The ethnobotany of the Paumarí Indians

Abstract

The ethnobotany of the Paumarí Indians was studied because their plant uses are fast being forgotten with the encroachment of western culture. A brief description of some of the common plants used in everyday life and of their food crops is given. The two narcotic snuffs made from Tanaecium nocturnum (Bignoniaceae) and Virola elongata (Myristicaceae) are described in some detail. A list of medicinal and poisonous plants is also given. © 1977 The New York Botanical Garden.