta subsp. glandulosum) with (6.6, 5.3, 4.6, 4.0, 3.6 and 2.3 %, respectively) (Figure 3).

Systematic analysis of local medicinal flora. Botanical family.- Forty-eight families were identified for 91 species (Appendix 1). The seven most frequent families (Figure 4) are Lamiaceae (33.5 %) with 16 species, followed by Asteraceae (8.9 %), Fabaceae (8.2 %), Apiaceae (7 %), Oleaceae (5.3 %) and Myrtaceae (4.1 %).

Figure 4 The most used families in the province of Taza. 

Genus.- 84 genus of medicinal plants have been identified (Appendix 1). The genus Salvia (9 %), Trigonella (6.8 %) and Rosmarinus (6.6 %) are the most represented.

Plant statue.- The results obtained (Table 3) showed that the statue of the plant used is dominated by spontaneous plants constituting 55.9 % of the total plants. While the introduced naturalized plants constitute 20.3 %, the cultivated plants occupy 18.0 % and the rest (5.8 %) are imported (Table 3).

Checklist of medicinal plants of the province of Taza. In addition to 91 species of medicinal plants and 48 botanical families revealed in our survey (Appendix 1), the sorting of the results of this comparison made it possible to gather 111 species and 27 families. In total, our checklist includes 202 species (91 + 111) and 75 families (48 + 27) (Appendices 1 and 2).

Endemism and Red List. Among the medicinal species (202 species) constituting the checklist of the province of Taza. 65 species (Appendices 1 and 2) present a specific endemism of which 70.77 % (46 species) are endemic to North Africa, 16.92 % are endemic to Morocco-Algeria, 10.77 % are endemic to Morocco and 1.54 % are endemic to Morocco-Iberia-Algeria (Figure 5).

Figure 5 Endemism of spontaneous medicinal plant of our checklist [M: Morocco, MA: Morocco-Algeria, MIA: Morocco-Iberia-Algeria, NA: North Africa]. 

Among the medicinal species (202 species) constituting the checklist of the province of Taza, 77 species (including 48 spontaneous) (Appendices 1 and 2) are on the red list, of which 84.41 % (65 species) are of least concern, 7.79 % are vulnerable, 3.90 % are data deficient, 1.30 % are respectively endangered, critically endangered and near threatened (Figure 6).

Figure 6 Status of plants in the red list [LC: Least Concern, DD: Data Deficient, VU: Vulnerable, CE: Critically Endangered, EN: Endangered, NT: Near Threatened]. 

Discussion

Interviews distribution. The results obtained from the distribution of the population interviewed among the studied communities showed that the number of Interviews increases proportionately with the increase of the population density of the communities. This is why the number of interviews in the Taza community (52 interviews) remains higher than those in other communities (Table 1). Indeed, this can be explained by the ease of traveling and finding interviewees in certain communities compared to others characterized by difficult roads and terrain (Figure 2).

Medicinal plants used in the Province of Taza. The expansion of the study area (28 municipalities) allowed us to list seven new vernacular names: ðˤraː (Pistacia lentiscus), Zʔˤitˁraː (Origanum compactum and Origanum vulgare), Ta:u:t (Globularia alypum), iːːziːr (Rosmarinus officinalis), Mrmi:a: (Salvia officinalis) and Lba:kor/ʃri:ħa (Ficus carica) compared to other previous works (^{Khabbach et al. 2012}, ^{Boulfia et al. 2018}, ^{El Haouari et al. 2018}, ^{El Brahimi et al. 2022}). Whereas here we found confusion (between Zʔˤitˁraː and Zʔˤtˁaːr), because, in the communities of Jbarna and Gzenaya Al Janoubia, the vernacular name of Zʔˤitˁraː is also used for Origanum compactum and Origanum vulgare than to Thymus sp. However, Zʔˤitˁraː is used as the vernacular name of Thymus sp. in the surveys carried out in the municipalities of the province of Taza (^{Khabbach et al. 2012}, ^{Boulfia et al. 2018}, ^{El Haouari et al. 2018}, ^{El Brahimi et al. 2022}).

