The use of cactus in the upper river Bermejo basin, Salta, Argentina.

HILGERT, N.; KIESLING, R.

Haseltonia

Año: 2003 vol. 9 p. 41 - 50

Summary We summarize the ethnobotany of seven species of Cactaceae used in the rural communities of the upper basin of the Río Bermejo in Argentina. We also analyze this plant family in the Yungas biogeographic environment. Mentioned or described are the common names, the parts of the plants used, the different ways of preparation, and the assigned use for each. The most important uses of these cacti are related to food and medicine. Introduction The Río Bermejo is located on the western slope of the Cordillera Oriental, close to the Bolivian border, in the north of Salta Province, Argentina (Fig.1). The area has a wide altitudinal gradient ranging from 400 to 3800 m above sea level. According to Brown (1995), this region has the highest biodiversity levels and rural population numbers in the Montane Cloud Forest of Argentina. From a biogeographic point of view, the upper basin of the Río Bermejo has two biomes.The first is the Neotropical Region, or Amazonian Domain, which includes the lowlands up to approximately 2600 m above sea level and corresponds to Yungas Province. This biome can be divided into three environmental units: Submontane Subtropical Forest, Montane Moist Forest and Temperate Cloud Forest (which includes Foggy Grassland) (Cabrera, 1976). The second biome is the Andean-Patagonic Domain, which includes the high mountains up to the summit; it is represented by an ecotone between the High Andean Province and Puna Province (Fig. 2). Cabrera (1976), Hueck (1978) and Brown et al. (1985) give additional data on the floristic composition and structure of these formations.