ever, traditional knowledge regarding the use of J. excelsa by indigenous communities in the country has not yet been fully documented. The present study aims to obtain a better understanding of the traditional knowledge of rural people of Iran about J. excelsa. Botanical DescriptionJuniperus excelsa (syn. Juniperus polycarpos K. Koch & Juniperus macropoda Boiss. var. polycarpos) is an evergreen tree or occasionally a shrub, up to 20-25 m tall, with a pyramidal or broad crown. Juvenile leaves are ternate, acicular, while mature leaves are scale-like, ovaterhombic, light green or yellowish-green. Male strobili are solitary, terminally located on ultimate branchlets. Female cones are mostly solitary and axillary, sub-terminally located on ultimate branchlets, surrounded by green leaves or bracts, purplish-green to blue colored (Figure 2). Mature cones are globose, purplish-brown to blackish-purple. The present study reveals that J. excelsa is considered as a multi-purpose tree by indigenous people of Iran, and has been used as medicine, incense, material for constructing buildings, fencing, different household articles and decoration. It is respected as a "holy" tree by some Turkmen and Kurdish tribes in Iran. Ethnobotany of

Stachys pilifera is an endemic plant to Iran. The main purpose of this study was to investigate the impacts of some habitat characteristics on the distribution of S. pilifera using the BMLR model in Kohgiluyeh and Boyer-Ahmad Province, Iran. Tow transects were randomly established in each region. 10 quadrats sized 1 x 1 m 2 were established along the transect. In each plot, canopy cover (%) of S. pilifera was recorded. 25 soil samples were gathered in the region to evaluate soil characteristics. The associated pixel of each plot was extracted and added to a prepared spreadsheet of a field database. The data gathered from experiments were fed into the computer item by item according to their own values. To determine the effect of environmental factors on the distribution of S. pilifera species, the researchers run a set of backward multiple linear regressions. The results of MLR to investigate the significance of was not significant (P-Value >0.05). Then the most insignificant term in the first run (silt) is removed and the operation run again. After removing silt, the results of the BMLR model are seen by considering the effect of other factors, and some of terms are insignificant again. The process is continued step by step to the point that there are only significant terms. Results showed that the effects of rain, sand, P, Fe, Zn, Mn, and evaporation on the distribution of S. pilifera species were significant. Rain, P, and Fe have positive effects (positive coefficient), while sand, Zn, Mn, and evaporation have negative effects (negative coefficient). *