CONHECIMENTO LOCAL DE CACTÁCEAS EM UMA COMUNIDADE RURAL DO MUNICÍPIO DE BOQUEIRÃO (PARAÍBA, NORDESTE DO BRASIL)

Abstract

The family of Cactaceae is of great importance in regions such as the Old Cariris in northeastern Brazil, by dato a prominent uses of the region to be as fodder, with the use of native species (eg facheiro) and exotic (eg palm) in periods of prolonged drought. Accordingly, the present study detected the knowledge and use that residents of the rural community in the municipality of Moita Big hole (Paraíba, Brazil) have compared the cactus in your area. For this, we conducted interviews with 27 informants (7 men and 20 women). Cacti cited not fit in ten use categories (food, fuel, construction, fodder, magical / religious, medicinal, ornamental, shade, technology and veterinary). We recorded 109 use citations (36 men and 73 women). We recorded seven species (six native and exotic), belonging to five genera: Cereus jamacaru DC. (cardeiro, mandacaru) Melocactus sp. (crown friar), Pilosocereus gounellei (FAC Weber) Byles & Rowley. (xiquexique) Pilosocereus pachycladus F.Ritter (facheiro), L. Mill. (palm), Tacinga inamoena (K.Schum.) NPTaylor & Stuppy (cumbeba) Tacinga palmadora (Britton & Rose) NPTaylor & Stuppy (paddle). The most important categories were food (44 citations of use), fodder (36) and Ornamental (17). P. pachycladus, P. gounellei and Melocactus sp. were the species that stood out with 25.23 and 21 citations of use, respectively. The species most frequently cited by women was P. pachycladus and men was O. ficus indica. This study showed the importance of cacti in the community of Moita, since there was a record of different categories and uses of the species, and, moreover, the category food stood out because of the existence of a processing plant products in cacti the community.