Showing papers in "Economic Botany in 2003"

The Cerrados of Brazil: Ecology and Natural History of a Neotropical Savanna

Abstract: This volume accompanies Flora of China text Volume 4, published in 1999. Included are 394 figures representing 816 species (;75% of the taxa represented in the text volume) in the families Cycadaceae (8 species), Ginkgoaceae (1 species), Araucariaceae (2 species), Pinaceae (84 species), Taxodiaceae (11 species), Cupressaceae (27 species), Cephalotaxaceae (9 species), Taxaceae (11 species), Ephedraceae (14 species), Gnetaceae (6 species), Casuarinaceae (2 species), Saururaceae (3 species), Piperaceae (42 species), Chloranthaceae (11 species), Salicaceae (240 species), Myricaceae (4 species), Junglandaceae (24 species), Betulaceae (62 species), and Fagaceae (242 species). The Sciadopityaceae, included in the text volume, is omitted from the illustrations volume.

Archaeological evidence for the tradition of psychoactive plant use in the old world

Abstract: We live in an age when a divine vision isdismissed as an hallucination, and desire to ex-perience a direct communication with god is of-ten interpreted as a sign of mental illness. Nev-ertheless, some scholars and scientists assert thatsuch visions and communications are fundamen-tally derived from an ancient and ongoing cul-tural tradition. The hypothesis presented heresuggests that humans have a very ancient tra-dition involving the use of mind-altering expe-riences to produce profound, more or less spir-itual and cultural understanding.A cross-cultural survey of ‘‘relevant ethno-graphic literature’’ involving 488 societies in the1970s indicated that 90% (437) of these groups‘‘institutionalized, culturally patterned forms analtered state of consciousness.’’ The highestrates (97%) were among the societies of ‘‘ab-original North America’’ and the lowest (80%)in the ‘‘Circum-Mediterranean region,’’ whichincludes ‘‘North Africa, the Near East, andsouthern and western Europe as well as overseasEuropeans’’ (Bourguignon 1973). A large per-centage of these altered states are producedthrough consumption of psychoactive drug plantsubstances, supporting the idea that ‘‘. . . theubiquity of mind-altering agents in traditionalsocieties cannot be doubted—just as the moodsof industrial societies are set by a balance ofcaffeine, nicotine and alcohol, among many oth-ers’’ (Sherratt 1995a; Fig. 1).Traditionally, the use of the great majority ofmind-altering drug plants has been strongly as-sociated with ritual and/or religious activity; in-deed, ritualized consumption in various forms,may be unequivocally religious, ‘‘as in theChristian Eucharist or the complex wine-offer-ings to the ancestors in the elaborate bronze ves-sels of Shang and Zhou dynast China’’ (Sherratt1995b). Customary, or pre-industrial, motiva-tions for ingestion of psychoactive organic ma-terials have been predominantly dictated by spir-itual and/or medicinal requirements. On the oth-er hand, contemporary, modern use in varioussocieties, especially in those areas affected byWestern Civilization, is often inspired by per-sonal ‘‘recreational’’ desires to experience eu-phoria, and frequently is impelled by peer grouppressure.An early relationship between humans andpsychoactive plants, often within a highly ritu-alized, ceremonial context has been suggestedby a number of authors (Allegro 1970; Emboden1979; Furst 1972; Goodman et al. 1995; LaBarre 1970, 1972, 1980; Schultes et al. 2002;Sherratt 1991, 1995b; Wasson 1968; Wilbert1972; Wohlberg 1990). A number of these au-thors believe this kind of use of consciousness-altering plants provided the inspiration for initialhuman religious experiences, even perhaps threeof the world’s largest religions, Hinduism (Was-son 1968), Judaism (Dure 2001; Merkur 2000),and Christianity (Allegro 1970; Ruck et al.2001). Although this hypothesis and some of thespecific case studies (e.g., Allegro 1970) havebeen widely dismissed as erroneous, others con-tinue to call attention to the importance of psy-choactive drug plant use by humans and the or-igin of spiritual concepts (e.g., Smith 2000, alsosee Rudgley 1994, 1998, and Roberts 2001). Forexample, according to some classical scholars,Christianity evolved within the milieu of Judaicand Hellenistic healing cults, magic, and theMystery initiations: ‘‘All four of these inevitablyimply a sacred ethnopharmacology, with tradi-tions going back to earlier ages of the ancientworld’’ (see Ruck et al. 2001).This relationship with mind-altering organ-isms is very old. It may have even originatedbefore the evolution of our own genus, but moreprobably within the temporal span of our ownspecies well back into the Pleistocene.

