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#ethnobotany — Public Fediverse posts

Live and recent posts from across the Fediverse tagged #ethnobotany, aggregated by home.social.

  1. Anthropogenic climate change and the extinction of Indigenous languages are projected to eliminate up to one-third of the native plant species utilized by Amazonian cultures, causing a massive decline in regional biocultural knowledge by 2080.
    #Ethnobotany #Botany #Ethnoecology #Ecology #Climatology #Linguistics #ClimateChange #sflorg
    sflorg.com/2026/07/bot07082601

  2. Anthropogenic climate change and the extinction of Indigenous languages are projected to eliminate up to one-third of the native plant species utilized by Amazonian cultures, causing a massive decline in regional biocultural knowledge by 2080.
    #Ethnobotany #Botany #Ethnoecology #Ecology #Climatology #Linguistics #ClimateChange #sflorg
    sflorg.com/2026/07/bot07082601

  3. More adventures in Carob - Since Ceratonia siliqua can grow north of Albania, I was expecting to see more of it. However, knowledge of it seems limited to southern Albania along the coast.

    I had pretty much given up on seeing it in the capital city, but after years spotting carob street trees, my eyes are pretty sharp for it and I spotted one today over the wall to the Italian Embassy (fittingly enough).

    #Botany #Ethnobotany #Albania

  4. More adventures in Carob - Since Ceratonia siliqua can grow north of Albania, I was expecting to see more of it. However, knowledge of it seems limited to southern Albania along the coast.

    I had pretty much given up on seeing it in the capital city, but after years spotting carob street trees, my eyes are pretty sharp for it and I spotted one today over the wall to the Italian Embassy (fittingly enough).

    #Botany #Ethnobotany #Albania

  5. 🌿 Cissus quadrangularis, known by names such as Pirandai, is a quiet vine with angled stems and a long cultural memory. Its presence in home gardens and dry landscapes hints at deeper patterns shaped by culture, ecology, and scientific curiosity.

    ✍️ Explore the full reflection: theperpetuallycurious.org/pira

    A quiet geometry can open a wider way of seeing.

    #CissusQuadrangularis #Pirandai #Ethnobotany #TPC8

  6. My grasp of Spanish is good enough to give me some insight, but not enough to get along without some sort of translation.

    I'm trying to expand my search for carob references and history and started with Spanish (and related regional languages).

    The machine translation can be hilariously bad, like translating "bolo de garrofera" as "slutty bread".

    lasprovincias.es/gastronomia/b #Carob #Garrofera #Algarrobo #Ethnobotany

  7. My grasp of Spanish is good enough to give me some insight, but not enough to get along without some sort of translation.

    I'm trying to expand my search for carob references and history and started with Spanish (and related regional languages).

    The machine translation can be hilariously bad, like translating "bolo de garrofera" as "slutty bread".

    lasprovincias.es/gastronomia/b #Carob #Garrofera #Algarrobo #Ethnobotany

  8. Medical & Nutritional #Ethnobotany of Plants Native to the Southeast
    May 28, 2026, 2:00 pm EDT / 11:00 am PDT
    Speaker: Dr. Jillian De Gezelle, Teaching Associate Professor, Department of Plant & Microbial Biology, North Carolina State University
    This talk discusses the historical and contemporary uses of plant species that are native to North Carolina & the surrounding regions, including their uses as medicine and food, focusing on species that are of interest for home gardens.

  9. Medical & Nutritional #Ethnobotany of Plants Native to the Southeast
    May 28, 2026, 2:00 pm EDT / 11:00 am PDT
    Speaker: Dr. Jillian De Gezelle, Teaching Associate Professor, Department of Plant & Microbial Biology, North Carolina State University
    This talk discusses the historical and contemporary uses of plant species that are native to North Carolina & the surrounding regions, including their uses as medicine and food, focusing on species that are of interest for home gardens.

  10. The study of natural compounds continues to evolve through both traditional knowledge systems and modern analytical science.

    Cannacare_au supports evidence-based exploration of plant and fungal chemistry, with attention to both historical use and contemporary research findings.

    #Research #MedicinalPlants #Phytochemistry #ScientificResearch #NaturalMedicine #Ethnobotany #Data

  11. The study of natural compounds continues to evolve through both traditional knowledge systems and modern analytical science.

    Cannacare_au supports evidence-based exploration of plant and fungal chemistry, with attention to both historical use and contemporary research findings.

