Etnobotánica de la isla Alao, Archipiélago de Chiloé, Chile

Abstract

The common names and uses of 107 plant species from Isla Alao, Grupo Chaulinec (Chiloe) (42°35'S and 73°24'W) were consulted to the country people; 96 species were recognized by the people and they asigned use to 83 of them. The level of knowledge was greater for the native flora than the introduced flora. Six principal categories of use were defined: 1) Magic and medical, 2) Foraje and animal medicine, 3) Art craft and building, 4) Combustible, 5) Food, 6) Stain. While the native flora has multiple uses, the introduced flora is used almost exclusively as foraje and for medical purposes. The results obtained in the Isla Alao arc compared with other ethnobotanical studies carried out in the Archipielago of Chiloe.