Landraces of Maize in Central Mexico: An Altitudinal Transect

Abstract: Conservation of crop genetic resources is now considered an important component of sustainable agricultural development. If conservation of genetic resources for agriculture is to be successful, a more complete understanding of the dynamics affecting traditional (landrace) crop populations is needed. We conducted a study of maize-based agriculture in the Central Highlands of Mexico in communities at 2400, 1700, 1400, and 1200 masl to assess the status of traditional varieties in an area characterized by thorough integration into the national economy. Our research contradicts the view that modern varieties persist because of marginal conditions, deficient infrastructure, weaker markets, or traditional attitudes. One or two landraces dominated highland maize populations and farmers appeared to be more conservative in terms of their emphasis on traditional maize varieties than at lower elevations. The dominance of traditional varieties in the highlands is well known but poorly explained, and the coexistence of traditional and modern varieties in the mid-elevations was unexpected. Our highland study area has good roads, is near Mexico City, and is less than 50 km away from four major crop research institutes that have done maize breeding since 1950’s. We suggest that in situ conservation of maize genetic resources in the highlands is sustained because the landraces there have good agronomic performance and are highly valued by farmers for their end-use qualities. At the mid-elevations, competition between local and modern maize was sharpest, and farmers have found that both landraces and improved varieties suit their needs, hence enhancing genetic diversity. Interventions and incentives would appropriately be carried out here to assure in situ conservation of locally adapted landraces of maize.

Ethnobotany of Chia, Salvia hispanica L. (Lamiaceae)

Abstract: Salvia hispanica L., was an important staple Mesoamerican food and medicinal plant in pre-Columbian times. Unlike other Mesoamerican pseudocereal crops such as Amaranthus and Chenopodium, it has received comparatively little research attention. An ethnobotanical review of this Mesoamerican crop plant Salvia hispanica has been undertaken to examine changes in use accompanying Spanish colonization. A comparative analysis of accounts of use from the 16th century codices of Mexico and subsequent publications has revealed subtle changes in medicinal, culinary, artistic, and religious uses. Several hypotheses surrounding changes in use through time and the original use(s) that led to domestication are developed and tested through collection of ethnobotanical data in the highlands of western Mexico and Guatemala. A general decline in ethnobotanical knowledge associated with wild populations coupled with a loss of habitat in some locations has degraded important germplasm and knowledge resources for a species with great economic potential.

Food, feed or medicine: The multiple functions of edible wild plants in Vietnam

Abstract: Many of the edible wild plants that are included in local food baskets have both therapeutic and dietary functions. Such medicinal foods have been part of Eastern medicinal theories since ancient times and have recently received attention in the USA and Europe within the fields of functional foods, neutraceuticals and phyto-nutrients.

Informant-based valuation of use and conservation preferences of savanna trees in Burkina Faso

Abstract: Use and conservation preferences for woody savanna species among the Gourounsi people in south-central Burkina Faso were investigated using a new informant-based valuation system. Two hundred informants from 10 villages evaluated the importance of 20 pre-selected woody species for nine different uses: edible fruits, vegetable sauce, construction, firewood, medicine, commerce, field trees, and conservation. The study identified eight key species: Parkia biglobosa, Vitellaria paradoxa, Tamarindus indica, Adansonia digitata, Vitex doniana, Detarium microcarpum, Bombax costatum, and Strychnos spinosa. They all had high commercial and nutritional value. The local knowledge about the selected woody species was similar between men and women, and between young and old, but it differed between villages. The results indicate that knowledge erosion does not take place among the Gourounsi, but considerable local differences exist. Conservation management should focus on the key species, and for these, assist...

