ETNOBOTÁNICA DE SIETE RAÍCES MEDICINALES EN EL MERCADO DE SONORA DE LA CIUDAD DE MÉXICO

Abstract

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.