A melissopalynological study of artisanal honey produced in Catamarca (Argentina)

TAYLOR & FRANCIS AS

Año: 2013 vol. 52 p. 229 - 229

oney samples from apieries located in the province of Catamarca, Argentina were analyzed. Most of the territory is arid and covered by mountains (80%). Beekeeping is situated in the Arid Chaco and Yunga regions. A total of 86 pollen types, belonging to 39 families, were identified from the honey samples and 68 (79 %) were native flora. Ten types were classified as predominant pollen types, and were present in the monofloral honeys (n=18), Prosopis spp., Cercidium praecox (Ruiz & Pav. ex Hook.) Harms, Larrea divaricata Cav. and Tournefortia lilloi I.M. Johnst. are those with the highest frequency. Pollen from Fabaceae and Asteraceae have the greatest representation in honey, with 14 and 11 types, respectively. Most of the honey samples correspond to Groups II (normal pollen grain content 39 %) and III (rich in pollen grain content 30 %). The honeys analyzed had a typical pollen array of Arid Chaco and Southern Andean Yungas flora. The present research has contributed to describe new ty