Dynamic Management of Maize Landraces in Central Mexico

Abstract: Conservationists of crop genetic resources have feared that in situ conservation was not viable for agriculture precisely because of changes resulting from introduction of new varieties of existing crops, new crops, and new farm practices. In addition, conservation within farming systems necessarily implies a constantly changing crop population resulting from the processes of crop evolution. Even though in situ conservation of crop genetic resources is now generally understood to be dynamic, there are few examples of how evolution takes place in farmers fields. This study describes several changes in maize landraces in four communities along an altitude transect in Central Mexico (1200 to 2400 masl). While true modern varieties have not been widely adopted in the study region, farmer management results in numerous changes in maize landrace populations. Five types of dynamic management were observed: (1) purposeful hybridization between traditional and modern maize types, (2) possible creation of a new maize landrace by directional selection of the progeny of hybridization between two traditional landraces, (3) displacement of a local landrace by the introduction of a modern variety and a non-local landrace, (4) maintenance of stable populations of a locally dominant landrace, and (5) market-driven selection for a minor variety. We concur that in situ conservation of crops must be conceived as an open process where the objective is not to maintain historic varieties or static genetic conditions. Rather, in situ conservation of crops is totally in the hands of the farmer, although interventions may be designed to influence farmers' management of agrobiodiversity.

The Botany of Desire: A Plant’s-Eye View of the World

Abstract: The Shuar of eastern Ecuador are the second largest indigenous Amazonian group. Numbering approximately 40 000, the Shuar were unconquered by the Inca and Spanish. Today, the Shuar, like other indigenous groups in Amazonia, are now fighting to save their cultural heritage and environmental integrity in the face of acculturation. Easily one of the most extensive ethnobotanical surveys of any Amazonian group, this book documents 579 plant species utilized by the Shuar for food, medicine, construction, textiles, fiber, and fishing, to name a few. The arrival of this book is a watershed for Shuar ethnobotany. The book begins by covering previous ethnobotanical studies in Ecuador, Shuar ethnology and history, and climatic data of the study area. This is followed by a description of methodology, classification of useful plants, the format of the data, and Shuar orthography. The authors go on to discuss their results in the context of Shuar resource management, plant terms and classification, and plant use. This first section comprises 90 pages and is then followed by the bulk of the book, an inventory of taxa utilized by the Shuar. This section is divided into Magnoliophyta, Pteridophyta, Lycophyta, Sphenophyta, Bryophyta, and Lichens, with alphabetical listings of families, genera, and species with their Shuar names and uses. As a result of their efforts, the authors collected some 9000 plant specimens, many of which are new records for Ecuador and not cited in other florulas of the region. The authors have also devised a family use index (FUI) that considers both the number and proportion of species used. Not surprisingly, the families Fabaceae, Arecaceae, Rubiaceae, Moraceae, and Solanaceae have high FUI values. This family use index notes families with many useful plant species, but not necessarily the most culturally significant plants. Interestingly, nearly one half of the plants cited have two or more uses, and eighteen species are employed in five use categories. Several plants cited are used by other indigenous groups of western Amazonia (e.g., Manihot esculenta, Strychnos tomentosa, Banisteriopsis caapi), yet some are especially associated with the Shuar (e.g., Ilex guayusa, Cyperus articulatus). Of the 579 species listed here, the authors note that this is only about 50% of the plants utilized by the Shuar. The only thing this text lacks is an index of scientific and Shuar plant names. An index would make this book easier for those working in the field who need to quickly reference a specific plant. Regardless, Ethnobotany of the Shuar of Eastern Ecuador will serve as the basis for future ethnobiological studies in Ecuador for years to come. This compilation of plants used by the Shuar will be invaluable to scientists investigating the ecological impact of Shuar plant use, resource management, and conservation. I highly recommend this book to anyone interested in the ethnobotany of the Amazon basin.