A scientific name of the species can have several vernacular names and the opposite. Based on our survey associated with we found several species that share the same vernacular name such as Phillyrea angustifolia, Phillyrea latifolia and Rhamnus alaternus (Mliːls), Pinus halepensis and Pinus pinaster (ta:uda:), Syzygium aromaticum and Eugenia caryophyllata (Lqruːnfl), Hispida maxim and Glycine max (Soʒ aː), Origanum compactum, Origanum vulgare and Origanum elongatum (Zʔˤtˁaːr/ zuːiː/Zħtˁaːr/) and Thymus zygis, Thymus manbyanus subsp. ciliatus (Zʔˤitˁraː/ zduːʃn) as have been mentione in other studies (^{Khabbach et al. 2012}, ^{Boulfia et al. 2018}, ^{El Haouari et al. 2018}, ^{El Brahimi et al. 2022}).

Updating of scientific names of species and families in Taza province was made to maintain their stability and accuracy in identification and classification, which will facilitate future work on these plants.

Comparing the number of plant species (91) obtained in this ethnobotanical survey to that found in some international surveys realized in 2021-2022, we found that our result is higher than that of ^{Singh et al. (2022)} in the Dindori District of Madhya Pradesh, India (41 species), ^{Megersa & Woldetsadik (2022)} in Damot Woyde District, Wolaita Zone, Southern Ethiopia (57 species), ^{Dutta et al. (2022)} in Urban of Kolkata, India (53 species), ^{Srinivasan et al. (2022)} in the Delta Regions of Tamil Nadu, India (77 species), ^{Souilah et al. (2022)} in Central Russikada, northeastern Algeria (73 species) and ^{Ammar et al. (2021)} in the karst area of Pacitan District, East Java, Indonesia (51 species). However, the number of species found remains lower than those reported by ^{Johnny et al. (2022)} in southern Sierra Leone (128 species).

In the province of Taza, the number of species identified as medicinal plants is higher than those reported respectively by ^{Khabbach et al. (2012)} and ^{Boulfia et al. (2018)}. This may be due to the method followed during the survey, the size and diversity of the study area which is larger and more representative (14 communities are studied for the first time) of various ecological niches, and the presence of diverse habitats such as mountains and forests, while ^{El Haouari et al. (2018)} and ^{El Brahimi et al. (2022)} which were specific in terms of number and type of population studied have reported respectively 104 and 105 species.

Compared respectively to the other Moroccan Provinces of Errachidia, Chtouka Ait Baha and Tiznit, Sidi Slimane, Casablanca, Nador, Fez and Al Haouz (^{Tahraoui et al. 2007}, ^{Barkaoui et al. 2017}, ^{Laadim et al. 2017}, ^{Zougagh et al. 2019}, ^{Hayat et al. 2020}, ^{Mechchate et al. 2020}, ^{Ghanimi et al. 2022}), we noted that the number of species found are respectively (45, 48, 59, 46, 44, 50 and 64 species). This result explains the ecological and ethnobotanical richness that characterizes the population of the province of Taza at the Moroccan level.

Some of those 91 species have been mentioned by other Moroccan ethnobotanical surveys. Thus, the most used species Salvia officinalis (Figure 3) is also among the most used according to surveys conducted in different regions of Morocco (^{Hanae 2012}, ^{Khabbach et al. 2012}, ^{Benkhnigue et al. 2014}, ^{Bousta et al. 2014}, ^{Barkaoui et al. 2017}, ^{Laadim et al. 2017}, ^{Boulfia et al. 2018}, ^{El Haouari et al. 2018}, ^{Chaachouay et al. 2022}). Moreover, this species has also been reported in other Moroccan surveys (^{Jouad et al. 2001}, ^{Tahraoui et al. 2007}, ^{El Amrani et al. 2010}, ^{Ghourri et al. 2013}, ^{Chaachouay et al. 2019}).

The second most used species, Trigonella foenum-graecum, is reported among the most used in terms of frequency, which is also found among the most frequently used in Moroccan surveys by (^{Ziyyat et al. 1997}, ^{Jouad et al. 2001}, ^{Hanae 2012}, ^{Laadim et al. 2017}, ^{Fatiha et al. 2019}, ^{Mechchate et al. 2020}) and it is mentioned in other works (^{El Hilaly et al. 2003}, ^{Tahraoui et al. 2007}, ^{El Amrani et al. 2010}, ^{Ghourri et al. 2013}, ^{Benkhnigue et al. 2014}, ^{Bousta et al. 2014}). This species has been reported in other countries as in Algeria (^{Telli et al. 2016}), India (^{Chacko 2003}, ^{Daimari et al. 2019}) and Bangladesh (^{Rahmatullah et al. 2010}).

