XVI International Botanical Congess

The objective was to establish the medicinal plants that Mexican people use for the treatment of respiratory diseases from ethnobotanical information gathered on Herbarium IMSSM. The method applied was the examination of the herbarium labels from the 12000 vouchers. Results were 315 species from 168 genera, and 76 families, there were 16 common names such as chokes", wheezing cough", bleeding cough", that corresponds to specific illnesses in allopathic medicine as bronchitis, asthma, whooping cough, and tuberculosis. The most common used species in popular medical for their antitussive, antiinflammatory, bactericide, and bacteriostatic properties are: Sambucus mexicana Presl., Gnaphalium semiamplexicaule DC., Bouganvillea glabra Choisy, Crataegus pubescens (HBK.) Steud. We can conclude that studies may bring an alternative to the first level of medical care based on herbs.