The Chamal (Dioon edule Lindl.)
in the State of San Luis Potosí
Dr. Laura Yáñez-Espinosa, Javier Fortanelli Martínez &
Erika García Chávez
UNIVERSIDAD AUTÓNOMA DE SAN LUIS POTOSÍ
Instituto de Investigación de Zonas Desérticas
San Luis Potosí, Mexico
Background
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Widely distributed in Huasteca zone, San Luis Potosi, Mexico; habitat has
deteriorated and pops. reduced from crops and cattle breeding
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Seeds and young leaves kill cattle, but for indigenous xi’oi
people, chamal harvest has major role in diet as substitute for maize
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Xi’oi people commonly eat boiled/ground seeds, even though “fatal
consequences” when not well cooked are known
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Multidisciplinary research approach
Proposal Objectives
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Study localities; characterize habitat; conduct
population structure analysis
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Ethnobotanical exploration with male key informants and
interviews with housewives
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Study neurotoxic effects in experimental tests with rats
in the laboratory
Click here for full proposal
Reports
Below is a link (and citation) to a 2009 Cycad Newsletter article
based on this TCS-supported research:
Yáñez-Espinosa,
L. 2009. Chamal (Dioon edule Lindl.) in the State of San Luis
Potosí, México. Cycad Newsletter 32(2/3):18-21.
In addition to the progress reports and newsletter article, Dr. Yáñez-Espinosa
also provided us with PDF copies of two B.Sc. thesis documents (written in
Spanish) that were also supported, in part, by grant funding from TCS.
Click below to download or read them:
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