Inhibition of Streptococcus Mutans and Other Oral Streptococci by Hop (Humulus Lupulus L.) Constituents

Abstract: We report the inhibition of the causative agents of dental caries, Streptococcus mutans and other oral streptococci, by the antimicrobially active ingredients of the hop plant (Humulus lupulus L.). The hop constituents studied were purified beta acid, xanthohumol, iso-alpha acid and tetra iso-alpha acid. Cruder hop extracts were also investigated. The antimicrobial activity of these hop constituents was tested against four strains of Streptococcus mutans as well as one strain each of Streptococcus sanguis and Streptococcus salivarius and compared to antimicrobial essential oils used in mouthwashes in two independent assay systems. We found that all tested hop constituents inhibited the Streptococci. The minimum inhibitory concentration at pH 7.5 ranged from 2 to 50 µg/ml depending on the microorganism and hop phytochemical tested. Contrary to a previous report, there was no activity enhancement by ascorbic acid over and above the enhancement due to pH lowering. There was no resistance development...

Asian PERILLA Crops and Their Weedy Forms: Their Cultivation, Utilization and Genetic Relationships

Abstract: The cultivation and utilization of two Perilla crops were surveyed in Asia. Perilla frutescens var. frutescens is essentially an oil crop and is now widely cultivated in China and Korea. Its seeds are also used as a flavor for traditional foods in Japan, Korea, China and Nepal. In Korea, leaves of var. frutescens are used as a fresh vegetable and for making pickles. Whereas P. frutescens var. crispa is a Chinese medicine and a fresh vegetable in the Far East, it has almost disappeared in many parts of Asia. Cultivation of var. crispa is still continued in Japan and Vietnam. In particular, it is cultivated in a large scale for coloring pickles in the areas where a large amount of plum pickles are produced in Japan. In China and Korea, it remains only as a relict form. Weedy plants of Perilla are found in Japan, Korea and China. We can classify them into two forms; one, which is closely related to var. frutescens, and the other, which is similar to var. crispa. We found P. citriodora and P. hirtella in Guandong and Jiangxi provinces of China, respectively. It is clear that they are not endemic to Japan. A phylogenetic tree of samples of two Perilla crops and their weedy forms based on RAPD markers revealed that the weedy forms similar to var. crispa and var. frutescens are genetically closely related to var. crispa and var. frutescens, respectively. Var. crispa and its closely related weedy form seem to be more primitive.

Plant virtues are in the eyes of the beholders: A comparison of known palm uses among indigenous and folk communities of Southwestern Amazonia

Abstract: Despite its central importance to tropical forest conservation, the understanding of patterns in traditional resource use still is incipient. To address this deficiency, we compared known palm uses among two indigenous (Yawanawd and Kaxinawa) and two folk (rubber tapper and ribeirinho) communities in Southwestern Amazonia (Acre, Brazil). We conducted one-hundred-and -forty semi-structured “checklist” interviews about palm uses with male and female adults in the four communities. The knowledge of each community about the uses of the 17 palm species common to all communities was compared by testing for significant differences in the mean number of uses cited per informant and by calculating the Jaccard similarity index of known uses of palm species among the four communities. The following three hypotheses were confirmed: 1) the use of palms differs according to the cultural preferences of each community; 2) indigenous communities know significantly more about palm uses than folk communities; and 3) part of the indigenous knowledge was acquired through contact with Amazonian folk communities.

Medicinal flora of the Popoluca, Mexico: A botanical systematical perspective

Abstract: We studied the medicinal plants used by the Popoluca of the Sierra de Santa Marta (eastern Mexico). Using Moerman’s method of regression analysis we determined which ethnomedically used taxa are over-represented in the Popolucan pharmacopoeia (e.g., Asteraceae) and which are underrepresented (e.g., Orchidaceae). Moerman et al. (1999) found high correlation between the holarctic pharmacopoeias and assumed that apart from the relatedness of the northern floras a “global pattern of human knowledge” may account for this finding. Although the Popoluca dwell in a habitat dominated by a neotropical flora but intermixed with important holarctic elements, they include considerably fewer neotropical taxa in their pharmacopoeia as one would expect if the historical transmitted knowledge were influencing their selection. This finding confirms the theory stated by Moerman et al. However, the Popoluca include some neotropical taxa in their pharmacopoeia and thus a moderate correlation exists between the Popolu...

