Traditional Medicinal Uses of Mosses

Abstract

The use of plants by people has a history as old as the existence of humanity. From ancient times to the present, humanity has sought solutions to diseases by making use of plants in nature. Plants that were beneficial against diseases by trial and error in the old times were recognized, used, and passed on to future generations. This process, which has been going on for centuries between plants and humans, continues as an ethnobotanical science that has been accepted worldwide today and where great resources are transferred and important researches are carried out. One of the plant groups used in the treatment of diseases is Bryophytes. Approximately 150 ethnobotanical bryophyte species are known worldwide. One of the important groups in the bryophyte division is mosses, which can live on wet grounds, in humid environments, sometimes completely submerged in water or on soil, rocks, and tree trunks in wide areas from swamps to alpine and arctic regions. Although the general characteristics of mosses vary according to different systematic schools, they are included in the Bryophyta division, which includes 1036 genera and approximately 18.409 species. Chinese and Native Americans discovered centuries ago that moss is effective in healing wounds and reducing infections in wounds. Since this discovery, mosses have been extensively studied and used in various fields. The majority of the species used are generally listed in Traditional Chinese Medicine and by Native North Americans. In this study, the use of mosses in traditional medicine is explained.