The cultural and ecological roles of Mimosa species in the Tehuacán-Cuicatlán Valley, Mexico.

The article focuses on the cultural and ecological roles of Mimosa species in the Tehuacán-Cuicatlán Valley, Mexico, based on a fieldwork study. The fieldwork included interviews, plant surveys and collections, and market visits in the Valley from 1994 to 2002. Through this study, information regarding the uses of the Mimosa species within the Valley, its status as a multipurpose species and its potential role in local management strategies were gathered. The 15 useful Mimosa. species reported in the study area represent about 50 percent of all the useful Mimosa species found in Mexico. Mimosa (M.) adenantheroides, M. brevispicata and M. purpusii, reportedly, are the recent-most among those 15 species. Nine species are shrubs and the other six are either shrubs or trees. These species are used mostly as fodder for goats as well as a source of wood for fuel and construction, mainly of fences and animal shelters. Leaves, branches, and roots of M. albida are used in traditional medicines. Some species are used as living fences protecting corn-fields.