Preliminary List of Botanical Species Grown

PRELIMINARY LIST OF BOTANICAL SPECIES GROWN AT SOUTH CENTRAL COMMUNITY GARDEN

Prepared June 2005 by

Devon G. Peña Department of Anthropology - University of Washington Tezozomoc Campesinos del Sur Centro de Los Angeles

Popular names Scientific name English name Comments (medicinal, culinary, mythic)

Nahuatl Spanish

1. Ahuacatl Aguacate Persea americana Avocado A mainstay of Mexican cuisine; the Nahuatl name translates as “old man’s testicles.” Avocado is used against dandruff, scabs, menstrual cramps and hemorrhage, cough, dysentery, and gout.

2. Tsayaltsay Alache Anoda cristata L. Spurred anoda Treatment for coughs, hair loss, stomach inflammation, poor (Maya) appetite, fever, measles, and deafness. Was considered ‘famine’ food (if corn crops failed).

3. NA Alfalfa Medicago sativa Alfalfa; buffalo herb; Domesticated in Asia before 700 BCE and is thought to have Lucerne been cultivated first in Iran. From South America, alfalfa was first brought to California during the Gold Rush. From California, the crop spread to the Midwest and then further eastward. In Mexico, it is used to make tea; it is used to treat hypertension, lower cholesterol, improve circulation, and relief back pain. 4. NA Artemisia Artemisia ludoviciana Silver wormwood Use as a balm or salve to prevent scarring on skin injuries.

5. NA Calendula Calendula officinalis Pot marigold Flower petals give color to soups, custards, and rice; cookies; vinegars; crafts. Also used as a balm for skin rashes, cuts, and bruises.

6. Capolin Capulin Prunus serotina aff. Capuli Chokecherry An important native fruit-bearing tree of the Southwestern U.S. and Mexico that is used to make jams, jellies, and wines. High in Vitamins and anti-oxidants. The subspecies at South Central is is a Mexican variety known and used in preHispanic times.

7. Chayohtli Chayote Sechium edule (Jacq.) Sw. Chayote A tender, perennial-rooted cucurbit, with climbing vines and leaves resembling those of the cucumber. The light green, pear-shaped fruit, which contains a single, flat edible seed, may weigh as much as 2-3 pounds, but most often is from 6-12 ounces. Chayote is served in many ways: creamed, buttered, fried, stuffed, baked, frittered, boiled, mashed, pickled, in salads, or in pies. Commercially, the biggest market appears to be for pickling. Among Mexica, it was used to treat arteriosclerosis and renal stones.

8. Cuauhtecomatl Guaje Crescentia sp. Calabash Fibers from the calabash tree can be made into twine and rope. The hard wood is used to make tools and tool handles. The split wood is woven into baskets. Gourd-like fruit is truly useful and is used as a bowl or cup.

9. Tzilacayohtli Chilacayote Cucurbita ficifolia Malabar gourd A spreading vine of the Cucumber family, which trails for many (a.k.a. Fig-leaved yards, for training up fences, over pergolas or left to range across gourd) the ground. At South Central, it is commonly used as a shade plant, spreading across home-built trellis; prepared as agua fresca.

10. Chipillin Chipilin Crotalaria guatemalensis Chipilin A wild plant that has become the source of a much appreciated Crotalaraia longirostrata green leafy vegetable in Central America; ranges from being a wild plant to a domesticated one. It may be planted near the house, protected if it appears in a field or simply harvested when it is found in wild stands farther away; an attractive plant with deep green foliage and beautiful yellow flowers; grows very quickly during the rainy season from May to November and will produce edible leaves for up to six years before it needs replacing.

11. Cuahmochitl NA Triadica sebifera L. Small tallowtree Also called the ‘popcorn tree’ because the spiral seed pods can be fried and they taste and have a consistency similar to popcorn; takes about seven years to produce; native of China? 12. Epazotl Epazote Chenopodium ambrosioides Wormseed In the Yucatan, indigenous groups have long used epazote for intestinal parasites, asthma, excessive mucus, chorea (a type of rheumatic fever that affects the brain) and other nervous afflictions; In Mexico, for colic, increasing perspiration, menstrual disorders, nerves, parasites, toothache, tumors, water retention, worms.

13. Etll Frijol Phaseolus vulgaris spp. Bean At South Central there are some dozen different varieties grown including a Guatemalan bean variety whose flowers and not the beans are consumed; Patolli is a game played with beans.

14. Xalxocotl Guayaba Psidium guajava L. Guayaba One of the most widely valued tropical fruits; high in vitamin C. The fruit, when green and unripe, is an effective astringent and laxative. Infusion of any parts of the shrub (flowers, leaves, twigs, peel of the fruit) is a very effective treatment for diarrhia.

15. Coaxihuitl; Hiedra; bejicco Rivea corybosa L. Hall. fil.* Snake plant Of the four main Mexican divinatory agents (along with picietl, seeds are called peyotl, teonanactl), this is the least known to the outside world; it is Ololiuhqui perhaps the best known and most widely used among indigenous people of Mexico.

16. Huazontle Huazontle Chenopodium berlandieri Red Aztec spinach Similar to lambsquarters; most common food use is eating the tender young leaves which are used like Spinach. 17. Xitomatl Jitomate Lycopersicum esculentum Tomato Numerous landrace and heirloom varieties have been developed in Mexico over the past several thousand years. Numerous medicinal uses including treatment of headaches, symptoms of rheumatism and influenza; may decrease heart rate (if accelerated).