Hmong Gardens: Botanical Diversity in an Urban Setting

Abstract: Since the end of the Vietnam War, thousands of Laotian Hmong have immigrated to the United States, many ultimately resettling in the Central Valley of California. In the inner-city environment of Sacramento, the Hmong continue their agrarian traditions by creating urban gardens where they grow traditional plants. In this study, we document 59 Hmong garden species grown at a site in South Sacramento. Most of these species are documented in the Southeast Asian botanical literature as either food or medicinal plants. Uses of the plants are discussed as is the importance of urban gardens in maintaining Hmong cultural identity and practices.

Selling Forest Environmental Services

Abstract: This volume accompanies Flora of China text Volume 4, published in 1999. Included are 394 figures representing 816 species (;75% of the taxa represented in the text volume) in the families Cycadaceae (8 species), Ginkgoaceae (1 species), Araucariaceae (2 species), Pinaceae (84 species), Taxodiaceae (11 species), Cupressaceae (27 species), Cephalotaxaceae (9 species), Taxaceae (11 species), Ephedraceae (14 species), Gnetaceae (6 species), Casuarinaceae (2 species), Saururaceae (3 species), Piperaceae (42 species), Chloranthaceae (11 species), Salicaceae (240 species), Myricaceae (4 species), Junglandaceae (24 species), Betulaceae (62 species), and Fagaceae (242 species). The Sciadopityaceae, included in the text volume, is omitted from the illustrations volume.

Agroecological Innovations. Increasing Food Production with Participatory Development

Abstract: The Shuar of eastern Ecuador are the second largest indigenous Amazonian group. Numbering approximately 40 000, the Shuar were unconquered by the Inca and Spanish. Today, the Shuar, like other indigenous groups in Amazonia, are now fighting to save their cultural heritage and environmental integrity in the face of acculturation. Easily one of the most extensive ethnobotanical surveys of any Amazonian group, this book documents 579 plant species utilized by the Shuar for food, medicine, construction, textiles, fiber, and fishing, to name a few. The arrival of this book is a watershed for Shuar ethnobotany. The book begins by covering previous ethnobotanical studies in Ecuador, Shuar ethnology and history, and climatic data of the study area. This is followed by a description of methodology, classification of useful plants, the format of the data, and Shuar orthography. The authors go on to discuss their results in the context of Shuar resource management, plant terms and classification, and plant use. This first section comprises 90 pages and is then followed by the bulk of the book, an inventory of taxa utilized by the Shuar. This section is divided into Magnoliophyta, Pteridophyta, Lycophyta, Sphenophyta, Bryophyta, and Lichens, with alphabetical listings of families, genera, and species with their Shuar names and uses. As a result of their efforts, the authors collected some 9000 plant specimens, many of which are new records for Ecuador and not cited in other florulas of the region. The authors have also devised a family use index (FUI) that considers both the number and proportion of species used. Not surprisingly, the families Fabaceae, Arecaceae, Rubiaceae, Moraceae, and Solanaceae have high FUI values. This family use index notes families with many useful plant species, but not necessarily the most culturally significant plants. Interestingly, nearly one half of the plants cited have two or more uses, and eighteen species are employed in five use categories. Several plants cited are used by other indigenous groups of western Amazonia (e.g., Manihot esculenta, Strychnos tomentosa, Banisteriopsis caapi), yet some are especially associated with the Shuar (e.g., Ilex guayusa, Cyperus articulatus). Of the 579 species listed here, the authors note that this is only about 50% of the plants utilized by the Shuar. The only thing this text lacks is an index of scientific and Shuar plant names. An index would make this book easier for those working in the field who need to quickly reference a specific plant. Regardless, Ethnobotany of the Shuar of Eastern Ecuador will serve as the basis for future ethnobiological studies in Ecuador for years to come. This compilation of plants used by the Shuar will be invaluable to scientists investigating the ecological impact of Shuar plant use, resource management, and conservation. I highly recommend this book to anyone interested in the ethnobotany of the Amazon basin.

