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Rural communities have repertoires of knowledge associated with the use of plants related to various social and biological aspects. The objective of this study was to identify the diversity of use of food and medicinal plants by the Brejal rural community in Rio de Janeiro state, Brazil. Ethnobotanical data was obtained using the snowball technique and semi-structured interviews with 22 farmers. Species diversity and use-value indices were calculated. Relationships among the numbers of plants cited, interviewee age, gender, and working time in agriculture were investigated. We identified a high diversity index, comprising 185 species belonging to 53 botanical families, notably Asteraceae, Lamiaceae, and Brassicaceae. The greatest use-values were associated with exotic species. Leaves were the plant structures most utilized, and infusions the predominant method of preparation. The prescriptions most commonly cited related to illnesses of the digestive system. Men and women did not differ in terms of the numbers of species cited. We found no correlations between the ages of the interviewees and their working time in agriculture. The uniformity of the number of citations demonstrates the shared knowledge throughout the community, covering a high diversity of plants, uses, indications and preparations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rural communities that were founded based on land occupation in the Amazon usually have a wide knowledge about the use of medicinal plants. Studies carried out in this context reveal a vast heterogeneity in terms of knowledge and use of medicinal plants. They also describe the influence these communities have on plant diversity and the cultural aspects associated with their use. This paper shows the dynamics of knowledge and use of medicinal plants in the Paulo Fonteles Rural Settlement, established in 2006 in the Mosqueiro District, Belém Municipality, Pará state, Brazilian Amazon. Data was collected through semi-structured interviews and participatory workshops and analyzed qualitatively and quantitatively. Medicinal plants are crucial resources for farmers before and after land occupation. A total of 140 ethnospecies were recorded, of which 119 were identified; They belong to 58 botanical families. 60 species are native to Brazil. Out of those, 21 belong to the phytogeographic domain restricted to Amazonia. 59 species were introduced the region. The local knowledge of medicinal plants is well spread among informants of different age and sex groups. People from other regions in Brazil reported significantly more medicinal plants than those native to the state of Pará. Among the 140 plants mentioned, 110 refer to species whose uses have been maintained over time by informants. The socio-cultural heterogeneity and the dynamic livelihood of the farmers has been crucial for the improvement of their knowledge and the increase of the diversity of the local flora. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]