18. Centli Maíz Zea mays L. Maize, corn One of the oldest domesticated cultivars; hundreds of varieties have been developed in Mexico; at South Central there are at least a dozen varieties of maize being grown including a green dent variety from Oaxaca and the famous Hopi Blue variety.

19. NA Malva Malva sylvestris L. Mallow; cheese flower Common treatment for bronchitis, tonsillitis, gastroenteritis, pleuresia (inflammation of the membrane that covers the lungs), leucorrea (white discharge), inflammation of the cervix, inflamed hemorrhoids, colitis, rectitis, intestinal infections, cutaneous diseases, and to soften tumors and abscesses.

20. NA Manzanillo Chamaemelum nobile Chamomile Remedy for inflamed skin, cuts, grazes and other wounds. The plant has been used with success on eczema, as an antiseptic and as a tea is an effective sedative to aid restful sleep.

21. Costomatl Miltomate; Physalis sp. Husk tomato; Another important preHispanic food crop; leaves are a diuretic. Tomatillo groundcherry

22. Mohintli Muicle, limalin, Justicia spicigera Mexican honeysuckle Used to treat syphilis and to purify the blood. Also used for Mohuite headaches, kidney pain, anemia, dizziness, insomnia, and to reduce inflammation from blunt force trauma.

23. NA Nispero Manilkara zapota Sapodilla A tropical American evergreen tree that can grow as high as 60 feet and bears fruit.

24. Nopalli Nopal Opuntia sp. Cactus Mexico has more species of cactus than any other country and many varieties have long been consumed as food or medicine. Nopales are also used as a permaculture landscape element and in many areas of northern and central mexico are used as fencing.

25. Tlanapaquelite Oja santa Piper auritum Rootbeer plant Has anise-like smell; used to treat asthma; is prepared in soups as an aromatic herb much likes rosemary; it is also used in tamales.

26. Tzitzicaztli Ortiga menor Urtica urens Dwarf nettle Eaten as a salad after being boiled; high vitamin content (A, C, K); (yerba de los ciegos) used to treat bruises.

27. Papalotl Papalo Porophyllum ruderale ssp. Butterfly plant A pungent herb, it is usually eaten raw on a sandwich; sometimes papaloquelite; used in guacamole and salads; used fresh with soups and stews, yerba del venado grilled meats, beans and salads, much like cilantro. Papalo is not cooked, it is only used raw or added at the last moment. 28. Pipicha Pepicha Porophyllum tagetoides NA Sunny annual with a flavor like cilantro but stronger. Used with (pipicha) squash, corn, cuitlacoche.

29. NA Perejil Petroselinum crispum Mexican parsley Sun-loving biennial that reseeds easily. Mexican parsley is the flat-leafed variety and is used in rice, stews, casseroles, and green mole.

30. Yiauhtli Pericón Tagetes lucida Cav. Mexican tarragon Leaves have a pleasant anise-like scent and mimic almost perfectly (Yerba anise) the fragrance of tarragon. The leaves' taste is similar and very intense; a favored ingredient for mole verde; smoked by the Huichol for religious rituals.

31. NA Plátano Musa sapientum L. Banana Introduced to Mexico in 1537 at a plantation near Uruapan, Michoacan. Can be used to ease the pain caused by a burn by peeling it and placing a strip of the skin (inner side down) on the burn; eaten in overripe state for constipation.

32. Pochotl Pochote Chorisia speciosa Floss silk tree It was used to make the fill for life jackets; seeds can be roasted with the skin; the inner core is sweet like candy; among the Mixtecs it is known as the “Tail of Mother Earth” (cola de madre tierra); in Chalma, Mexico, Mixtecs tie the umbilical chord of a newborn to the tree so that Mother Earth welcomes and cares for the child; people may also place the objects of recently diseased relatives at the base of the trunk or hang their shoes from the branches; tree is associated with Cipactli (Crocodile) or Cuauahtli (Eagle).

33. Huauhtli Quintoniles Amaranthus hybridus Green amaranth Considered the sacred grain of the Mexica. In pre-Hispanic time, the seeds were mixed with human blood and shaped it into dough figures which were worshipped in the month of Panquetzaliztli. It is a very high protein grain with essential amino acids (e.g. lysine).

34. NA Romero Suaeda sp. Seepweed No known medicinal uses; it is used as a seasoning (like salt).

35. Toloatzin Toloache Datura inoxia Jimsonweed Mexica name means “cabeza inclinada” (inclined head). Usually prepared as a tea. The name comes from a combination of tolva, which means “to swallow” from Nahuatl and 0-toloatzin = “It swallows honorific.”

36. Xucul (Maya) Verdolagas Portulaca oleracea Purslane; pigweed The seed is more effectual than the leaves; used to cure dry cough, shortness of breath, and vomiting; anti- bacterial and antifungal properties. Also cooked like Spinach and is especially significant as a Lenten food among Mexican Americans. Itzmiquilitl in Nahuatl.

37. NA Yerba mora Solanum Frutescens A. NA Used in a tea as an anti-inflammatory, painkiller, and for treatment Carachicha of cirrhosis, hepatitis, and other liver ailments.