Review of Food and Medicinal Uses of Capparis L. Subgenus Capparis (Capparidaceae)

Abstract: Capers of commerce are immature flower buds which have been pickled either in vinegar or preserved in granular salt. Semi-mature fruits and young shoots with small leaves may also be pickled for use as a condiment. The use of capers can be traced to the prehistory. Although Capparis spinosa from the western Mediterranean is the most widely used species, the subgenus comprises 23 species and subspecies occupying large territories from the Atlantic coasts to the Pacific in the Old World. We have recorded medicinal and food uses for 19 species.

Pharmaceutical Discoveries Based on Ethnomedicinal Plants: 1985 to 2000 and Beyond1

Abstract: Fifteen years after a symposium on economic plants projecting to the year 2000, what predictions and remarks of the speakers with reference to ethnobotany and medicinal plants proved prophetic and what others fell short? Certainly they predicted a continuation of acculturation, biodiversity loss, and technology advances. They also foresaw the need for collaborative, multidisciplinary research and major government funding, and changes in regulations governing an expanded industry in botanicals, nutriceuticals, and phytopharmaceuticals, all of which occurred. However, many technologies were in their infancy or unknown, such as gene amplification and recombinant procedures, high-throughput screening, gene chip technology, and combinatorial chemistry, and are only now being used in research and development in the discovery of new therapeutics. Likewise, who would have foreseen worldwide devastating effects of mutant microorganisms resistant to drugs of choice for treating important diseases, such as malaria and tuberculosis? Research data involving these two infections illustrate the value of finding activity based on collections specifically targeted by indigenous users (antimalaria) and those generally used medicinally together with chemotaxonomic selections (antituberculosis). A discussion of research beyond 2000 addresses the future of ethnobotanical research, acculturation and biodiversity losses, collaborative research, regulation and/or standardization of pharmaceuticals, nutriceuticals, and phytopharmaceuticals, and new technologies.

Rue ( Ruta L., Rutaceae) in traditional Spain: Frequency and distribution of its medicinal and symbolic applications

Abstract: Rue was one of the main medicinals in the European folk tradition, and it was also considered an important means of protection against supernatural evil in many parts of the world. All of the primary ethnobotanical sources from Spain were reviewed for information about the uses and importance of this plant. The data were analyzed for both content and geographical distribution. The most frequent applications relate to medicinal, veterinary, or protective virtues. The results show a high correspondence of the main medicinal uses to the pharmaceutically demonstrated properties of the plant: emenagogue and abortifacient; digestive; improve circulation; treat rheumatism; treat infections and inflammation; to relieve pain, and remove parasites among others. Most of the uses cited for Spain occur in several areas of the country, showing a high degree of homogeneity of the ethnobotanical knowledge of these species in Spain. The main recipes and applications are discussed.

Production Ecology of Copaíba (Copaifera spp.) Oleoresin in the Eastern Brazilian Amazon

Abstract: Oleoresin extracted from copaiba (Copaifera spp.: Leguminosae) trees is a popular traditional medicine in Amazonia. I studied production ecology from three copaiba types in the eastern Brazilian Amazon. Mean oleoresin yield from the first harvest was 0.07 liters per tree for all trees drilled and 0.23 liters per tree for ones yielding some oleoresin. Yields were comparable toC. multijuga results in central Amazonia but lower than anecdotal reports of 2 liters or more per tree. Yield differences were minor between tree types and seasons. Yield peaked in mid-size trees (45-65 cm DBH) while small (45 cm DBH), very large (>65 cm DBH), and hollow trees (due to senescence or fire) yielded negligible amounts. Oleoresin was harvested almost exclusively from inner heartwood, indicating that factors stimulating its synthesis in cambium are probably distinct from factors that promote its storage in heartwood and loss of yield many years later.

