The Ethnobotany of Herreria montevidensis Klotzsch ex Griseb. – Herreriaceae, in Corumbá, Brazil JULIANA MAGALHÃES ALVAREZ 1 , ROSANA CONRADO LOPES 2 , ,3 AND IEDA MARIA BORTOLOTTO* 1
Departamento de Ciências do Ambiente, Campus de Corumbá, Universidade Federal de Mato Grosso do Sul, Avenida Rio Branco, no. 1270, CEP 79304–902, Caixa Postal 252, Corumbá, MS, Brazil 2 Departamento de Botânica, Instituto de Biologia, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, CEP 21941-490, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil 3 Departamento de Biologia, Centro de Ciências Biológicas e da Saúde, Universidade Federal de Mato Grosso do Sul, Caixa Postal 549, CEP 79070900, Campo Grande, MS, Brazil *Corresponding author; e-mail:
[email protected] Herreria montevidensis, locally known as “salsa” or “salsaparrilha,” is a vine belonging to the family Herreriaceae (APG 1998; Chase et al. 2000; Lopes et al. 2006), which sometimes is cited as synonymous of Asparagaceae (Smith et al. 2004; Mabberley 1997). The previously known economic importance of the family was restricted to a number of species of Herreria that are used in popular medicine as a depurative sweating agent, as a stimulant, and as a treatment for syphilis, skin infections, rheumatism, and other illnesses (Peckolt 1936; Cunha 1941; Stellfeld 1941, 1942; Moura 1943; Mas-Guindal 1945; Vandercolme 1947; Basualdo et al. 1995). In a report about H. montevidensis, Basualdo et al. (1995) relate that aqueous extracts of fresh subterranean material from H. montevidensis were used as a diuretic but they did not mention any use of this plant in handicrafts. Numerous craft products, principally baskets, produced from the stems of Herreria montevidensis, are sold in the “Casa do Artesão,” a craft center in Corumbá, MS, Brazil, by a group of artisans who make their living from this activity. This paper presents information concerning the morphology and distribution of the Herreria
montevidensis Klotzsch ex Griseb. and describes the processes of collection, fabrication, and commercialization of items made of the material obtained from this species.
Methods Field research was undertaken from April to August 2000, through semi–structured interviews with three craftsmen from the “Casa do Artesão” in Corumbá, and through participant observation (Bernard 1988). It was possible both to observe the techniques used in the craftwork during the study period and to participate in the activities. Plant harvesting was performed in an urban area with deciduous forest cover. The deciduous forests in the limestone regions of Corumbá are similar to the Caatinga dry lands of northeastern Brazil (Ratter et al. 1988) and they are an extension of the semi– deciduous and deciduous forests of Bolivia, known as chiquitano dry forest (Killen et al. 1993). Botanical material previously identified as Herreria salsaparilha Mart. (Alvarez and Bortolotto 2000) has been revised by Dra. Rosana Conrado Lopes and confirmed as Herreria montevidensis Klotzsch ex Griseb. Voucher specimens are stored in the herbarium of the Federal University of Mato Grosso
Economic Botany, 62(2), 2008, pp. 187–191 © 2008, by The New York Botanical Garden Press, Bronx, NY 10458-5126 U.S.A.
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do Sul (COR) with the collection number Bortolotto 1277, COR. Additional information may be obtained at the COR and RFA herbaria.
Results and Discussion Herreria montevidensis is popularly known as salsaparrilha, and belongs to the family Herreriaceae, which comprises three genera (Clara, Herreria, and Herreriopsis). This species has thin and linear leaves and flowers with reflexed, oblong tepals and papillae on their adaxial face
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(Fig. 1). H. montevidensis is very similar to H. bonplandii Lecomte (Lopes 2003). The family Herreriaceae occurs in temperate, tropical, and sub–tropical regions of South America, except for the genus Herreriopsis, which also occurs in Africa. These taxa can be found principally in forest and field habitats, but are encountered also in Cerrado (Savanna), Caatinga (dry land), and Restinga (near shore) formations. These plants are usually vines, except for Clara (recently re–validated) (Lopes and Andreata
Fig. 1. Herreria montevidensis Klotzsch ex Griseb. A: Detail of the fruiting branch; B: Leaf; C: Floral bud; D: Flower; E: External view of tepal; F: Detail of papillae of tepals; G: Stamen; H: Gynaeceum; I: Ovary in transversal section; J: Fruit; K: Seed.