The third species, Rosmarinus officinalis, has been reported as a frequently used species in other Moroccan provinces (^{Jouad et al. 2001}, ^{Tahraoui et al. 2007}, ^{El Amrani et al. 2010}, ^{Ghourri et al. 2013 Chaachouay et al. 2019}, ^{2022 Beniaich et al. 2022}) and in Algeria (^{Telli et al. 2016}).

The three spontaneous medicinal plants mentioned for the first time in the province of Taza are already mentioned in other provinces of Morocco: Atriplex halimus (^{Idm'hand et al. 2020}), Citrullus colocynthis (^{Barkaoui et al. 2017}) and Micromeria graeca. (^{Teixidor-Toneu et al. 2016}).

Based on previous studies carried out in the province of Taza, it is noted that species have already been identified: five species (^{Khabbach et al. 2012}), five species (^{Boulfia et al. 2018}), 13 species (^{El Haouari et al. 2018}), seven species (^{Khabbach et al. 2012}, ^{Boulfia et al. 2018}), nine species (^{Khabbach et al. 2012}, ^{El Haouari et al. 2018}), three species (^{Boulfia et al. 2018}, ^{El Haouari et al. 2018}) and 13 species (^{Khabbach et al. 2012}, ^{Boulfia et al. 2018}, ^{El Haouari et al. 2018}). Recently, an ethnobotanical study carried out in a community of Bouchfaa in the province of Taza (^{El Brahimi et al. 2022}), which is one of the 28^th communities of our survey, have reported 105 plant species belonging to 52 botanical families. The inclusion of these studies over time allows for a cumulative understanding of the diversity of medicinal plants in Taza province. The studies have contributed to the knowledge base, and the present study has expanded the species list. Combining studies provides a more complete and diverse data set.

Systematic analysis of local medicinal flora. The 91 species recorded belong to 48 botanical families. Our results show that the seven most frequent families (Figure 4) are the Lamiaceae (33.5 %) with 16 species, followed by the Asteraceae (8.9 %), Fabaceae (8.2 %), Apiaceae (7 %), Oleaceae (5.3 %) and Myrtaceae (4.1 %). In Morocco, the families Lamiaceae and Asteraceae are the most represented (^{Khabbach et al. 2012}, ^{Boulfia et al. 2018}, ^{Fatiha et al. 2019}, ^{Idm'hand et al. 2020}, ^{El Khomsi et al. 2022}). Indeed, Lamiaceae has been reported as the most represented by other works (^{Barkaoui et al. 2017}, ^{Bouyahya et al. 2017}, ^{El Haouari et al. 2018}, ^{Hayat et al. 2020}, ^{Beniaich et al. 2022}, ^{El Brahimi et al. 2022}, ^{Ghanimi et al. 2022}). Abroad, the family Lamiaceae was reported as the most common by ^{Souilah et al. (2022)}, and the family Asteraceae was the most represented (^{Megersa & Woldetsadik 2022}). Indeed, the number of botanical families of the medicinal flora reported by other authors, on a national scale, is in the order of 28 families (^{Laadim et al. 2017}), 34 families (^{Ghanimi et al. 2022}), 46 families (^{El Khomsi et al. 2022}), 70 families(^{Chaachouay et al. 2022}) and 74 families (^{Fatiha et al. 2019}).

The genus of Salvia (9 %), Trigonella (6.8 %) and Rosmarinus (6.6 %) are the most represented (Appendix 1). The 84 genera of medicinal plants identified in this study remain higher than that found in some surveys conducted in other Provinces of Morocco (^{Tahraoui et al. 2007}, ^{Barkaoui et al. 2017}, ^{Laadim et al. 2017}, ^{Zougagh et al. 2019}, ^{Hayat et al. 2020}, ^{Mechchate et al. 2020}, ^{Ghanimi et al. 2022}). In addition, the three genera are among the most used according to surveys conducted in different regions of Morocco (^{Barkaoui et al. 2017}, ^{Laadim et al. 2017}, ^{Boulfia et al. 2018}, ^{El Haouari et al. 2018}, ^{Fatiha et al. 2019}, ^{Mechchate et al. 2020}, ^{Beniaich et al. 2022}, ^{Chaachouay et al. 2022} and in Algeria (^{Telli et al. 2016}).

