The Fabaceae in Northeastern Mexico (Subfamily Caesalpinioideae, Mimosoideae Clade, Tribes Mimoseae, Acacieae, and Ingeae).

A synoptic compendium of the legumes of the Mimosoideae clade in northeastern Mexico is presented for the first time, including changes in their botanical nomenclature and retypification of genera. Furthermore, based on new information recently published, the taxonomic limits of several new genera segregated from Acacia (Acaciella, Mariosousa, Senegalia, and Vachellia) and Prosopis (Neltuma and Strombocarpa) are clarified and included. Based on field work, collection of botanical samples over the past 30 years, and reviewing botanical materials in national and international herbaria, we have completed the diversity of legumes of the Mimosoideae clade of northeastern Mexico. Three tribes (Acacieae, Ingeae, and Mimosaeae), 22 genera, 92 species, and 19 infraspecific categories were recorded. Only the genus Painteria is endemic to Mexico. Eighty-eight species are native to Mexico, and four are exotic: Acacia salicina, Neptunia prostrata, Neltuma chilensis and Albizia lebbeck. Twenty-eight species are endemic to Mexico, nine species are endemic to northeastern Mexico, and four species are endemic to only one state in Mexico. The 22 registered genera represent 44% and 65% of the generic flora of the Mimosoideae clade for Mexico and the planet, respectively, while the 92 species registered represent 3% and 18% of the species of the clade Mimosoideae for the planet and Mexico, respectively. According to the new nomenclature of legumes, the number of genera in the Mimosoideae clade in northern Mexico has increased from 19 to 24.

Ethnobotanical biocultural diversity by rural communities in the Cuatrociénegas Valley, Coahuila; Mexico.

BACKGROUND: Cuatrociénegas, part of the Chihuahuan Desert, is a region of unique biological, geological, geographical, and evolutionary importance. Its current population is mestizo; nevertheless, it has high national historical, cultural, and touristic relevance in Mexico. It has been cataloged as nationally significant for its flora and fauna by Mexican law, as well as being designated a High Protection site by the World Wildlife Fund and UNESCO. Because of its diverse and complex biological and sociocultural characteristics, we considered it important to determine, identify, and analyze various aspects of the traditional ethnobotanical knowledge and practices in this region. METHODS: Between 2016 and 2019, seven field trips were made to document the knowledge and use of flora. Cuatrociénegas is a protected area, collecting botanical material is regulated, so specimens were photographed and collected in neighboring communities, and in public and private gardens. Later permission was obtained to complete the collection of specimens (2019-2020). The plants were identified and entered into the flora database of the state of Coahuila, and deposited in the Herbarium of the Faculty of Forest Sciences, Autonomous University of Nuevo León, Mexico. One hundred ten local residents (50 men and 60 women), aged between 27 and 91 years, were interviewed (semi-structured interviews). The cultural importance of ethnobotanical resources (cultural significance index) and its significance with respect to ethnobotanical richness in other Biosphere Reserves in Mexico (Mann-Whitney test), and similarities in the diversity of exotic species (Sørensen index) were studied. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION: The ethnobotanical information registers 158 species and 132 genera in 57 vascular and non-vascular families, documenting a greater knowledge and use of cultivated species (84) with respect to wild species (74). The diversity of plants reported is compared to other ethnobotanical studies carried out in Mexican Biosphere Reserves. These results are highly relevant, in spite of unique exotic species. The people local pay special attention to medicinal and ornamental plants. The species that presented the highest use values are Larrea tridentata, Jatropha dioica, and Machaeranthera pinnatifida, three species characteristic of the desert region. CONCLUSIONS: The particular diversity of wild flora in Cuatrociénegas Valley, combined with the varied introduced flora, is an important multifunctional resource. Special attention to introduced species is associated with harvesting use restrictions in the protected area as well as the high value of ornamental species that are difficult to maintain in desert areas. The extensive use of ethnobotanical knowledge is an example that biocultural diversity (at the conceptual level) is also strongly associated with socio-ecological systems incorporating mestizo groups and semi-urban rural landscapes, thus ceasing to be an exclusive focus of indigenous communities and regions.

RESUMEN: ANTECEDENTES: Cuatrociénegas es una región de singular importancia biológica, geológica, geográfica y evolutiva. Forma parte del Desierto de Chihuahua, su población actual es mestiza; sin embargo, posee una alta relevancia histórica, cultural y turística. Ha sido catalogado como Área de Protección de Flora y Fauna por la ley mexicana, así como un sitio de Alta Protección por el Fondo Mundial para la Naturaleza y la UNESCO. Por sus complejas características biológicas y socioculturales, consideramos importante conocer, determinar, identificar y analizar los conocimientos y prácticas etnobotánicas tradicionales en esta región. MéTODOS: Entre 2016 y 2019 se realizaron siete viajes de campo para documentar el conocimiento y uso de la flora. Cuatrociénegas es un área protegida, la recolección de material botánico está regulada, por lo que se fotografíaron y colectaron especímenes en comunidades aledañas, y en jardines públicos y privados. Posteriormente se obtuvo el permiso para completar la colección de ejemplares (2019-2020). Las plantas fueron identificadas e ingresadas a la base de datos de flora del estado de Coahuila, y depositadas en el Herbario de la Facultad de Ciencias Forestales de la Universidad Autónoma de Nuevo León, México. Se entrevistó a ciento diez vecinos (50 hombres y 60 mujeres) de entre 27 y 91 años (entrevistas semiestructuradas). Se evaluó la importancia cultural de los recursos etnobotánicos (índice de importancia cultural) y su significancia con respecto a la riqueza etnobotánica en otras Reservas de Biosfera en México (prueba de Mann-Whitney) y la similitud en la diversidad de especies exóticas (índice de Sørensen). RESULTADOS Y DISCUSIóN: La información etnobotánica registra 158 especies y 132 géneros en 57 familias vasculares y no vasculares, documentando un mayor conocimiento y uso de las especies cultivadas (84) con respecto a las silvestres (74). La diversidad de plantas reportada, en comparación con otros estudios etnobotánicos realizados en Reservas de la Biosfera, es altamente relevante, sin embargo, las especies exóticas son únicas. Los pobladores locales tienen una especial atención a las plantas medicinales y ornamentales. Las especies que presentaron mayores valores de uso son Larrea tridentata, Jatropha dioica y Machaeranthera pinnatifida, tres especies características de la región desértica. CONCLUSIONES: La particular diversidad de flora silvestre del Valle de Cuatrociénegas, combinada con la variada flora introducida, es un importante recurso multifuncional. La especial atención a las especies introducidas está asociada a las restricciones de aprovechamiento; así como a la alta valoración de especies ornamentales, dificiles de mantener en las zonas desérticas. El amplio conocimiento y uso de la etnobotánica son un ejemplo, que la diversidad biocultural (a nivel conceptual) también, está fuertemente asociada socio-ecologicamente a grupos mestizos y paisajes rurales semiurbanos, dejando de ser exclusiva de las regiones indígenas.

