The Highland Mayawith a population of around 800,000have inhabited the same region in Mexico for millennia. Earlier research by Brent and Elois Ann Berlin from the University of Georgia established that there is widespread medicinal knowledge for about 600 plant species. Since the Maya dont cultivate medicinal plants but gather them fresh when needed, Stepp worked in the rugged mountains of Chiapas to discover where the plants are located.
He conducted research in six communities, tracking plant-gathering activities of 208 individuals over a period of seven months through weekly interviews. The Maya used 103 plant species during this period to treat a number of conditions, though more than 80 percent were respiratory or gastrointestinal disorders.
"The Highland Maya of Chiapas rely almost exclusively on disturbed areas for medicinal plants," said Stepp, "even in communities that are adjacent to stands of primary forest."
The scientists analyzed the discoveries by comparing the collected medicinal plants to a known database of some 9,000 plants found in Chiapas. Of these 9,000, 1178 are considered weeds. If weeds were randomly distributed in the medicinal flora studied, there should have been about 13 weed species present. Instead, there were an astonishing 35.
An analysis, done by Daniel Moerman, of medicinal plants used by Native North Americans reveals an equally striking use of weeds as medicinal plants. While 9.6 percent of the plants in North America are considered weeds, 25.8 percent of the taxa used by Native Americans for medicinal purposes are weeds.
There are a number of reasons why the Maya use as medicinal plants weeds found in nearby areas. First, there is some evidence that the plants lose their effectiveness over time and must be used when freshly picked. That makes long treks into the rainfores
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Contact: John Stepp
rstepp@arches.uga.edu
706-227-9553
University of Georgia
15-Mar-2001