    #Research #MedicinalPlants #Phytochemistry #ScientificResearch #NaturalMedicine #Ethnobotany #Data

  12. Uisce Sionainn / Flora Liatromensis

    The Dock Arts Centre, Saturday, May 16 at 11:00 AM GMT+1

    The Uisce / Flora series of river walks was developed by Anna Macleod and textile designer Katie May Anderson as a transferable model for performative community river walking to celebrate the transformative power of water. The event will include talks by guest speakers on ethnobotany and river regeneration, and the launch of a zine with an essay by Dr. Phillina Sun. Followed by a light lunch.

    Anna Macleod is a Scottish-Irish visual artist, researcher, and educator based in the Northwest of Ireland. Her work mediates complex ideas associated with contemporary, historical, and cultural understandings of land and water through a variety of visual art media. She has been awarded the International Atlantic Artist Residency Exchange in Newfoundland with CRUX and Artlink in 2026.

    Katie May Anderson is a freelance textile artist and designer based in Glasgow, Scotland. Katie works on various community arts projects across the UK, primarily in the heritage sector. Throughout all her work, collaboration and co-production are crucial, with participants empowered to engage in creative and collaborative expression, building connections and skills development. She has worked in numerous heritage sites in Scotland including Stirling Castle, Castle House Museum, and co-ordinated the Charabancs and Cadillacs project, a community quilt for Community Transport Newham. In 2025 she worked with communities on a textile banner for the ‘Grace’ project at Stirling Castle and a textile map for the Edinburgh Deaf Festival.

    flypost.ie/event/uisce-sionain

  13. A comprehensive checklist of Mediterranean wild edible plants: Diversity, traditional uses, and knowledge gaps

    "Early View

    Online Version of Record before inclusion in an issue"

    doi.org/10.1002/ppp3.70137 #Botany #PlantScience #Mediterranean #Biodiversity #Ethnobotany

  14. A comprehensive checklist of Mediterranean wild edible plants: Diversity, traditional uses, and knowledge gaps

    "Early View

    Online Version of Record before inclusion in an issue"

    doi.org/10.1002/ppp3.70137 #Botany #PlantScience #Mediterranean #Biodiversity #Ethnobotany

  15. #CentralAsia’s #fruit and #nut #forests: the real Garden of Eden?

    Birthplaces of some of the world’s most beloved snacks

    by Monica Evans
    17 December 2020

    "Millions of years ago, in the temperate montane forests of a little-known region in Central Asia, some of the world’s best-loved fruit and nut trees began to grow. #Apples, #apricots, #cherries, #plums, #grapes, #figs, #peaches, #pomegranates, #pears, #almonds, #pistachios and #walnuts all originated in the hills and valleys of the #TianShan mountain range, which stretches from #Uzbekistan in the west to #China and #Mongolia in the east.

    "The area is volcanic and geologically tumultuous, but fertile – scientists have hypothesized that in a place prone to frequent eruptions, earthquakes and landslides, shorter-lived tree species that could disperse their seeds widely by making themselves palatable to large mammals had a better shot at survival than long-lived, slow-maturing trees.

    "And that tasty survival strategy has served these species well. For residents of the region, the foods represent both security and social currency. 'From the taxi drivers to the ministers to the local people, almost everyone carries some #DriedFruit or #Nuts with them,' says Paola Agostini, a lead natural resources specialist for Europe and Central Asia at the World Bank. 'It’s like this safety net, and it’s also a lovely gift: something to share with others that is always appreciated.'

    "Central Asian marketplaces offer a cornucopia of colors, flavors, textures and varieties – many more than those most of us are accustomed to finding in our local supermarket’s produce aisle. 'I was always astonished that people in the region could so easily tell which country a particular dried apricot came from,' says Agostini. 'Their knowledge of these products is just so deep.'

    "Procuring and sharing these energy-dense treats is an ancient practice in the area. Fruit and nuts were major commodities on the Silk Road, an ancient network of trade routes that tracked through the heart of Central Asia, linking Europe, the Middle East and Asia, from the first century BC through to the mid-1400s. Over centuries of trade and travel – and lots of munching by humans, camels and horses along the way – prized fruit and nut species spread their seeds wider and wider, and new hybrid varieties were created, many of which are now supermarket and home-orchard staples, cultivated enthusiastically in temperate regions across the globe.

    "Narratives of plant domestication often tend to overstate the role of humans, but newer science suggests that 'evolution in parallel' with the plants we love is often a more accurate way of framing this process. 'It’s very unlikely that when somebody took an apple from #Kazakhstan and carried it across an entire continent, they were thinking that they could cross it with another variety and end up with something better,' says #RobertSpengler, a paleo-ethnobotanist at the Max Planck Institute in Jena, Germany. 'They were more likely just carrying the seeds to plant somewhere else. And in doing so, they inadvertently set off a chain reaction of hybridization events.'

