Ecological data in support of an analysis of Guinea-Bissau׳s medicinal flora

This dataset presents an annotated list of medicinal plants used by local communities in Guinea-Bissau (West Africa), in a total of 218 species. Data was gathered by means of herbarium and bibliographic research, as well as fieldwork. Biological and ecological information is provided for each species, including in-country distribution, geographical range, growth form and main vegetation types. The dataset was used to prepare a paper on the medicinal plants of Guinea-Bissau “Medicinal plants of Guinea-Bissau: therapeutic applications, ethnic diversity and knowledge transfer” (Catarino et al., 2016) [1]. The table and figures provide a unique database for Guinea-Bissau in support of ethno-medical and ethno-pharmacological research, and their ecological dimensions.

Ecological data related with the Guinea-Bissau's medicinal flora, with references to other uses of species.

Species
Family Growth form region with extensive mangroves dissected by rivers and creeks (Fig. 1C); a transitional zone extending in an easterly direction covered in woodlands (Fig. 1D); the savanna plains in the East and South-East sloping upwards to a maximum height of 300 m (Fig. 1E).  [3]. The main vegetation types occurring in Guinea-Bissau were documented during several field surveys and are identified in Table 1, in which the species are assigned to vegetation types in accordance with the following classes: a) forest; b) woodland; c) savanna woodland; d) wet grass savanna; e) palm grove; f) riparian forest; g) mangrove and h) ruderal habitats (see Fig. 1B-E). In terms of surface area, savanna woodland dominates, followed by woodland, mangrove, herbaceous savanna and dry forest, mainly found in the South [3].

Medicinal plants
A total of 218 medicinal plants as used in traditional medicine in Guinea-Bissau were identified in a recent study [1]. Ecological and distributional data are presented in Table 1, and in Fig. 2. Most the medicinal plants are trees (38%; 3 palms are included in this group), followed by shrubs (27%), herbs (21%) and climbers (14%) (Fig. 2A). The main vegetation types in which the medicinal plants species occur are woodland and savanna woodland, but species are also found in areas covered in palm groves, forest and riparian forest. Almost all the species occur in more than one vegetation type and half of them in both woodland and savanna woodland (Fig. 2B). The plant-parts most used are leaves, followed by roots and stem bark. In the case of herbaceous species, usually the whole plant and the aerial parts are used (Fig. 3).

Data collection
The study of ecological aspects associated with Guinea-Bissau's medicinal flora was carried out by means of in-country fieldwork, the collection and study of herbarium specimens and a detailed inventory of published sources. An initial countrywide study of the country's flora was conducted between 1997 and 2007 (for more details see [3]). Recent fieldwork included visits to communities in different areas of the country, interviews with local community members and healers, and observations in loco. Close collaboration with IBAP staff allowed for the gathering of information on ecological conditions and conservation measures implemented in protected areas. The data presented in Table 1 was assembled by means of the following sources: 1) Fieldwork. Ecological and distribution data was collected during the fieldwork carried out during the last two decades in different regions of Guinea-Bissau. The in-country collection of ethnobotanical data relied on semi-structured interviews, in-field observations and guided field surveys were conducted with local healers and members of local communities. 2) Herbarium Specimens. A detailed review was undertaken of plant specimens at the LISC Herbarium (University of Lisbon) that contain the most important worldwide collection from this country. After examining each record in the herbarium's Guinea-Bissau collection, a critical and updated review of Guinea-Bissau's plants, their growth-environment, their medicinal relevance and alternative uses was implemented. 3) Bibliographic Review. A review of publications on medicinal flora of Guinea-Bissau covering the period from 1880s to the present was carried out (for more details see [1]). Moreover, a review of the literature was carried out to investigate previous studies' classifications of vegetation types [e.g. 3,5-7], and ecological data collected during fieldwork was complemented with a study of the literature on ecology, biodiversity and the impact of climate change in Guinea Bissau.
Finally all the available data on Guinea-Bissau's medicinal flora, including ecological knowledge obtained from specimen vouchers and published literature, as well as the authors' field experience, were incorporated into a database (Table 1).