Abstract

Medicinal plants are cultivated by farming communities at the Tarumã Mirim’s settlement in Manaus, capital of Amazonas state in Brazil. These plants come from a group of non-timber forest products intercropped between systems, used for health treatments. They also move a production chain that is offered at street market fairs in Manaus. Among the Amazonian species, 136 species were identified that had origin centers and genetic diversity far away from the referred settlement. Small producers from other parts of Brazil and the world moved to Manaus and brought with the plants and traditional knowledge about their use, thereby introducing then to the area. Some of them are more widely used because of their efficiency in treatments of some diseases. Other herbs grow at a much lower rate and are cultivated by just a few agricultures or sometimes just by one. Several of these plants are has scientific resources and there is literature available about them, which will not only provide their botanic description but also their economic potential. But many of them are the focus of scientific research in Brazil and the world in general, due to the potential they have for drug and pharmacological companies. The market where medicinal plants can be purchased is located in Manaus city, mostly at “Expoagro” and “Manaus Moderna” fairs, the prices varying between R$ 1.00 and R$5.00 per plant seedling.

Key words: Medicinal Plants, Ethnobotanical, TarumãMirim’s Settlement, Potential for Bioprospection