Abstract

MANZANERO-MEDINA, Gladys Isabel; FLORES-MARTINEZ, Alejandro; SANDOVAL-ZAPOTITLA, Estela  and  BYE-BOETTLER, Robert. Ethnobotany of seven medicinal roots in the Sonora Market of Mexico City. Polibotánica [online]. 2009, n.27, pp.191-228. ISSN 1405-2768.

The ethnobotany of the seven most common fresh medicinal roots sold in the Sonora Market of Mexico City was studied: Cissus sicyoides, Ipomoea stans, Jatropha dioica, Psacalium peltatum, Roldana sessilifolia, Sicyos deppei, Valeriana edulis ssp. procera. Information about uses, preparation and administration, and principal ecological characteristics and geographical distribution was obtained by conducting semi-structured interviews with the sales people. The market was visited monthly over the course of one year, and monthly and annual variations in the presence of each species and differences between interior and exterior stalls were analyzed by graphical means, using oneway analysis of variance and numerical classification. All of the species were collected in central Mexico. The most common medicinal uses were for rheumatic, nervous and hair loss problems. Species presence was more constant in the interior market stalls. The market appears to be more closely related to environmental conditions such as precipitation than to customer demand.

Keywords : ethnobotany; markets; medicinal roots; market of Sonora.

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