The medicinal plant's statue. The medicinal plants statue is dominated by spontaneous plants constituting 55.9 % of the total species. The results obtained for the status of the plants are not far from those of ^{Mikou et al. (2016)}. The high percentage of indigenous plants suggests a rich diversity of indigenous flora in the province. The diverse composition of spontaneous, introduced, naturalized, cultivated and imported plants highlights the dynamic nature of the province's medicinal plant landscape. This diversity can provide a wide range of therapeutic options while reflecting the interaction between local ecological factors and human agricultural practices.

Checklist of medicinal plants of the province of Taza. The comparison with the four works previously carried out in certain communities of the province of Taza made it possible to enrich our list with other species and families: 30 species and 10 families (^{Khabbach et al. 2012}), 28 species and seven families (^{Boulfia et al. 2018}), 47 species and 12 families (^{El Haouari et al. 2018}) and 39 species and 13 families (^{El Brahimi et al. 2022}). Our checklist includes 202 species and 75 families (Appendices 1 and 2). Compiling this checklist of medicinal plant species in Taza province can help in conservation efforts (protection of rare or endangered species), preserve traditional knowledge, ensure their availability to future generations, guide research efforts, ensure the sustainability of important species, and the economic development of the province (source of income for the communities). Contextualizing the checklist (202 medicinal species) at the country level (Morocco), we find that it constitutes 23.41 % of the Moroccan medicinal flora found in ^{Ennabili et al. (2023)}, 33.67 % of the Moroccan species classified as aromatic or medicinal (600 species) according to ^{Ismaili et al. (2021)} and 40.40 % of Moroccan medicinal species (500 species) economically important according to ^{Ennabili et al. (2000)}. The number of families found constitutes 72.11 % of the 104 botanical families found recently in ^{Ennabili et al. (2023)}. Spontaneous species constitute 10.80 % of the 602 Moroccan spontaneous taxa found in ^{Ennabili et al. (2023)}.

Endemism and Red List. The statue of the plant used is dominated by spontaneous plants constituting 55.9 % of the total plants (Table 3). This high percentage directed us toward the study of the endemism of the spontaneous plants of our checklist. 65 species (Appendices 1 and 2) present a specific endemism of which 70.77 % (46 species) are endemic to North Africa, 16.92 % are endemic to Morocco-Algeria, 10.77 % are endemic to Morocco and 1.54 % are endemic to Morocco-Iberia-Algeria (Figure 5). The limited geographic range of these endemic species often makes them more vulnerable to extinction. These identified species require specific protection against the threats of habitat loss, invasive species and climate change. Thus, these plants present the biogeographic evolutionary face of the province of Taza and Morocco and contribute to their overall biodiversity. Finally, as these endemic plants with medicinal properties are increasingly used in traditional medicine, understanding their particular endemism can help us identify new sources of medicines and develop new sustainable harvesting practices to protect them.

The IUCN red list has allowed us a comprehensive assessment of the conservation status of the species that make up our Taza province checklist. Identifying the 77 threatened species can help conservation organizations and other parties raise awareness of the need for urgent action to protect them. Thus, our red list is a scientific basis for the development of conservation and protection strategies and policies at the level of the province of Taza and even at the Moroccan level. Conservationists and policymakers can target their efforts more effectively on these plants and develop more effective conservation plans. In the future, this list should be updated regularly, to track changes in species populations and conservation status over time. Thus, this part shows a valuable tool to support international agreements and conventions.

The present study updates the local medicinal flora used in almost all the communities of the province of Taza. The expansion of the study area (14 municipalities out of 28 are surveyed for the first time), and the comparison with previous work within the province gives for the first time a global update of the medicinal flora. A checklist (202 taxa) of which 12 species have been newly listed in this studied province can constitute an excellent database to develop new scientific research based on ethnopharmacological studies to reveal biologically active molecules in the treatment of diseases. Also, the updating of vernacular names and scientific names will facilitate the scientific research of ecologists in this province through the stability and accuracy of identification.

Supplementary material

Supplemental data for this article can be accessed here: https://doi.org/10.17129/botsci.3420

Supplementary material.