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2003), which is composed of herbs (Kunth 1848). In the region around Corumbá, only two species of Herreria have been recorded (Lopes 2003): H. montevidensis and H. salsaparilha. Herreria montevidensis occurs in the Amazon and Chaco domains of Argentina, in the Chaco of Uruguay and Paraguay, and in the forests of Bolivia. In Brazil, H. montevidensis is found in tropical perennial seasonal rainforests in the south–central high plains of the states of Mato Grosso do Sul, Santa Catarina, and Rio Grande do Sul; in tropical perennial seasonal rainforests of the Atlantic coast in the southeastern regions of Rio de Janeiro State; in sub–tropical mixed conifer rainforests in Paraná State; and in Cerrado vegetation in the State of Minas Gerais (Lopes 2003). In Bolivia, this plant is popularly known as zarzaparilla in the region around Ichilo, cajá– guastanana in Manuel Maria Caballero, and cajá– guastana or zarza in Vallegrande (all names in Spanish). In Paraguay, the plant is called sarsaparilla (in Spanish), while in the State of Mato Grosso do Sul in Brazil it is known, in Portuguese, as salsa or salsaparrilha (Lopes 2003). H. montevidensis was collected in the deciduous forests in the municipality of Corumbá and in parts of Bolivia (Fig. 2A and B). The interviewed craftsmen learned the technique when they were children by observing a Bolivian Indian who taught their grandmother the skills in Corumbá. That Indian used to name the plant as “salsa” and “salsaparilla” in Spanish. The original technique was to manufacture baskets with handles called “el mango.” The only tools used were a knife and a needle of wood that was called “sulcador.” This technique was modified and improved to adjust to the needs of the market and by the influences of courses attended by the artisans. These techniques are still being taught in courses offered by the “Casa do Artesão.” H. montevidensis is collected for craftwork throughout the year. The craftsmen spend approximately 32 hours a month in this activity. Only the well–formed dark–brown stems (which are approximately 2 centimeters in diameter) are collected, as they are considered ideal for working. Identification of the plants in the forest is more difficult when the leaves are shed during the dry season; in such times, recognition of the plant is restricted to the stem characteristics. The stems are cut with a machete above a node at about 15 centimeters from the base of the plant
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to facilitate re–sprouting. The stems are then tied into bundles that are secured by thin vines (also taken from the forest) for transport. According to the artisans, it takes about two to three years of growth for the stems of salsaparrilha to attain the desired thickness and color. Transporting the bundles through the forest is a difficult task, due to the obstruction caused by forest vegetation. Only later, after the plant material has been taken away from the forest, are the nodes removed. At the craft center, the stems are cut into strips (Fig. 2C and D) in preparation for weaving (Fig. 2E). The strips of salsaparrilha are light–cream colored, and sometimes are dyed. Numerous handicrafts can be made from the strips, but baskets are the principal products. The bottom of a basket may be made either of salsaparrilha (Fig. 2E) or wood (Fig. 2F). When the strips are not used immediately, they tend to become stiff and darker in color; when this happens, they only need to be dampened to become flexible again. In the past, baskets were not colored and wood was not used. The closely related species Herreria salsaparilha (locally known as japecanga) also can be used in craftwork, but the interviewees stated that although this material is softer than H. montevidensis, the presence of thorns weighs against it. In addition to these two species, there is another vine also known locally as japecanga (Smilax fluminensis Steud. – Smilacaceae), which is distributed throughout Brazil (Pará, Roraima, Bahia, Minas Gerais, Rio de Janeiro, São Paulo, and all over the Brazilian west), Bolívia, Paraguay, and Argentina. It grows in closed areas, such as in the Amazon forest, the Atlantic forest, a semi– deciduous forest, a riparian forest, or in open places such as Cerrado, rocky grasslands, Pantanal, and disturbed areas. In Brazil, the species receives several popular names such as japicanga, salsa, salsinha, and, outside Brazil, “ijuapeca guasu” and “zarzaparrilla” (Andreata 1995). When it is cooked and dyed, the root is used as a specific tonic to fight intermittent fevers; the tonic is also said to be used as a tonic to prevent malaria (Peckolt and Peckolt 1888). The artisans at the “Casa do Artesão” do not have permanent jobs at the craft institute. The craftsmen independently prepare and sell their wares, and furnish some products to the institute. Some of these artisans have been making these baskets for 33 years, and the activity is their only source of income. Income through sales of the
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Fig. 2. The Processes of Collection and Fabrication of Handiwork Using Herreria montevidensis. A: Herreria montevidensis growing in its deciduous forest habitat; B: Craftsman harvesting plant material; C: Craftsman cutting the plant stems; D: Detail of the stems and the strips cut from them; E: Beginning the weaving; F: Finished baskets ready for sale.
baskets varies throughout the year, with February being the worst month. Sales generally improve after June, with the greatest income through Christmas. There is also a commerce of crafts made of H. montevidensis at the “Mercado dos Poços” in Santa Cruz, Bolivia. The extraction of H. montevidensis for craftwork is only performed by a small number of people. It is, however, the only source of income for these workers and their families. In view of the high level of unemployment (and low salaries) in the country, however, this craft is extremely
important for the people involved. The craftsmen understand the need to protect the areas they use for harvesting. The plants are cut in a way that enables them to re–sprout, and the same area will be harvested again only after about four years. Nonetheless, collectors have noticed that finding salsaparrilha is increasingly difficult because of more and more fires and deforestation.
Acknowledgements We are grateful to the craftsmen Luís Augusto Ferreira, Angelino Ferreira, and Davi Ferreira
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Nasário for their help in the field, and for allowing us to accompany them during their daily activities. We also thank Dr. Germano Guarim Neto for his suggestion to undertake the work, Dr. Geraldo Alves Damasceno, Jr. and Dr. Iria Hiromi Ishii for their generous help in commenting on the manuscript as well as the editor of Economic Botany and an anonymous reviewer for valuable comments.
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