    "According to Spengler’s research into the origins of apples, humans were not the first mammals to participate in that process of dispersal and co-evolution, either. In the late #Miocene, which spanned the period from 11.63 to 5.33 million years ago, large mammals such as #mammoths and #horses played critical roles in dispersing apple seeds and facilitating their evolutionary process into the large, sweet, flavor-rich fruits we enjoy today."

    Learn more:
    thinklandscape.globallandscape

    #SolarPunkSunday #Ethnobotany #PlantHistory #SaveTheForests #SaveTheTrees #FruitTrees #NutTrees

  16. #CentralAsia’s #fruit and #nut #forests: the real Garden of Eden?

    Birthplaces of some of the world’s most beloved snacks

    by Monica Evans
    17 December 2020

    "Millions of years ago, in the temperate montane forests of a little-known region in Central Asia, some of the world’s best-loved fruit and nut trees began to grow. #Apples, #apricots, #cherries, #plums, #grapes, #figs, #peaches, #pomegranates, #pears, #almonds, #pistachios and #walnuts all originated in the hills and valleys of the #TianShan mountain range, which stretches from #Uzbekistan in the west to #China and #Mongolia in the east.

    "The area is volcanic and geologically tumultuous, but fertile – scientists have hypothesized that in a place prone to frequent eruptions, earthquakes and landslides, shorter-lived tree species that could disperse their seeds widely by making themselves palatable to large mammals had a better shot at survival than long-lived, slow-maturing trees.

    "And that tasty survival strategy has served these species well. For residents of the region, the foods represent both security and social currency. 'From the taxi drivers to the ministers to the local people, almost everyone carries some #DriedFruit or #Nuts with them,' says Paola Agostini, a lead natural resources specialist for Europe and Central Asia at the World Bank. 'It’s like this safety net, and it’s also a lovely gift: something to share with others that is always appreciated.'

    "Central Asian marketplaces offer a cornucopia of colors, flavors, textures and varieties – many more than those most of us are accustomed to finding in our local supermarket’s produce aisle. 'I was always astonished that people in the region could so easily tell which country a particular dried apricot came from,' says Agostini. 'Their knowledge of these products is just so deep.'

    "Procuring and sharing these energy-dense treats is an ancient practice in the area. Fruit and nuts were major commodities on the Silk Road, an ancient network of trade routes that tracked through the heart of Central Asia, linking Europe, the Middle East and Asia, from the first century BC through to the mid-1400s. Over centuries of trade and travel – and lots of munching by humans, camels and horses along the way – prized fruit and nut species spread their seeds wider and wider, and new hybrid varieties were created, many of which are now supermarket and home-orchard staples, cultivated enthusiastically in temperate regions across the globe.

    "Narratives of plant domestication often tend to overstate the role of humans, but newer science suggests that 'evolution in parallel' with the plants we love is often a more accurate way of framing this process. 'It’s very unlikely that when somebody took an apple from #Kazakhstan and carried it across an entire continent, they were thinking that they could cross it with another variety and end up with something better,' says #RobertSpengler, a paleo-ethnobotanist at the Max Planck Institute in Jena, Germany. 'They were more likely just carrying the seeds to plant somewhere else. And in doing so, they inadvertently set off a chain reaction of hybridization events.'

    "According to Spengler’s research into the origins of apples, humans were not the first mammals to participate in that process of dispersal and co-evolution, either. In the late #Miocene, which spanned the period from 11.63 to 5.33 million years ago, large mammals such as #mammoths and #horses played critical roles in dispersing apple seeds and facilitating their evolutionary process into the large, sweet, flavor-rich fruits we enjoy today."

    Learn more:
    thinklandscape.globallandscape

    #SolarPunkSunday #Ethnobotany #PlantHistory #SaveTheForests #SaveTheTrees #FruitTrees #NutTrees

  17. #CentralAsia’s #fruit and #nut #forests: the real Garden of Eden?

    Birthplaces of some of the world’s most beloved snacks

    by Monica Evans
    17 December 2020

    "Millions of years ago, in the temperate montane forests of a little-known region in Central Asia, some of the world’s best-loved fruit and nut trees began to grow. #Apples, #apricots, #cherries, #plums, #grapes, #figs, #peaches, #pomegranates, #pears, #almonds, #pistachios and #walnuts all originated in the hills and valleys of the #TianShan mountain range, which stretches from #Uzbekistan in the west to #China and #Mongolia in the east.

    "The area is volcanic and geologically tumultuous, but fertile – scientists have hypothesized that in a place prone to frequent eruptions, earthquakes and landslides, shorter-lived tree species that could disperse their seeds widely by making themselves palatable to large mammals had a better shot at survival than long-lived, slow-maturing trees.

