ABSTRACT
This paper aims the study of the ethnobotany of 'restinga' species, a coastal sand dune vegetation endangered by urban expansion. The studied area was the Pântano do Sul community (Florianópolis, SC, Brazil), which was influenced by Azorean immigrants who settled down in the 18th century. Two methods have been used: checklist interviews, and key informer interviews during restinga trails. In the the first one, there were 43 randomly selected inhabitants (about 20% of the area residences). One inhabitant per residence was interviewed regarding knowledge on 10 previously selected species. The second one involved a free listing of known species, during a 'restinga' trail with 5 selected interviewees; they reported 69 popular names, 47 genera, and 39 identified species, distributed in 31 families. The three most cited used categories in both methods were for medicinal, feeding, and handicraft purposes. This research found that this community has knowledge on restinga plant use, mostly among the community elders.
Key words:
ethnobotany; restinga; Atlantic Forest; artisanal fishers; Azorean