Bio-Functional Legumes with Nutraceutical, Pharmaceutical, and Industrial Uses

Abstract: To help or prevent certain health problems and adequately feed people, there is a need for added contributions from legumes. Legumes produce primary and secondary metabolites and other phytochemicals such as nutraceuticals, pharmaceuticals, pesticides, and industrial products. In addition, legumes such as hyacinth bean seed contain nearly 10% more fiber while winged bean contains three times more fiber than common bean. The potential breast cancer fighting chemical known as kievitone is found in hyacinth bean but not in common bean nor soybean. Both agmatine and isovitexin are potential combatants of microbial organisms in mammals including humans. Agmatine and isovitexin are not found in soybean nor common bean, however they exist in winged bean. Studies regarding value added traits such as the bio-functional and biologically active components of legumes have only recently begun because most specialty phytochemicals are extracted from other plant sources. Not only can bio-functional legumes provide healthy food constituents for use as nutraceuticals, pharmaceuticals, and pesticidals, but they can increase healthy food resources worldwide. Bio-functional legumes have been used in the past primarily for forage, pasture, minor food, green manuring, and erosion control. Current uses include these previously mentioned plus some fairly new ones such as hyacinth bean used as an ornamental and wildlife food. The future for these common bean relatives is for use in the health markets as new medicines or nutraceuticals and to provide farmers with additional crop production as phytopharmaceutical or nutraceutical crops.

Non-Timber Forest Products in the Community of El Terrero, Sierra de Manantlán Biosphere Reserve, Mexico: Is Their Use Sustainable?

Abstract: The importance of non-timber forest products (NTFPs) to rural income was examined in a highland community in the Sierra de Manantlan Biosphere Reserve, Jalisco-Colima, Mexico. Rapid Rural Appraisal (RRA) techniques were used to interview 70% of households in the community of El Terrero. Of the nine plant species identified as NTFP sources, the two principal species traded by the community were tila (derived from the flowers and fruits of the tree Ternstroemia lineata), and blackberry (Rubus spp.). Collecting and selling of NTFPs was almost exclusively undertaken by women, with 80% of respondents participating. NTFP sale ranked as the most important source of cash income for 30% of women interviewed, and either second- or third-most important for the remainder. The research examined harvesting impact on populations of T. lineata, an understory tree species characteristic of cloud forest, which this was assessed in the four most-frequented collecting sites. Our results suggested that current harvesting approaches appear to be sustainable, although 95% of the women interviewed reported a decline in resource availability within the last 15 years, apparently resulting from illegal cutting. Suggestions are made with respect to the sustainable development of NTFP resources to help alleviate poverty within the Reserve.

Comparison of Food Plant Knowledge Between Urban Vietnamese Living in Vietnam and in Hawai‘i

Abstract: Ethnographic interviews using photographs of 10 traditional Vietnamese fruits and vegetables were used to compare the knowledge level and use of traditional food plants between Vietnamese in urban Bien Hoa, Vietnam, and in Honolulu, Hawai‘i. In both communities, there was a positive correlation between age and knowledge (as measured by correct identification, and number of food uses for the plants). Vietnamese immigrants in Hawai‘i listed more food uses than those in Vietnam due to adoption of multi ethnic foods found in Honolulu.

Integrated Public Lands Management. Principles and Applications to National Forests, Parks, Wildlife Refuges, and BLM Lands