    "And that tasty survival strategy has served these species well. For residents of the region, the foods represent both security and social currency. 'From the taxi drivers to the ministers to the local people, almost everyone carries some #DriedFruit or #Nuts with them,' says Paola Agostini, a lead natural resources specialist for Europe and Central Asia at the World Bank. 'It’s like this safety net, and it’s also a lovely gift: something to share with others that is always appreciated.'

    "Central Asian marketplaces offer a cornucopia of colors, flavors, textures and varieties – many more than those most of us are accustomed to finding in our local supermarket’s produce aisle. 'I was always astonished that people in the region could so easily tell which country a particular dried apricot came from,' says Agostini. 'Their knowledge of these products is just so deep.'

    "Procuring and sharing these energy-dense treats is an ancient practice in the area. Fruit and nuts were major commodities on the Silk Road, an ancient network of trade routes that tracked through the heart of Central Asia, linking Europe, the Middle East and Asia, from the first century BC through to the mid-1400s. Over centuries of trade and travel – and lots of munching by humans, camels and horses along the way – prized fruit and nut species spread their seeds wider and wider, and new hybrid varieties were created, many of which are now supermarket and home-orchard staples, cultivated enthusiastically in temperate regions across the globe.

    "Narratives of plant domestication often tend to overstate the role of humans, but newer science suggests that 'evolution in parallel' with the plants we love is often a more accurate way of framing this process. 'It’s very unlikely that when somebody took an apple from #Kazakhstan and carried it across an entire continent, they were thinking that they could cross it with another variety and end up with something better,' says #RobertSpengler, a paleo-ethnobotanist at the Max Planck Institute in Jena, Germany. 'They were more likely just carrying the seeds to plant somewhere else. And in doing so, they inadvertently set off a chain reaction of hybridization events.'

    "According to Spengler’s research into the origins of apples, humans were not the first mammals to participate in that process of dispersal and co-evolution, either. In the late #Miocene, which spanned the period from 11.63 to 5.33 million years ago, large mammals such as #mammoths and #horses played critical roles in dispersing apple seeds and facilitating their evolutionary process into the large, sweet, flavor-rich fruits we enjoy today."

    Learn more:
    thinklandscape.globallandscape

    #SolarPunkSunday #Ethnobotany #PlantHistory #SaveTheForests #SaveTheTrees #FruitTrees #NutTrees

  18. #CentralAsia’s #fruit and #nut #forests: the real Garden of Eden?

    Birthplaces of some of the world’s most beloved snacks

    by Monica Evans
    17 December 2020

    "Millions of years ago, in the temperate montane forests of a little-known region in Central Asia, some of the world’s best-loved fruit and nut trees began to grow. #Apples, #apricots, #cherries, #plums, #grapes, #figs, #peaches, #pomegranates, #pears, #almonds, #pistachios and #walnuts all originated in the hills and valleys of the #TianShan mountain range, which stretches from #Uzbekistan in the west to #China and #Mongolia in the east.

    "The area is volcanic and geologically tumultuous, but fertile – scientists have hypothesized that in a place prone to frequent eruptions, earthquakes and landslides, shorter-lived tree species that could disperse their seeds widely by making themselves palatable to large mammals had a better shot at survival than long-lived, slow-maturing trees.

    "And that tasty survival strategy has served these species well. For residents of the region, the foods represent both security and social currency. 'From the taxi drivers to the ministers to the local people, almost everyone carries some #DriedFruit or #Nuts with them,' says Paola Agostini, a lead natural resources specialist for Europe and Central Asia at the World Bank. 'It’s like this safety net, and it’s also a lovely gift: something to share with others that is always appreciated.'

    "Central Asian marketplaces offer a cornucopia of colors, flavors, textures and varieties – many more than those most of us are accustomed to finding in our local supermarket’s produce aisle. 'I was always astonished that people in the region could so easily tell which country a particular dried apricot came from,' says Agostini. 'Their knowledge of these products is just so deep.'

    "Procuring and sharing these energy-dense treats is an ancient practice in the area. Fruit and nuts were major commodities on the Silk Road, an ancient network of trade routes that tracked through the heart of Central Asia, linking Europe, the Middle East and Asia, from the first century BC through to the mid-1400s. Over centuries of trade and travel – and lots of munching by humans, camels and horses along the way – prized fruit and nut species spread their seeds wider and wider, and new hybrid varieties were created, many of which are now supermarket and home-orchard staples, cultivated enthusiastically in temperate regions across the globe.

