Esse artigo analisa a contribuição da medicina indígena, portuguesa, africana e outras na formação da fitoterapia popular brasileira; a participação do jesuíta na sua divulgação; a predominância do reino vegetal sobre o animal e mineral; a penetração para oeste e sua difusão no interior.This paper analyses the contribution of the Indian medicine, as well as the Portuguese African and offers to the formation of the Brazilian folk phytotherapy. Other aspects studied here are the role played by the Jesuits in spreading this phytotherapy; the predominance of the vegetable kingdoms over the animal and mineral kingdoms; its penetration westwards and its diffusion inhand.