Abstract: The Shuar of eastern Ecuador are the second largest indigenous Amazonian group. Numbering approximately 40 000, the Shuar were unconquered by the Inca and Spanish. Today, the Shuar, like other indigenous groups in Amazonia, are now fighting to save their cultural heritage and environmental integrity in the face of acculturation. Easily one of the most extensive ethnobotanical surveys of any Amazonian group, this book documents 579 plant species utilized by the Shuar for food, medicine, construction, textiles, fiber, and fishing, to name a few. The arrival of this book is a watershed for Shuar ethnobotany. The book begins by covering previous ethnobotanical studies in Ecuador, Shuar ethnology and history, and climatic data of the study area. This is followed by a description of methodology, classification of useful plants, the format of the data, and Shuar orthography. The authors go on to discuss their results in the context of Shuar resource management, plant terms and classification, and plant use. This first section comprises 90 pages and is then followed by the bulk of the book, an inventory of taxa utilized by the Shuar. This section is divided into Magnoliophyta, Pteridophyta, Lycophyta, Sphenophyta, Bryophyta, and Lichens, with alphabetical listings of families, genera, and species with their Shuar names and uses. As a result of their efforts, the authors collected some 9000 plant specimens, many of which are new records for Ecuador and not cited in other florulas of the region. The authors have also devised a family use index (FUI) that considers both the number and proportion of species used. Not surprisingly, the families Fabaceae, Arecaceae, Rubiaceae, Moraceae, and Solanaceae have high FUI values. This family use index notes families with many useful plant species, but not necessarily the most culturally significant plants. Interestingly, nearly one half of the plants cited have two or more uses, and eighteen species are employed in five use categories. Several plants cited are used by other indigenous groups of western Amazonia (e.g., Manihot esculenta, Strychnos tomentosa, Banisteriopsis caapi), yet some are especially associated with the Shuar (e.g., Ilex guayusa, Cyperus articulatus). Of the 579 species listed here, the authors note that this is only about 50% of the plants utilized by the Shuar. The only thing this text lacks is an index of scientific and Shuar plant names. An index would make this book easier for those working in the field who need to quickly reference a specific plant. Regardless, Ethnobotany of the Shuar of Eastern Ecuador will serve as the basis for future ethnobiological studies in Ecuador for years to come. This compilation of plants used by the Shuar will be invaluable to scientists investigating the ecological impact of Shuar plant use, resource management, and conservation. I highly recommend this book to anyone interested in the ethnobotany of the Amazon basin.

Plants Used as Natural Dye Sources in Turkey

Abstract: This study was carried out in the regions where handcrafts such as carpet and rug weaving are common in Turkey. In the regions where natural dyes are used, 123 plant species belonging to 50 families were identified as sources of natural dyes. In natural dye production, different parts of the plant or the whole aboveground plant is used. Ten different colors are gained from the plants. Sometimes the same color can be obtained from different plants. By mixing different plants, it is possible to produce various colors. We also identified more than 12 natural and more than eight chemical assistant substances (mordant) that are used in the regions to bind dye to fibers, to maintain the strongness and brightness of the colors, and to obtain various colors.

The introduction of cultivated citrus to europe via northern Africa and the Iberian Peninsula

Abstract: The circumstances concerning the diffusion of the main cultivated citrus from their places of origin in Asia are studied here, showing that the citron (Citrus medica L.) was the only one knew in Ancient times in Europe, while the lemon (C. limon [L.] Osbeck), lime (C. aurantiifolia [Christm.] Swingle), pomelo (C. maxima [Burm.] Merr.) and sour orange (C. × aurantium L.) were introduced to Europe by the Muslims via the Iberian Peninsula and Sicily, and that the grapefruit (C. paradisi Macfad.), mandarin (C. reticulata Blanco) and sweet orange (C. × aurantium L.) arrived to the West between the fifteenth and nineteenth centuries as a result of the trade with the British and Portuguese colonies.

Tetrahydrocannabinol Levels in Hemp (CANNABIS SATIVA) Germplasm Resources

Abstract: In most of the western world where industrial hemp, Cannabis sativa, is licensed for cultivation, the plants must not exceed a level of 0.3% tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the principal intoxicating constituent of the species. Because there are no publicly available germplasm hemp collections in North America and only a very few, recent North American cultivars have been bred, the future breeding of cultivars suitable for North America is heavily dependent on European cultivars and European germplasm collections. Based mostly on material from Europe, this study surveyed THC levels of 167 accessions grown in southern Ontario, making this the largest survey to date of germplasm intended for breeding in North America. Forty-three percent of these had THC levels ≥0.3% and, therefore, are unsuitable for hemp development in North America. Discrepancies were found between THC levels reported for some germplasm holdings in Europe when they were grown in Canada and, accordingly, verification of THC levels developed in North America is necessary.