    "Narratives of plant domestication often tend to overstate the role of humans, but newer science suggests that 'evolution in parallel' with the plants we love is often a more accurate way of framing this process. 'It’s very unlikely that when somebody took an apple from #Kazakhstan and carried it across an entire continent, they were thinking that they could cross it with another variety and end up with something better,' says #RobertSpengler, a paleo-ethnobotanist at the Max Planck Institute in Jena, Germany. 'They were more likely just carrying the seeds to plant somewhere else. And in doing so, they inadvertently set off a chain reaction of hybridization events.'

    "According to Spengler’s research into the origins of apples, humans were not the first mammals to participate in that process of dispersal and co-evolution, either. In the late #Miocene, which spanned the period from 11.63 to 5.33 million years ago, large mammals such as #mammoths and #horses played critical roles in dispersing apple seeds and facilitating their evolutionary process into the large, sweet, flavor-rich fruits we enjoy today."

    Learn more:
    thinklandscape.globallandscape

    #SolarPunkSunday #Ethnobotany #PlantHistory #SaveTheForests #SaveTheTrees #FruitTrees #NutTrees

  19. #CentralAsia’s #fruit and #nut #forests: the real Garden of Eden?

    Birthplaces of some of the world’s most beloved snacks

    by Monica Evans
    17 December 2020

    "Millions of years ago, in the temperate montane forests of a little-known region in Central Asia, some of the world’s best-loved fruit and nut trees began to grow. #Apples, #apricots, #cherries, #plums, #grapes, #figs, #peaches, #pomegranates, #pears, #almonds, #pistachios and #walnuts all originated in the hills and valleys of the #TianShan mountain range, which stretches from #Uzbekistan in the west to #China and #Mongolia in the east.

    "The area is volcanic and geologically tumultuous, but fertile – scientists have hypothesized that in a place prone to frequent eruptions, earthquakes and landslides, shorter-lived tree species that could disperse their seeds widely by making themselves palatable to large mammals had a better shot at survival than long-lived, slow-maturing trees.

    "And that tasty survival strategy has served these species well. For residents of the region, the foods represent both security and social currency. 'From the taxi drivers to the ministers to the local people, almost everyone carries some #DriedFruit or #Nuts with them,' says Paola Agostini, a lead natural resources specialist for Europe and Central Asia at the World Bank. 'It’s like this safety net, and it’s also a lovely gift: something to share with others that is always appreciated.'

    "Central Asian marketplaces offer a cornucopia of colors, flavors, textures and varieties – many more than those most of us are accustomed to finding in our local supermarket’s produce aisle. 'I was always astonished that people in the region could so easily tell which country a particular dried apricot came from,' says Agostini. 'Their knowledge of these products is just so deep.'

    "Procuring and sharing these energy-dense treats is an ancient practice in the area. Fruit and nuts were major commodities on the Silk Road, an ancient network of trade routes that tracked through the heart of Central Asia, linking Europe, the Middle East and Asia, from the first century BC through to the mid-1400s. Over centuries of trade and travel – and lots of munching by humans, camels and horses along the way – prized fruit and nut species spread their seeds wider and wider, and new hybrid varieties were created, many of which are now supermarket and home-orchard staples, cultivated enthusiastically in temperate regions across the globe.

    "Narratives of plant domestication often tend to overstate the role of humans, but newer science suggests that 'evolution in parallel' with the plants we love is often a more accurate way of framing this process. 'It’s very unlikely that when somebody took an apple from #Kazakhstan and carried it across an entire continent, they were thinking that they could cross it with another variety and end up with something better,' says #RobertSpengler, a paleo-ethnobotanist at the Max Planck Institute in Jena, Germany. 'They were more likely just carrying the seeds to plant somewhere else. And in doing so, they inadvertently set off a chain reaction of hybridization events.'

    "According to Spengler’s research into the origins of apples, humans were not the first mammals to participate in that process of dispersal and co-evolution, either. In the late #Miocene, which spanned the period from 11.63 to 5.33 million years ago, large mammals such as #mammoths and #horses played critical roles in dispersing apple seeds and facilitating their evolutionary process into the large, sweet, flavor-rich fruits we enjoy today."

    Learn more:
    thinklandscape.globallandscape

    #SolarPunkSunday #Ethnobotany #PlantHistory #SaveTheForests #SaveTheTrees #FruitTrees #NutTrees

  20. Remarkable survey of archaeobotanical evidence for early processing of plant foods. Florin and Ramsey emphasize that theirs is a cautious approach to the evidence, but the conclusion is very clear: humans were extracting food from a wide variety of plants in ways that required grinding, leaching, and lots of tool use tens (if not hundreds) of thousands of years before the supposed emergence of sedentary agriculture.

