Useful plants described in the<i>Plantes Équinoxiales</i>(1805–1817) by Alexander von Humboldt and Aimé Bonpland

Baratto, Leopoldo Clemente

doi:10.1080/23818107.2022.2135021

Cited by 4 publications

(2 citation statements)

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“…Humboldt was a pioneer, inspiring an entire generation of naturalists who succeeded him to explore South American biodiversity. The information gathered by Humboldt greatly contributed to the growing knowledge of South American biodiversity, led to significant advances in understanding the American continent’s natural history and, most importantly, radically changed the view about the importance of nature for the life of the planet [ 26 ].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Amazonian useful plants described in the book “Le Pays des Amazones” (1885) of the Brazilian propagandist Baron de Santa-Anna Nery: a historical and ethnobotanical perspective

Silva,

Oliveira,

Baratto

2024

J Ethnobiology Ethnomedicine

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Background Frederico José de Santa-Anna Nery (1848–1901) was a Brazilian Baron who referred to himself as a "volunteer propagandist" for Brazil in Europe, serving as an immigration agent to publicize the living conditions in the Amazon region, advocating for its development and modernization at the end of the nineteenth century. Santa-Anna Nery’s most famous book is "Le Pays des Amazones" (The Lands of the Amazons), first published in 1885, which the author dedicated a chapter to introduce and report on the Amazonian useful plant species and its relationship with humans. The aim of this work is to understand the historical context and ethnobotanical value of the plant species in the Brazilian Amazon at the end of the nineteenth century through an analysis of the book “Le Pays des Amazones” (1885) by Baron de Santa-Anna Nery, as well as to bring to light the historical importance of this very influential propagandist, who has been forgotten nowadays. Methods The original book “Le Pays des Amazones” (1885), as well as the original 3rd edition and its translated version into Portuguese, was carefully analyzed and all information about plants was systematized, with botanical names being updated. Finally, using the scientific name of medicinal plants alone or in combination with their traditional use, a search was carried out in databases in order to indicate current pharmacological studies that provide evidence about the described traditional uses. Results A total of 156 plant species were identified in the book, although 132 species had their scientific names updated. These species belong to 45 different families, with Fabaceae and Arecaceae the most represented, and 109 plants are Brazilian native. Considering only the 36 medicinal plants, the main medicinal indications reported were astringent, purgative/laxative, stimulant and tonic, vermifuge, febrifuge, sudorific, emetic, diuretic and antidysenteric. Regarding other useful plants (non-medicinal), 97 species were cited for food, constructions and buildings, spices and condiments, ornaments and objects, carpentry, textile fibers, gums, oils, balms and essences, pigments and tanning, hunting and fishing. Conclusions When the book “Le Pays des Amazones” is analyzed from a timeless perspective, with a particular focus on historical ethnobotany, it is possible to observe the economic, social, and political importance of many useful plants for the Amazon at the end of the nineteenth century and how the relationship between local people, indigenous communities, and immigrants was established with plant biodiversity.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Amazonian useful plants described in the book “Le Pays des Amazones” (1885) of the Brazilian propagandist Baron de Santa-Anna Nery: a historical and ethnobotanical perspective

Silva,

Oliveira,

Baratto

2024

J Ethnobiology Ethnomedicine

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“…In addition, French naturalists reported Latin American natural resources described in expeditions conducted by Charles Plumier (1689–1697) to the West Indies (Martinique and Haiti) [ 17 ], by Joseph de Jussieu (1735–1771) to Peru [ 18 ], by Charles-Marie de la Condamine (1735–1744) from the Peruvian Andes to the Atlantic Ocean through the Amazon river [ 19 ], and by Jean-Baptiste C. F. Aublet (1762) in the French Guiana [ 20 ], among others [ 21 ]. Some of the most important naturalists of that time were Alexander von Humboldt and Aimé Bonpland who explored South and Central America between 1799 and 1804, collecting more than 6000 plant specimens [ 22 ].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Female naturalists and the patterns of suppression of women scientists in history: the example of Maria Sibylla Merian and her contributions about useful plants

Mariath

Baratto

2023

J Ethnobiology Ethnomedicine

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Background This work reunites many women naturalists who registered knowledge about native flora in scientific expeditions around the globe between the seventeenth and nineteenth centuries. Since male naturalists are more recognized in this period of time, we aimed to list female naturalists that published plant descriptions and observations, focusing on the work of Maria Sibylla Merian and to analyze her trajectory as an example to discuss the patterns of the suppression of women scientists. A second aim was to inventory the useful plants described in Maria Sibylla’s Metamorphosis Insectorum Surinamensium and find pharmacological evidence about the traditional uses described for those plants cited as medicinal and toxic. Methods A survey of female naturalists was carried out by searching information in Pubmed, Scielo, Google Scholar and Virtual Health Library. Once Maria Sibylla published her book Metamorphosis Insectorum Surinamensium by her own, without male co-authors, and also this book is one of the only to have text and illustrations altogether and there are reports indicating information on useful plants in this work, she and her book were chosen as subject of this research. All the information was tabulated by dividing the plants into food, medicinal, toxic, aromatic or other uses. Finally, with the combinations of the scientific name of medicinal and toxic plants with information about their popular uses, a search was carried out in databases in order to indicate current pharmacological studies that reported evidences about the traditional uses described. Results We found 28 women naturalists who participated in scientific expeditions or trips, or in a curiosity cabinet, or who were collectors of Natural History between the seventeenth and nineteenth centuries. All these women illustrated botanical species and/or recorded their everyday or medicinal use or reported their observations in the form of a published work, letters or diaries. Also, the trajectory of Maria Sibylla Merian revealed that her scientific relevance has been neglected from the eighteenth century by mechanisms of suppression, most of the time by male depreciation, which can be seen as a pattern for suppression of women in science. However, Maria Sibyllas’ contributions have been valued again in the twenty-first century. In Maria Sibylla’s work, 54 plants were identified, 26 of them used for food, 4 of them aromatic, 8 medicinal, 4 toxic and 9 other uses. Conclusion This study evidences that there are female naturalists whose work could be an important source for ethnopharmacological studies. Researching about women scientists, talking about them and highlighting the gender bias present in the scientific academy about the way the history of science is told is essential for the construction of a more diverse and richer scientific academy. The traditional use of 7 of 8 medicinal plants and 3 of 4 toxic plants reported was correlated with pharmacological studies, highlighting the importance of this historical record and its potential to direct strategic research in traditional medicine.

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Deciphering the historical tapestry of medicinal plants and remedies in Brazil: an analysis of sales records from the Botica Real between 1806 and 1818

de Souza Carvalho,

de Souza,

Ramos

et al. 2024

ADV TRADIT MED (ADTM)

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Useful plants described in thePlantes Équinoxiales(1805–1817) by Alexander von Humboldt and Aimé Bonpland

Cited by 4 publications

References 36 publications

Amazonian useful plants described in the book “Le Pays des Amazones” (1885) of the Brazilian propagandist Baron de Santa-Anna Nery: a historical and ethnobotanical perspective

Amazonian useful plants described in the book “Le Pays des Amazones” (1885) of the Brazilian propagandist Baron de Santa-Anna Nery: a historical and ethnobotanical perspective

Female naturalists and the patterns of suppression of women scientists in history: the example of Maria Sibylla Merian and her contributions about useful plants

Deciphering the historical tapestry of medicinal plants and remedies in Brazil: an analysis of sales records from the Botica Real between 1806 and 1818

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