Brazilian peppertree, eucalyptus, and velame honeys: does palynology confirm the predominant flower sources indicated by beekeepers?

We investigated ten honey samples from the Discovery Coast of Bahia, Brazil, to confirm the three predominant flower sources indicated by regional beekeepers: Brazilian peppertree - Schinus terebinthifolia Raddi; eucalyptus - Eucalyptus L'Her. spp.; and velame - Croton L. spp.. The honeys were collected in five Southern Bahia municipalities - Belmonte, Eunapolis, Guaratinga, Itabela and Porto Seguro. The samples underwent acetolysis and, after slides mounting, the pollen types were identified and counted to determine the frequency classes. The pollen spectra revealed 31 pollen types in 27 genera and 17 families. The palynological analysis confirmed the predominant eucalyptus flower source indicated for four honey samples from Belmonte, Eunapolis, Itabela and Porto Seguro. Three honey samples previously indicated with predominant eucalyptus and velame flower sources had no predominant pollen. Eucalyptus predominated as the main flower source for another three samples previously indicated by beekeepers as Brazilian peppertree and velame. We conclude that regional honeys marketed as having a predominant flower source may have distinct botanical origin. This demands further research aimed at reviewing which bee plants provide resources for monofloral, bifloral and plurifloral honeys in the Bahian Discovery Coast.

Automated summary

The study investigated honey samples from the Discovery Coast of Bahia, Brazil to confirm the predominant flower sources indicated by regional beekeepers. The results showed that honeys marketed as having a specific flower source may actually come from different botanical origins. Further research is needed to determine the botanical sources for different types of honey in the Bahian Discovery Coast.