    Their discussion of crossing Wallacea is fascinating. They demonstrate the prior existence of a early, culturally transmitted bundle of adaptive skills for identifying, processing, and managing plant foods in new landscapes, including stone tools and fire, but equally, a capacity to discover, utilize, and steward unfamiliar food plants.

    They firmly upend the assumption that the archaeology of food is just about eating animals, and open up the question of how old agriculture really is.

    link.springer.com/article/10.1

    #ethnobotany #archaeology

  21. Remarkable survey of archaeobotanical evidence for early processing of plant foods. Florin and Ramsey emphasize that theirs is a cautious approach to the evidence, but the conclusion is very clear: humans were extracting food from a wide variety of plants in ways that required grinding, leaching, and lots of tool use tens (if not hundreds) of thousands of years before the supposed emergence of sedentary agriculture.

    Their discussion of crossing Wallacea is fascinating. They demonstrate the prior existence of a early, culturally transmitted bundle of adaptive skills for identifying, processing, and managing plant foods in new landscapes, including stone tools and fire, but equally, a capacity to discover, utilize, and steward unfamiliar food plants.

    They firmly upend the assumption that the archaeology of food is just about eating animals, and open up the question of how old agriculture really is.

    link.springer.com/article/10.1

    #ethnobotany #archaeology

  22. When I was a kid I got a copy of this book - "Plants of the Gods" - which features a photo of a statue of Xochipilli.

    Years later when I visited the National Anthropology Museum of Mexico they happened to have it out for a special exhibit, so I got to see it live, which felt pretty lucky.

    #Archaeology #Anthropology #Ethnobotany

  23. When I was a kid I got a copy of this book - "Plants of the Gods" - which features a photo of a statue of Xochipilli.

    Years later when I visited the National Anthropology Museum of Mexico they happened to have it out for a special exhibit, so I got to see it live, which felt pretty lucky.

    #Archaeology #Anthropology #Ethnobotany

  24. 2026 East Asia Plant Humanities Virtual Faculty Residencies

    "June 1–12, 2026 (virtual) | Seminar for faculty in East Asia Studies who are interested in integrating more plant-related sources and narratives in their teaching. Apply by February 15."

    doaks.org/research/fellowships #PlantHumanities #EastAsia #Ethnobotany

  25. 2026 East Asia Plant Humanities Virtual Faculty Residencies

    "June 1–12, 2026 (virtual) | Seminar for faculty in East Asia Studies who are interested in integrating more plant-related sources and narratives in their teaching. Apply by February 15."

    doaks.org/research/fellowships #PlantHumanities #EastAsia #Ethnobotany

  26. Tonka Bean: The Tale of a Contested Commodity

    "Traditionally, sarrapia was used medicinally by Indigenous groups, such as the Mapoyo, and mixed-race groups like the Aripao and Jabillal. Guided by elders, one was supposed to consume no more than three fruits per day; local knowledge held that excess could cause fever or body aches..."

    daily.jstor.org/tonka-bean-the #Botany #Ethnobotany #PlantHumanities

  27. Tonka Bean: The Tale of a Contested Commodity

    "Traditionally, sarrapia was used medicinally by Indigenous groups, such as the Mapoyo, and mixed-race groups like the Aripao and Jabillal. Guided by elders, one was supposed to consume no more than three fruits per day; local knowledge held that excess could cause fever or body aches..."

    daily.jstor.org/tonka-bean-the #Botany #Ethnobotany #PlantHumanities

  28. "Plants and Religion - Religious Motivations in Naming of Plants in Albania"

    "ethnobiologists have emphasized the importance of plant local names as repositories of traditional knowledge to understand how communities recognize and use plants known to them. Folk plant names constitute a nomenclature that represents a set of terms, a list of names belonging to the domain of folk botany"

    hrcak.srce.hr/file/446984

    doi:10.5671/ca.47.2.8 #Botany #PlantHumanities #Linguistics #Ethnobotany #Albania

  29. "Plants and Religion - Religious Motivations in Naming of Plants in Albania"

    "ethnobiologists have emphasized the importance of plant local names as repositories of traditional knowledge to understand how communities recognize and use plants known to them. Folk plant names constitute a nomenclature that represents a set of terms, a list of names belonging to the domain of folk botany"

    hrcak.srce.hr/file/446984

    doi:10.5671/ca.47.2.8 #Botany #PlantHumanities #Linguistics #Ethnobotany #Albania

  30. Old English Plant Names

    Most plant names in modern English have Latin (or other Romance language) influences. However, a small number of modern English plant names still retain a form of an old Germanic suffix, -el (from the languages of the early medieval Saxons and Angles).

    netele - nettle
    bremel - bramble
    tæsel - teasel
    þistel - thistle
    mistel - misteltoe
    hæsel - hazel

