Medicinal plants used in some rural populations of Oaxaca, Puebla and Veracruz, Mexico.

Within Mexico's floristic abundance, plants with curative properties are outstanding due to their popularity in handling several illnesses, a fact that becomes specially important for the social groups of the tropical regions. In this paper the results of an ethnobotanical study carried out in 57 rural populations from the Mexican states of Oaxaca, Veracruz and Puebla are presented; questionnaire and interview methods were applied, with special attention to the use of plants for medical purposes. The most relevant results were: the taxonomic determination of 237 vegetal species from which 399 curative products are obtained, in order to combat 57 illnesses, the most frequent of which are those related to the digestive system, the skin, the reproductive system and those of supernatural origin, which can only be treated by the use of plants in special ceremonies known as 'limpias', due to their peculiar condition.