Mieles del Chaco Húmedo: origen botánico y geográfico de la provincia de Formosa (Argentina)

Abstract

The Humid Chaco Ecoregion of Formosa Province is characterized by a variety of native plant species with long flowering periods, some of which are used by bees for honey production. The objective of this work is to characterize the honeys by botanical and geographical origin through the palynological analysis of samples collected in 14 apiaries. Ninety six honey samples were obtained during three beekeeping periods from 2009 to 2012. The conventional methodology was used, taking into account the acetolysis technique. The pollen spectrum of the honeys allowed us to recognize 126 pollen types, belonging to 57 families of Angiosperms and comprising 65% of the floristic survey. Monofloral honeys were obtained in spring with dominant pollen of Eugenia uniflora (dominant pollen range: 45% - 85%), Neltuma sp. (45% - 61%), Geoffroea decorticans (52%) and Sarcomphalus mistol (47%). At the end of spring and beginning of summer, monofloral honeys were identified with the dominant pollen of Copernicia alba (50% - 98%), while at the end of summer with the pollen of Schinopsis balansae (45% - 68%) and Tessaria integrifolia (52%). The botanical families most represented in the honeys were: Anacardiaceae, Arecaceae, Myrtaceae, and Rhamnaceae. The pollen spectrum of Formosa honeys showed the diversity and floristic richness that characterizes the vegetation of the native forest and wetland areas.