Abstract

GALLARDO-PEREZ, Juan Carlos; ESPARZA-AGUILAR, María de Lourdes  and  GOMEZ-CAMPOS, Armando. IMPORTANCIA ETNOBOTÁNICA DE UNA PLANTA VASCULAR SIN SEMILLA EN MÉXICO: Equisetum. Polibotánica [online]. 2006, n.21, pp.61-74. ISSN 1405-2768.

Ethnobotany is the branch of human knowledge that studies the relationship between plants and human. In Mexico, angiosperms have been mostly studied. However, there are seedless plants such as the genus Equisetum that has an important cultural value as evidenced in several communities, mainly due to its biochemical properties. In this paper we presented a review of bibliographical information supplemented with fieldwork information regarding the traditional uses of this plant. Literature on this topic indicate that Equisetum have been employed, through time, in different cultures to alleviate several diseases and in other forms. Current researches show and validate the millenarian use assigned to these plants.

Keywords : ethnobotany; horsetails; uses; medicine traditional.