    From Leechcraft: Early English Charms, Plantlore, and Healing
    by Stephen Pollington, 2000

    #PlantMedicine
    #ethnobotany
    #EarlyAngloSaxonHistory

    (Image from Wikipedia)

  31. Old English Plant Names

    Most plant names in modern English have Latin (or other Romance language) influences. However, a small number of modern English plant names still retain a form of an old Germanic suffix, -el (from the languages of the early medieval Saxons and Angles).

    netele - nettle
    bremel - bramble
    tæsel - teasel
    þistel - thistle
    mistel - misteltoe
    hæsel - hazel

    From Leechcraft: Early English Charms, Plantlore, and Healing
    by Stephen Pollington, 2000

    #PlantMedicine
    #ethnobotany
    #EarlyAngloSaxonHistory

    (Image from Wikipedia)

  32. If you've ever wanted to know what the Aztecs and Incas used as aphrodisiacs, I stumbled upon this article this morning.

    Well, I say stumbled upon, but since I was seaching for "mesoamerican aphrodisiac", I guess I should say found.

    daily.jstor.org/aphrodisiacs-o

    #mesoamerica #aztec #inca #ethnobotany #aphrodisiac

  33. The Oneida Nation's Tsyunhéhkw∧ Farm in Wisconsin grows around 10 acres of Oneida white corn annually, producing 8,000 pounds of finished corn. This open-pollinated heirloom variety – unchanged since given to the Oneida people – grows stalks up to 18 feet tall and 4 inches thick, requiring hand harvesting by around 500 community volunteers at the annual October Harvest and Husking Bee.

    #indigenous #ethnobotany #NativeAmerican

    atlasobscura.com/articles/onei

  34. Between 400 to 700 years ago, in mountains near a community in Oaxaca, people in the Nejapan Sierra Sur collected over a hundred different species of seeds. They put them in a bin close to where they retreated when colonial invaders - Zapotecs, Aztecs, later, the Spaniards - came sweeping through the area. This ancient seed bank was their way of ensuring the survival of their complex cuisine.

    #ethnobotany #mesoamerica #paleobotany #archaeology

    timesofindia.indiatimes.com/ar

  35. Native Plant Dyes

    "Plants have been used for natural dyeing since before recorded history. The staining properties of plants were noted by humans and have been used to obtain and retain these colors from plants throughout history. Native plants and their resultant dyes have been used to enhance people's lives through decoration of animal skins, fabrics, crafts, hair, and even their bodies.

    "Types of Dyes

    "Natural dye materials that produce durable, strong colors and do not require the addition of other substances to obtain the desired outcome are called substantive or direct dyes. Sumac (Rhus spp.) and walnut (Juglans spp.) are native plant examples of direct dyes. Because these species are high in tannic acid, they do not require additional substances to be added for the dye to attach to fibers and form a durable bond. Dyes that need this type of assistance are called adjective or mordant dyes.

    "Mordants

    "Mordants are water-soluble chemicals, usually metallic salts, which create a bond between dye and fiber thus increasing the adherence of various dyes to the item being dyed. The actual color one gets from a natural dye depends not only on the source of the dye but also on the mordant, and the item being dyed.

    "Most mordant recipes also call for the addition of cream of tartar or tartaric acid. Use of this readily available spice is important because it reduces fiber stiffness that can occur because of mordanting. It can also increase brightness."

    Learn more:
    fs.usda.gov/wildflowers/ethnob

    Archived version:
    archive.ph/F3Dp3

    #SolarPunkSunday #DIY #FiberArts #NaturalDyes #Gardening #Foraging #TraditionalArts #Ethnobotany #Dyes #Wildflowers #PlantDyes

  36. Native Plant Dyes

    "Plants have been used for natural dyeing since before recorded history. The staining properties of plants were noted by humans and have been used to obtain and retain these colors from plants throughout history. Native plants and their resultant dyes have been used to enhance people's lives through decoration of animal skins, fabrics, crafts, hair, and even their bodies.

    "Types of Dyes

    "Natural dye materials that produce durable, strong colors and do not require the addition of other substances to obtain the desired outcome are called substantive or direct dyes. Sumac (Rhus spp.) and walnut (Juglans spp.) are native plant examples of direct dyes. Because these species are high in tannic acid, they do not require additional substances to be added for the dye to attach to fibers and form a durable bond. Dyes that need this type of assistance are called adjective or mordant dyes.

    "Mordants

    "Mordants are water-soluble chemicals, usually metallic salts, which create a bond between dye and fiber thus increasing the adherence of various dyes to the item being dyed. The actual color one gets from a natural dye depends not only on the source of the dye but also on the mordant, and the item being dyed.

