Cereus jamacaru DC. (Cactaceae): From 17 th century naturalists to modern day scientific and technological prospecting

Abstract

Mandacaru (Cereus jamacaru DC-Cactaceae) possesses peculiar physiological and morphological characteristics that allow it to withstand long periods of scarcity and to adapt to diff erent environments. Several uses have also been reported for the species from the 17 th century to the present day. Given this history and the importance of the usage of mandacaru, the present investigation aimed to gather information about its uses from diff erent documentary sources, and to perform a comparative analysis between past and present uses. Historia Naturalis Brasiliae by Piso and Marcgrave (17 th century) served as the primary source, while information on labels of exsicates in botanical collections, basic scientifi c literature, and applications for patent fi ling at INPI, EPO, USPTO, WIPO (until October 2017), served as secondary sources. According to established categories of use, both the primary source and secondary sources revealed that mandacaru has had several applications, among which use for food and medicinal purposes stand out. Other uses, such as ornamental, magical-religious, civil construction and rural fences, were also reported. Despite the numerous references of usage in the documentary sources, knowledge about the potential use of C. jamacaru is not widely spread nor well protected.

Cereus jamacaru DC. and Pilosocereus pachycladus F. Ritter (Cactaceae) in the Northeast region of Brazil: future perspectives and distribution

“…Moreover, different review studies (Santos et al, 2017;Silva et al, 2019) that list documented uses of Cactaceae species, specifically C. jamacaru, emphasize the importance of its use by local populations in all northeastern states of Brazil and show that most of these uses are related to the feed security of herds during water scarcity periods. Silva et al (2019) point out that it is necessary to invest in studies aimed at optimizing and prospecting the fodder potential of this species.…”

“…These studies consider the ecological, cultural, and economic importance of this botanical family within the biome; however, studies that deal with the climatic factor and its influence on the distribution of species are still needed. From this perspective, Cactaceae is a highly representative botanical family in Northeast Brazil (Castro, 2008;Silva et al, 2017), because it has specific morphophysiological characteristics such as photosynthetic stems with a thick cuticle, no leaves, mucilaginous tissue, and water saving in processes used to obtain energy (Terrazas and Mauseth, 2002); it is well adapted to semi-arid environments. Thus, it became an abundant resource for diverse purposes, since it is available even in drought periods (Duque, 1980;Lucena et al, 2012Lucena et al, , 2013Lucena et al, , 2014Lucena et al, , 2015b.…”

“…jamacaru and Pilosocereus pachycladus F. Ritter subsp. pernambucoensis (F. Ritter) Zappi are the main species used as fodder in the semi-arid region of Brazil; they are columnar and tree-sized, widely found in this region, and used due to their utilitarian versatility and considerable numbers (Lucena et al, 2015a(Lucena et al, , 2015bDantas et al, 2017;Silva et al, 2019). Cactaceae species are important resources for use as fodder, food, in rural and domestic constructions, in folk medicine, and as energy sources (firewood).…”

Food Plants in the Caatinga

“…The Cereus jamacaru is a typical species of the Caatinga biome, located in the semiarid region in northeastern Brazil, including almost all its states (Ceará, Rio Grande do Norte, Paraíba, Pernambuco, Alagoas, Sergipe, Bahia), and extending to the southeast region, in the north of Minas Gerais. This species is also known as mandacaru, cardeiro, jamacaru, thistle, cardon, caxabú, and wild fig (Andrade et al 2006;Lucena et al 2015;Santos et al 2017;Silva et al 2019). Other species of Cereus are found in other regions of the country.…”

Distribuição espacial e estrutura populacional de Pilosocereus pachycladus F. Ritter subsp. pernambucoensis (F. Ritter) Zappi e Cereus jamacaru DC. subsp. jamacaru

“…No Brasil, ocorrem aproximadamente 39 gêneros e 260 espécies distribuídas por todo território Nacional, e são encontradas com maior facilidade em solos pedregosos típicos das regiões semiáridas da Caatinga (Zappi et al, 2015;Silva et al, 2019). Os cactos colunares recebem elevada atenção dos geneticistas populacionais com quase 73% dos seus táxons já explorados, a ecologia reprodutiva é outro ponto que vem sendo estudado e que merece elevada atenção dos pesquisadores (Figueredo et al, 2010;Martins et al, 2016;Camacho-Velázquez et al, 2018).…”