Manuscript received: 10/06/2021 – Revised manuscript received: 10/08/2021 - Published: 14/08/2021 http://dx.doi.org/10.32859/era.22.14.1-15 Emilia Romagna and Malta: A comparative ethnobotanical study Galuzzo F., Attard E. and Di Gioia D. Correspondence Galuzzo F. 1 , Attard E. 2* , and Di Gioia D. 1 1 Scuola di Agraria e Medicina Veterinaria, Alma Mater Studiorum-Università di Bologna, Italy 2 Division of Rural Sciences and Food Systems, Institute of Earth Systems, University of Malta, Malta * Corresponding Author: everaldo.attard@um.edu.mt Ethnobotany Research & Applications 22:14 (2021) Research Abstract Background: A comprehensive ethnobotanical study was conducted on two Mediterranean regions which crossed over in the past through several cultures. Although the two regions have distinctive geographical and cultural characteristics, the aim of this study was to determine potential ethnobotanical similarities between the two regions. Methods: This desk research involved the thorough examination of the floral species that thrive in these two regions and ethnobotanical information collected from reliable sources. Once the information was collected, the data was sorted and organized into matrices and then analyzed statistically. Results: Following a thorough search for common plants within the two regions, 193 taxa, distributed in 72 plant families, were identified. The three predominant families, Asteraceae, Lamiaceae and Apiaceae, were selected according to the popularity of medicinal uses of the taxa within the families (10.4 %, 7.8 % and 5.2 %, respectively). The popular therapeutic ratios for taxa within the Asteraceae, Lamiaceae and Apiaceae families varied between 0.14-1.00, 0.17-0.82 and 0.27-0.60, respectively. It was observed that the most targeted therapeutic system was the gastrointestinal system covering several ailments that included gastric disturbances, liver and biliary conditions, and intestinal problems. Conclusions: It can be concluded that although, these two regions are distinct from each other, the two regional communities share the common understanding that the health status of an individual depends on the maintenance of the health of the digestive system. Today, several studies support this relationship, with scientific evidence and the use of natural products for their medicinal, nutraceutical and functionality in everyday life. Key words: Ethnobotany, Folk medicinal plants, Malta, Italy, Asteraceae, Lamiacea, Apiaceae. Background Several researchers in different parts of the world had delved into the study of the relationship between communities and plants, to understand the importance and potential use of plants in today’s world. This multidisciplinary research provides the basis for the discovery of new drugs (Agelet & Vallès 2003). Research is conducted either on a particular region or locality (Novias et al. 2004; Rivera et al. 2005; Akerreta et al. 2007, Maxia