Ethnobotany of the main medicinal plants commercialized in fairs and markets of São Luis, Maranhão State, Brazil

Abstract

This study aimed to characterize the profile medicinal plant traders regarding the parts used, preparation methods and ways of obtaining plants, and find out the species with highest concordance quotes of use in the main selling points of medicinal plants in São Luís, Maranhão State, Brazil. As methodological procedures were applied semi-structured questionnaires and a specific formula i of the consensus value of species to determine their relative importance. It was discovered that the acquisition of knowledge about medicinal plants occurs mainly by the most experienced marketers and the ones who buy plants from third party sellers. The leaf is the most used part of the plant. The main ways to the use of the ethnospecies were: as anti-inflammatory, for gastritis and as sedative and its most common methods of preparation were tea and bath. The ethnospecies with the greatest agreement of use were: Myracrodruon urundeua Fr. All., Copaifera langsdorfii Desf., Bowdichia virgilioides Kunth., Himatanthus spp. and Ximenia americana L.