Native plant species with economic value from Minas Gerais and Goiás: a discussion on the currentness of the data recovered by the French naturalist Auguste de Saint-Hilaire

Espécies de plantas nativas de Minas Gerais e Goiás com valor econômico: uma discussão sobre a atualidade das informações coletadas pelo naturalista francês Auguste de Saint-Hilaire.

ABSTRACT

Given the increasing anthropic threats faced by natural ecosystems all around the world, this work holds an important role by recovering primary information of the Brazilian biodiversity. In this study we discuss data collected at a time when the native vegetation in Brazil was still preserved, and the use of plants was primarily made from species of autoctone flora. Those areas were visited by European naturalists in the 19^th century, including the French Auguste de Saint-Hilaire, who described the use of numerous native species. The possibility of current economic use of some species cited by him in the 19th century is discussed.

Keywords:
Biodiversity; traditional uses.