Conhecimento local sobre cactáceas em comunidades rurais na mesorregião do sertão da Paraíba (Nordeste, Brasil)

Abstract

This study aimed to register the use and knowledge that residents of rural communities of Barroquinha and Besouro in the municipality of Lagoa have about the cactus. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 52 informants, men and women. The cactus cited were organized into eight categories of use. We identified five species in the communities: Cereus jamacaru DC., Melocactus sp., Pilosocereus chrysostele (Vaupel) Byles & Rowley, Nopalea cochenillifera (L.) Salm-Dyck and Pilosocereus gounellei (F.A.C. Weber) Byles & Rowley. We registered 201 citations of use in Barroquinha, organized in seven categories of use and 76 citations in Besouro, organized in eight categories. In both communities the C. jamacaru was the most used specie and forage was the most relevant category of use. The communities showed a similar knowledge of men and women. In relation the transmission of knowledge was observed the predominance of a vertical transmission, or from parents to children. The potential of use of the cactus in the communities of Besouro and Barroquinha demonstrated their importance due the various uses and categories applied to species.