Ethnobotany in Rayones, Nuevo León, México.

BACKGROUND: Trough collections of plants and interviews with 110 individuals, an ethnobotanical study was conducted in order to determine the knowledge and use plant species in Rayones, Nuevo Leon, Mexico. The aim of this study was to record all useful plants and their uses, to know whether differences exist in the knowledge about the number of species and uses between women and men, and to know if there is a correlation between the age of individuals and knowledge of species and their uses. METHODS: A total of 110 persons were interviewed (56 men, 56 women). Semistructured interviews were carried out. The data were analyzed by means of Student t test and the Pearson Correlation Coeficient. RESULTS: A total of 252 species, 228 genera and 91 families of vascular plants were recorded. Astraceae, Fabaceae and are the most important families with useful species and Agave and Opuntia are the genera with the highest number of useful species. One hundred and thirty six species are considered as medicinal. Agave, Acacia and Citrus are the genera with the highest number of medicinal species. Other uses includes edible, spiritual rituals, construction and ornamentals. There was a non-significant correlation between the person's age and number of species, but a significant very low negative correlation between the person's age and number of uses was found. CONCLUSIONS: Knowing their medicinal uses is an important issue for the people of Rayones. Boiling and preparing infusions are the main ways of using plants by residents. The leaves, the branches, and the fruits are the most commonly used parts. Almost 18% of the flora is used for wood and construction purposes. Several uses such as cosmetic, shampoo, firming skin tonics and health hair products recorded in Rayones has not been reported for other areas in the state of Nuevo León. In Rayones, women have a greater knowledge about plants and their uses than men, particularly, medicinal plants, but, men have a greater knowledge about wood and construction species.

Medicinal plants in the southern region of the State of Nuevo León, México.

BACKGROUND: Although the flora of the State of Nuevo León is well known, there are few records of ethnobotancial information. An ethnobotanical study was undertaken in order to know the medicinal plants used by people living at the scrublands and oak-pine forest areas in the southern Nuevo León. Collection of plants specimens and interviews were carried out among the people of the municipalities of Aramberri, Galeana, and Zaragoza. Since former studies in the region are scarce, the aim of this work was to record the medicinal species and their uses in the scrublands and oak-pine forest areas, of southern Nuevo León, Mexico, and also to know if there are differences in the number of species and number of uses knowledge by people. METHODS: Field work was carried out over a 2 years period; useful plants were collected and a total of 105 people from 46 different villages were interviewed. A database was compiled using data collected by means of semi structured interviews. The data were analyzed by means of non-parametric statistics, using goodness-of-fit test (Chi-squared) (number of species known by people of each municipality, number of uses known by people of each municipality), Chi-squared modified to incorporate the Yates Correction (number of species known by people living at scrublands and oak-pine forest); the Kruskall-Wallis test (number of species known by women and men of the three municipalities), and the Spearman's rank correlation coefficient (age and number of species known, and age and number of uses). RESULTS: A total of 163 medicinal plant species were recorded in the study area, comprising 108 wild and 55 cultivated plants. A total of 117 species were recorded in the oak-pine forest, and 111 in the scrublands area, a total of 68 were recorded in both areas; 68 medicinal species are used in all three municipalities, 40 wild and 28 cultivated. We documented 235 different medicinal uses. The most common plant parts used for medicinal purposes were found to be leaves (123 species), stems (55), fruits (28), roots (17), and bark (14). No differences were noted in the number of medicinal plant species identified among people, but differences were significant in their knowledge with respect to the number of uses among people of the three municipalities studied; people from both, scrublands and oak-pine forest know similar number of species and number of uses. Men and women of the three different municipalities knew statistically the same number of species and number of uses. There was no correlation between resident's age and number of species known and resident's age and number of uses either in Galeana or in Aramberri, but, there was high correlation among these variables in Zaragoza. CONCLUSION: In southern Nuevo León people use at least 5% of the total State flora as medicinal plants, and most of these species are included in few plant families. Most of medicinal species are wild and indigenous to the region. The two most important major plant communities, scrublands and oak-pine forest provide almost the same number of medicinal species. A third of the medicinal flora recorded are used in all three municipalities, most of them are wild. Leaves, stems and fruits are the plant parts most commonly used for healing, and boiling is the most common method used for this purpose. Men and women from the three municipalities are familiar with nearly the same number of species; however, their knowledge of the number of uses varies significantly. In Galeana and Aramberri there was no correlation between a person's age and number of species recognized, however, in Zaragoza, there existed a high correlation between these two factors.