XVI International Botanical Congess

This study compares the uses of plants between five different ethnic groups from Sierra Norte de Puebla (SNP) which live in similar ecological conditions. A data base containing information for 1007 species, 703 genus and 156 families was used for this purpose. The tendencies in plant use observed in this region are compared to the found in other parts of the world. The families Fabaceae, Euphorbiaceae, Poaceae, Rubiaceae and Asteraceae are the most commonly used in SNP as well as in other parts of the world.. Most of the neotropical and pantropical species from SNP have the same use in Africa, Asia and Polynesia. Few uses are shared with North America and Europe.