PLANTAS MELÍFERAS SILVESTRES DE LA SIERRA PURÉPECHA, MICHOACÁN, MÉXICO

Abstract

Honey flower plants produce the nectar that bees take and transform into honey, becoming thus a valuable resource far harvesters. This particular flora must be well-known before bee-hives are built or befare it is cultivated through the "artificial bee meadows", since the amount and quality of nectar depends upon the species and the environmental factors in which flowers grow; this study was carried out in the Sierra Purépecha, at the state of Michoacán (19° 20' to 20° 05' N and 101º 30' to 102º 30' W); the area belongs to the Mexican Neovolcanic Axis and it measures about 600,000 ha. Toe purpose of this research was to prepare an inventory of the wild apiarian flora and to provide a brief review of the associated species by describing the vegetation types. Field explorations were made periodically and lasted 18 months during which botanic collections were preformed and surveys were applied. As a result, a list of 60 honey plant species was organized, which includes 51 genus and 19 families; Asteraceae had 22 species (36.66%), Lamiaceae and Leguminosae had six species (10%) and Scrophulariaceae two species (3.3%). The genus with more species were Bidens (4), Salvia (3), while Da/ea, Senecio and Baccharis only had two species.