title: Use and knowledge of Cactaceae in Northeastern Brazil.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  This study aimed to record the use, and knowledge that residents from São Francisco community (Paraiba, Brazil) have regarding the Cactaceae.
  
  
  METHODS
  Semi-structured interviews were carried out with 118 informants; 50 men and 68 women. The cacti cited in this study were organised into use categories and use values were calculated. Differences in the values applied to species and use categories by men and women were compared via a G test (Williams).
  
  
  RESULTS
  The nine species identified were: Cereus jamacaru DC., Melocactus bahiensis (Brtitton & Rose) Luetzelb., Nopalea cochenillifera (L.) Salm-Dyck., Opuntia ficus indica (L.) Mill, Opuntia stricta (Haw.) Haw., Pilosocereus gounellei (F.A.C. Weber) Byles & Rowley, Pilosocereus pachycladus F. Ritter, Tacinga inamoena (K. Schum) N.P. Taylor & Stuppy, Tacinga palmadora (Britton & Rose) N.P. Taylor & Stuppy. In total, 1,129 use citations were recorded, divided into 11 categories. The use value categories with the highest scores were forage (0.42), food (0.30) and construction (building) (0.25). P. pachycladus showed the greatest use value, versatility and number of plant parts used.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The survey showed that the Cactaceae is extremely important for several uses and categories attributed to different species. Apart from contributing to the ethnobotanical knowledge of the Cactaceae, another important focus of this study was to reinforce the necessity for further studies that record the traditional knowledge about this plant family, which has been lost in younger generations.
authors: Departamento de Fitotecnia e Ciências Ambientais, Setor de Ecologia e Biodiversidade, Universidade Federal da Paraíba, Centro de Ciências Agrárias, Laboratório de Etnoecologia, Areia Postal Code: 58,397-000, Brasil. camillamlucena@gmail.com.
authors: Camilla Marques de
authors: CM
authors: Lucena
authors: Reinaldo Farias Paiva de
authors: RF
authors: Lucena
authors: Gabriela Maciel
authors: GM
authors: Costa
authors: Thamires Kelly Nunes
authors: TK
authors: Carvalho
authors: Gyslaynne Gomes da Silva
authors: GG
authors: Costa
authors: Rômulo Romeu da Nóbrega
authors: RR
authors: Alves
authors: Daniel Duarte
authors: DD
authors: Pereira
authors: João Everthon da Silva
authors: JE
authors: Ribeiro
authors: Carlos Antônio Belarmino
authors: CA
authors: Alves
authors: Zelma Glebya Maciel
authors: ZG
authors: Quirino
authors: Ernane Nogueira
authors: EN
authors: Nunes
mesh_terms: D001938:Brazil; D029421:Cactaceae; D019448:Ethnobotany; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D019359:Knowledge; D008297:Male; D008517:Phytotherapy
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