Ethnobotany: people and plants
If you’re interested in taking a walk through Matanzas Pass Preserve at the end of Bay Street, why not be educated about its inner habitat? ‘Exploring Ethnobotany’ is a free history lesson on the coexistence of plants and people offered by Lee County Parks & Recreation volunteers.
Dorothy Rodwell, one such volunteer, led a small group of eager listeners into the Bay Road preserve to show how indigenous plants can be used for such things as food, shelter, medicine and clothing. She is quick to note she is not an ethnobotanist but rather a teacher, educator or, more fittingly, an ecological interpreter because she has a love for the topic. She enjoys sharing her insight into the historical importance of specific plant and tree species to humans.
“Ethnobotany is the study of the interaction between people, plants and culture,” said Rodwell. “Think about the past. How did pioneers and indians live here? They couldn’t go down to the pharmacy or grocery store. They had to live a different way.”
Rodwell said ethnobotany was coined in 1895 by U.S. botanist James Harshberger but the concept has been used for many generations before that period. Her well-used statement, ‘Ethnobotany gives people a chance to reflect on history,’ is an acronymic, mnemonic phrase for remembering the study’s usage (‘gives’ for grocery store; ‘people’ for pharmacy; ‘chance’ for clothing; ‘reflect’ for introspection; and ‘history’ for hardware).
Let that sink in for a minute. Categorizing these words can help in your knowledge of indigenous plants used for food, shelter, medicine and clothing.
“Today, 80 percent of the world’s population uses herbal remedies as some aspect of primary health care,” she said. “In an estimate from the University of Florida, one-half of popular pharmaceuticals today have ethnobotanical origins.”
The group viewed different plants while listening to past uses on each living organism within the mangrove forest or maritime hammock.
“Many ethobotanists you meet will be people who live in the woods and live with what they are studying,” she said. “They’re field people.”
Rodwell warned that one must watch what they eat when dealing with plants. Reasons include allergic reactions or medication reactions.
“Indeed, we do have poisonous plants in (Matanzas Pass Preserve),” she said. “Some of them are so toxic that chewing on one seed can kill you.”
Ethnobotany can be broken down into four sub-meanings: botany (the study of plants); anthropology (the study of humanity); chemistry (the science of matter and the changes it undergoes); and linguistics (the study of natural languages).
Here is a list of plants viewed and some of its historic uses discussed during the short walk in Matanzas Pass Preserve. Rodwell’s quotes follow.
n Green buttonwood: charcoal for fish; carvings
“People who have lived here a long time tell me that this makes the best imaginable charcoal for fish. The Key Marco Cat is an ancient Indian symbol in the Smithsonian Institute which was found on Marco Island. It’s a six-inch carving which is half human and half panther.”
n Red mangrove: pilings; dyes
“Dyes are generally not the color of the bark or the leaf.”
n Black mangrove: honey
“The honey production was very popular in the late 1800s. Now, its becoming more popular again.”
n White mangrove: dart and arrow shafts; bows; knife handles
“The white mangrove has the suppleness and strength for those uses.”
n White stopper: diarrhetic; remedy for head colds
“It smells like a skunk, and we affectionately call it the potty plant.”
n Cats claw: necklaces; food; diarrhetic; living fences
“You can plant them, bend them over and put them on a wire and they grow that way. They are used in England as fences.”
n Spanish moss: mattress stuffing; absorbent; base for orchids; fiber
“It was used in mattresses in the Civil War -hence, don’t let the bed bugs bite- and early automobile cushions. The Calusas soaked it in water to remove the outer sheet to make black rope and wove it for skirts. “
n Strangler fig: dyes; toothbrushes from roots; paint base
“There’s only two or three strangler figs that are native to Florida. It’s an interesting plant because it will grow from the bottom or from the top down. If you were to make a cut in it, it has a rubbery, latex substance that comes out. So it was used for paints and, indeed, the Calusas used it for their ceremonial masks.”
n Live oaks: carpentry; food; tannins; animal feed; ink; disinfectants
“The resurrection fern on the live oak has been taken into space to study how it uses water. Both the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence were signed with ink by oak galls.
n Sabal palm (cabbage palm): carpentry; food; fibers; baskets; weapons
“The berries could be eaten for sickness or ground into coarse meal for bread. Other uses for the state tree include thatch housing, mats, fiber for fishing, twine and woven fabric, arrows, drying frames, brushes, arrows and stick ball.
n Sea grape: jelly; honey; plates; cabinetry
“Sea grape jelly is sold at the historical cottage. The leaves are large and can be used as plates. Around Valentines Day, these leaves turn red and if you use a pointed object to write something it will turn up. The story is people used to write Valentines on them.”
n Wild coffee: colds and stomach ailments; blood stopper
“The roots are used to induce vomiting. The crushed leaves can stop bleeding. It’s a very beautiful plant.”
n Saw palmetto: thatching, baskets, fiber, brushes, brooms, dolls
“It’s definitely an important plant in Florida because it is so prevalent. The tannic acid from roots and stems were used to tan leather.”
If you would like to learn first hand, the tour is offered on the last Wednesday of each month this summer. The 1 1/2 hour event begins at 9:30 a.m. Starting in November and through March, the walks become more frequent. Special group tours are available upon request by calling 229-7356. For more information, go to www.leeparks.org or call 463-3764.
‘Exploring Ethnobotany’ summer schedule
Wednesday, May 26, 9:30 to 11 a.m.
Wednesday, June 30, 9:30 to 11 a.m.
Wednesday, July 28, 9:30 to 11 a.m.
Wednesday, Aug. 25, 9:30 to 11 a.m.