The importance of weeds in ethnopharmacology

Tropical primary forest is often considered to be the most important habita t for traditional peoples to gather medicinal plants. However, the role of weeds, commonly found in disturbed areas, in traditional medicinal floras h as been overlooked. Data are presented showing the significant representati on of weeds in the medicinal floras of the Highland Maya in Chiapas, Mexico and in the medicinal flora of Native North Americans as a whole. The frequ ency with which weeds appear in these pharmacopoeias is significantly large r (P < 0.0001) than what would be predicted by the frequency of weed specie s in general. Explanations based on human ecology and biochemical ecology a re presented. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.