XVI International Botanical Congess

The palm-tree Chamaerops humilis L. is the only european species of the Arecaceae family. In Algarve, the Southern province of Portugal, there are still some artisans who use the palm-tree leaves to make basketry and brooms. This activity is in rapid decline, because there are no new apprentices to continue the craft. Our work aims to make a survey of the last places where palm-tree leaves are used, do some records of this activity and use the data obtained to avoid the total loss of this knowledge. This work is part of a major project who wishes to inventory the economic uses of plants in the South of Portugal.