Botanical and geographical origin of honey from the dry and humid Chaco ecoregions (Argentina) |
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Authors: | Cristina R. Salgado-Laurenti Maria Cristina Tellería Juan Manuel Coronel |
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Affiliation: | 1. Departamento de Ciencias Básicas Agronómicas, Facultad de Ciencias Agrarias, Universidad Nacional del Nordeste (UNNE), Corrientes, Argentina;2. Laboratorio de Sistemática y Biología Evolutiva (LASBE), Museo de La Plata, Argentina;3. Departamento de Biología, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales y Agrimensura, Universidad Nacional del Nordeste (UNNE), Corrientes, Argentina |
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Abstract: | To characterise the botanical and geographical origin of honey from the Chaco region (Argentina), 189 samples of honey were examined for pollen content using standard methodology. A general feature was the high representation of pollen from native arboreal plants, mainly of Fabaceae and the scarcity of pollen from herbaceous plants. One hundred and twenty-three samples proved to be unifloral. The most common were from: Prosopis alba, Helianthus annuus, Sarcomphalus mistol, Eugenia uniflora and Schinopsis balansae followed by those of Copernicia alba, Trithrinax schizophylla, Tessaria integrifolia, Baccharis-Eupatorium, Cynophalla retusa, Schinopsis lorentzii, Gleditsia amorphoides, Heimia salicifolia, Pisonia zapallo, Sagittaria montevidensis and Bulnesia sarmientoi. The pollen spectrum allowed the Dry and Humid Chaco ecoregions to be distinguished. The presence of pollen from cultivated crops and naturalised plants reflects a transitional complex between both ecoregions. |
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Keywords: | honey pollen Apis mellifera Chaco region native flora |
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