    "Most mordant recipes also call for the addition of cream of tartar or tartaric acid. Use of this readily available spice is important because it reduces fiber stiffness that can occur because of mordanting. It can also increase brightness."

    Learn more:
    fs.usda.gov/wildflowers/ethnob

    Archived version:
    archive.ph/F3Dp3

    #SolarPunkSunday #DIY #FiberArts #NaturalDyes #Gardening #Foraging #TraditionalArts #Ethnobotany #Dyes #Wildflowers #PlantDyes

  37. 🌿 The neem tree (Azadirachta indica) is tradition, ritual, pollinator ally, and climate guardian. Its bitter leaves and fragrant blossoms tell a story of renewal.

    📖 Read on: TPC8.short.gy/mW9cyvtY

    From roots to canopy, neem reminds us that every part of nature has a role to play.

    #Neem #Ethnobotany #ClimateResilience #Biodiversity #Botany #Ecology #PlantScience #Nature #TPC8

  38. 🌿 The neem tree (Azadirachta indica) is tradition, ritual, pollinator ally, and climate guardian. Its bitter leaves and fragrant blossoms tell a story of renewal.

    📖 Read on: TPC8.short.gy/mW9cyvtY

    From roots to canopy, neem reminds us that every part of nature has a role to play.

    #Neem #Ethnobotany #ClimateResilience #Biodiversity #Botany #Ecology #PlantScience #Nature #TPC8

  39. Costume designers at the National Theatre on London’s South Bank are experimenting with using flowers including indigo, dahlias, hollyhocks, camomile and wild fennel to create the vivid colours used in their productions. They have planted a new natural dye garden, from which flowers are being picked to create the colours for the costumes worn in the theatre’s plays.

    theguardian.com/stage/2025/sep

    #theatre #dye #ethnobotany #RoofGarden

  40. Apparently this was a valued food of the Chumash here, but the pits... the pits are poisonous, but you can leach the poisons out before cooking. Similar to acorns. I wonder who figured out you had to leach all these plants before they could be eaten, and the process, 10,000 plus years ago?!?!

    yankeebarbareno.com/2012/09/13

    #ethnobotany #prunusilicifolia #plants #edible #chumash

  41. Apparently this was a valued food of the Chumash here, but the pits... the pits are poisonous, but you can leach the poisons out before cooking. Similar to acorns. I wonder who figured out you had to leach all these plants before they could be eaten, and the process, 10,000 plus years ago?!?!

    yankeebarbareno.com/2012/09/13

    #ethnobotany #prunusilicifolia #plants #edible #chumash

  42. Turkey Mullein (Croton setiger) has toxic foliage, and it was traditionally used by California Native Peoples as a fish poison to stun and catch fish.

    #Nature #Wildlife #California #LearnAboutNature #DiscoverPlants #NativePlants #WildPlants #Ethnobotany

  43. 📗 Luís Mendonça de Carvalho edited the book ‘The Victorians: A Botanical Perspective. Volume 1’ (Springer), which provides us with a 'unique re-evaluation of the Victorian Age and presents a new historiography based on plants'.

    👉 link.springer.com/book/10.1007

    @histodons
    @histodon
    @botany

    #Histodons #Botany #Plants #Historiography #Victorians #VictorianEra #VictorianBotany #EconomicBotany #Ethnobotany #HistoryOfPlants #SocialHistory #HistoryOfScience #SciHist

  44. 📗 Luís Mendonça de Carvalho edited the book ‘The Victorians: A Botanical Perspective. Volume 1’ (Springer), which provides us with a 'unique re-evaluation of the Victorian Age and presents a new historiography based on plants'.

    👉 link.springer.com/book/10.1007

    @histodons
    @histodon
    @botany

    #Histodons #Botany #Plants #Historiography #Victorians #VictorianEra #VictorianBotany #EconomicBotany #Ethnobotany #HistoryOfPlants #SocialHistory #HistoryOfScience #SciHist

  45. “The cactus on your sill and the begonia spilling over a macramé hanger look innocent enough, yet each leaf carries a colonial passport—evidence of centuries-old journeys that pulled Latin American plants and the people who moved them into foreign parlors.”

    latinamericanpost.com/life/lat

    #LatinAmerica #ethnobotany #colonialism

  46. “The cactus on your sill and the begonia spilling over a macramé hanger look innocent enough, yet each leaf carries a colonial passport—evidence of centuries-old journeys that pulled Latin American plants and the people who moved them into foreign parlors.”

    latinamericanpost.com/life/lat

    #LatinAmerica #ethnobotany #colonialism