Botanical and geographical origin of honey from the dry and humid Chaco ecoregions (Argentina). Issue 6 (2nd November 2017)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Salgado-Laurenti, Cristina R.; Tellería, Maria Cristina; Coronel, Juan Manuel
• Is Part Of: Grana. Volume 56:Issue 6(2017)
• Page Start: 450
• Page End: 461
• Publication Date: 2017-11-02
• Subjects: honey -- pollen -- Apis mellifera -- Chaco region -- native flora; Palynology -- Periodicals; 571.8452
• DOI: 10.1080/00173134.2016.1276619
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0017-3134

Abstract

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.