Levantamento etnobotânico de plantas medicinais em área de caatinga no Município de São Mamede, Paraíba, Brasil.

Abstract

Ethnobotanical survey of medicinal plants in an area of caatinga in the Municipality of São Mamede, Paraíba, Brazil. A survey on medicinal plants used by people in the community of Sao Mamede was carried out with the objective to rescue and register the traditional knowledge on this matter. The survey was based on semi-structured interviews that allowed interviewee's observations. The collected data showed that 46 species from 31 botanical families of medicinal plants were used in that community. The following information was gathered and reported: vernacular and botanical plant identification, therapeutic use, form of use, method of preparation, part(s) of the plant used, and the disease treated. Leaves were the most commonly used part of these plants (60%), and tea was the main method of preparation and administration (i58% of the cases). Also, people's knowledge on medicinal plants, regarding uses and proper manipulation, was handed down from family tradition (97%). These data show the existence of interaction of the local population with the regional flora, and highlight the effects of the flora utilization on the social, economic, cultural and environmental issues of the community.