"I prefer plants to medicines": the use of plants for medicinal purposes in the quilombola territory of Cajá dos Negros, in BatalhaAlagoas / “Prefiro plantas do que remédios”: o uso de plantas para fins medicinais no território quilombola Cajá dos Negros, em BatalhaAlagoas

Abstract

Quilombola communities are ethnic groups that relate specifically to the territory and traditions that are orally passed down for generations. Among these customs are the practice and use of medicinal plants as an alternative to healing and treating illnesses, as well as the use in rituals and religious beliefs. Within this context, the objective was to survey the use of these medicinal plants in the village of Cajá dos Negros, in the municipality of Batalha. This study was conducted through field visits with a questionnaire and conversation wheels containing questions related to herbal uses, forms of preparation used in the plants found in the quilombola territory. As a result, 39 species were identified, which are distributed in 27 families, especially Laminaceae, with 6 species, followed by Rutaceae and Anacardiaceae, 3 species each, generally cultivated in the backyards of the houses, establishing domestic spatial relationships. Other rarer species are found in Caatinga revealing the territorial mobility of the community.

Keywords

• ethnobotany
• knowledge
• traditional communities