NOTAS SOBRE PLANTAS MEDICINALES DEL ESTADO DE QUERÉTARO, MÉXICO1

Abstract

In Queretaro the tradicional use of medicinal plants for effecting cures of human
aliments is still employed. It is the objective of this paper to contribute to the study
of the medicinal plants in Queretaro, in
addition to recapturing and preserving the
empirical knowledge concerning such
plants in the state. Twenty-five localities in
six municipalities (Arroyo Seco,
Cadereyta, Jalpan, Landa, Pinal de Amoles
and San Joaquín) were visited, in which
300 plant collections corresponding to 116
species of medicinal plants were obtained;
of these, 69 have a different medicinal use
than that registered in the literature and 47
have a previously cited use. 57 diseases
were recorded in the study area, the more
common of which include 16 that are
culturally related, 13 that correspond to
signs and symptoms, nine to problems of
the respiratory apparatus, and eight to
diseases of the skin and subcutaneous
tissue. In the relationship plant-disease, it
was found that 10 species are used for
problems of the respiratory tract, seven for
the skin and subcutaneous tissue, and six
for the digestive and urinary-genital tracts,
while 14 species are used for treatment of
culture specific diseases and for signs and
symptoms. The families with greatest
number of species of medicinal use in the
study zone are: Compositae (13), Labiatae
(7), Legumi-nosae (7) and Solanaceae (7).
The flora of Queretaro is very rich and
plants are widely used for medicinal
purposes; however, more ethnobotanical
research is needed to capture this
important cultural aspect of the state as
well as the rest of México