Distribución, mecanismos de escalada y usos de seis especies de lianas (ASTERACEAE) en Colombia

Abstract

In Colombia, the Asteraceae family occupies the fifth place in liana diversity (around 80 species), many of them are widely used by peasant and indigenous communities; In addition, they provide food to some insects (Hymenoptera, Diptera, among others), and 2 participate in the retention and stabilization of the soil. Despite their importance, lianas (Asteraceae) are poorly documented and studies on functional traits associated with the altitudinal gradient are scarce. In this work, a bibliographic review and virtual collections of national and international Herbariums are presented, through which the altitudinal distribution patterns, climbing mechanisms and uses of six lianas along the Colombian altitudinal gradient were determined (Ageratina gracilis (Kunth) RMKing & H.Rob., Baccharis inamoena Gardner., Lasiocephalus doryphyllus (Cuatrec.) Cuatrec., Lepidaploa canescens (Kunth) Cass., Mikania hookeriana DC. and Oligactis volubilis (Kunth) Cass.). An altitudinal distribution pattern of the richness of the species was observed in the form of a hump, the climbing mechanisms were simple, petioles sensitive and fickle, the latter being the one that predominated. The number of publications where the uses of lianas are mentioned was higher for B. inamoena. It is confirmed that altitude is a determining factor in the distribution of the studied lianas; as well as in the distribution of active climbing mechanisms. Most of the publications show that the species A. gracilis, B. inamoena and L. canescens are used by the scientific community to carry out research