Ethnobotany of Asteraceae family at the jalca of the Cajabamba province, Cajamarca, Peru

Castillo-Vera H.; Cochachin E.; Albán-Castillo J. · Caldasia (2023) · DOI: 10.15446/caldasia.v45n2.94989

Resumen

The Asteraceae family is well-represented in the Andes, particularly in the jalca ecosystem, a grassland of the high-elevation Andes; however, ethnobotanical studies on this group are scarce. We assessed the cultural significance of the species of this family in a locality of the province of Cajabamba. We applied three methods for ethnobotanical evaluation, free listing, ethnobotanical walks and semi-structured interviews. Thirty-one useful species grouped into seven categories of use were recorded. Medicinal and Social categories contained the largest numbers of species, 26 and 22 species, respectively. There were fourteen new records of useful species at the jalca, among which nine were endemic to Peru. Senecio collinus and Barnadesia dombeyana were regarded as the most versatile species to use, while Barnadesia dombeyana, Baccharis alaternoides, Gynoxys caracensis and Gynoxys ferreyrae were the species with the highest values of cultural importance. We conclude the richness of useful Asteraceae occurring in the jalca is higher than previously known from this Peruvian and that some of the medicinal species of greatest cultural importance present the same uses registered in other high Andean localities.

Instituciones: Universidad Nacional Mayor de San Marcos