Plantas medicinais utilizadas na medicina popular por mulheres trabalhadoras rurais de Cruz Alta, Rio Grande do Sul, Brasil

The aim of this study was to perform a survey of medicinal plants used by rural workwomen of 6 communities of the region of Cruz Alta, Rio Grande do Sul, with the purpose of rescuing and preserving the relevant traditional knowledge. The methodology was of semi-structured interviews, with participating observation, resulting in a total list of 189 species, of 70 different families. The following information was gathered and reported: botanical and vernacular name, therapeutic purpose and use, forms of use and mode of preparation, part(s) of the plant used, and the disease treated. Native plants were the most utilized (56.61%), followed by exotic species (35.98%), cultivated in the state but still from South America (7.41%). The part most used was the leaf, as infusion for internal application.