Use forms, management and commercialization of “pochote” Ceiba aesculifolia (H.B. & K.) Britten & Baker f. subsp. parvifolia (Rose) P.E. Gibbs & Semir (Bombacaceae) in the Tehuacán Valley, Central Mexico

This study documented information about traditional nomenclature, forms of use and management and role in peasant subsistence of the “pochote” tree, Ceiba aesculifolia subsp. parvifolia (Bombacaceae) among the Nahua of the Tehuacán Valley, Central Mexico. Local people recognize, name and classify “pochote” variants according to fruit and seed characters such as size, form and colour. “Pochote” is used in 12 different ways but consumption and commercialization of seeds are the most important. In addition to gathering, the main management forms are in situ unconscious dispersion of seeds, and less frequently, tolerance and protection of individuals in cleared land. There are signs that these management practices have an effect on the abundance of C. aesculifolia subsp. parvifolia individuals in the study area. More investigation is needed to determine a possible incipient domestication process of this species.