CONTRIBUCIÓN AL CONOCIMIENTO Y DISTRIBUCIÓN DE LAS ESPECIES DE Dasylirion spp. (SOTOL) EN CHIHUAHUA, MÉXICO

Abstract

Dasylirion spp. Known as "sotol" provides the raw material to produce the liquor with the same name. One of the first steps in order to exploit a species is to achieve its_ correct taxonomic identification. The purpose of this study was to determine the sotol species that grow in Chihuahua State and to analyze the taxa referred by literature. 85 examples from 16 different localities. The following species were found: Dasylirion leiophyllum var. Leiophyllum, D. leiophyllum var. glaucum, D. wheeleri, D. cedrosanum, D. sereke and O. durangense, which did not quite adjust to the taxonomic description due to their high variability. In order to organize them into groups according to their specific characteristics, a principal components analysis was used in which 18 morphological aspects of female specimens were included. The two first components explained 52 per cent of the variation. The first component was made-up by the length of the fascicle floral axis, the orientation of the spines and the length of the floral branchlets, while in the second, the number of floral branchets and the bract size were considered. Results show discrepancy in the species described in other works, which might be due to a mistaken identification, as well as to the hybrids. The collection of full examples on a continuos gradients in addition to the identification through genetic tests, it is necessary to recognize the species, their distribution and hybridization degree of the Oasy/irion genus.