This study aimed to survey the medicinal plant species grown in urban backyards in the city of Rio Branco. Personal interviews were conducted by applying a specific questionnaire recording the plant species of medicinal use and the socioeconomic data of residents in 132 urban backyards in Rio Branco between 2009 and 2010. The districts selected for the study were "Aeroporto Velho", "Placas" and "Novo Horizonte", all situated on the outskirts of the city. We detected 83 medicinal plant species belonging to 50 botanical families, especially Lamiaceae (12.0%) and Asteraceae (6.0%), of which 66.2% are exotic, and 28.9% and 16.8% are associated with food and ornamental use, respectively. Decoction of the leaves in order to obtain tea was the main mode of preparation of these plants. Logistic regression analysis between species richness and various socioeconomic factors of the interviewees showed that the probability of occurrence of species is threefold higher in backyards managed by residents older than 50 years. Nonparametric correlation analysis of quantitative factors showed that the variable time of residence is more correlated to the richness of medicinal plants than to the variable age. Cultivation of medicinal plants in urban backyards in Rio Branco helps prevent diseases and promote ex situ conservation of agroforest agrobiodiversity, welfare to the residents by improving the landscape, microclimate ambiance and entertainment space.
plant diversity; phytoterapy; Amazon; urban agriculture
