Herba Cana - Northeastern Illinois University

© 2004 by CRC Press
The Ethnobotany 529
Several indigenous names are descriptive or simple
terms. Among those are caajandiva [caajandivas] (caa,
plant, jandiva, from ñandi’á, catfish, Tupí, Brazil),
caaponga [caapononga, caponga] (caa, plant, ponga,
climber, Tupí, Brazil), chabak [chab-ak, chabac, chapak]
(chab, bad odor, ak, vine, Maya, Yucatán),
guacochile (if Náhuatl, maybe from uactoc, mature,
chilli, chile, El Salvador), guaicuru (maybe Taino), and
turicua [tiricua, jiricua] (Guanajuato, Tamaulipas).
The Huastec call it hurika, and some people have
spelled that eureka (San Luis Potosí). The second
spelling has no linguistic relation to ‘‘eureka’’ in
English.
Leaves and roots when applied to the skin produce
almost instant reddening and in a short time blisters.
An external decoction is used to treat erysipelas, felon,
itch, mange, warts, external ulcers, leprosy, and similar
problems (Bye 1986). Root juices have also been used
to cauterize ulcers in horses (Mors et al. 2001). The
same parts are poisonous if taken internally (Tokarnia
and Dobereiner 1982, Medeiros et al. 2001, Mors et al.
2001). Plumbago europea has similar properties and is
used as an emetic; when chewed, the plant increases
saliva flow. Roots are used from both species to relieve
pains in ears and teeth, for swollen joints, and as a
purgative (Mors et al. 2001). Beggars have applied the
leaves to raise sores on their body to arouse pity
(Standley 1920 /1926). Leaves and roots are macerated
in alcohol and applied to the skin to treat rheumatism
(Pittier 1926, Petersen 1974, Liogier 1974).
Roots and leaves contain plumbagin (Harborne
1967), a naphthoquinone derivative characteristic of
most species in the genus (Mors et al. 2001). There are
related compounds in P. scandens and other species
(Sankaram et al. 1979, Bhattacharyya and Carvalho
1986, Dinda and Chel 1992, Dinda 1994, Gupta et al.
1999). Plumbagin is active against several fungi and
bacteria (Gonçalves de Lima et al. 1968, Vijver and
Lotter 1971, Bambode and Shukla 1974, Durga et al.
1990, Ahmad et al. 1998, Ali-Shtayeh and Abu
Ghdeib 1999, Beg and Ahmad 2000). In addition,
plumbagin and related compounds have shown promise
in cancer treatment, for inhibiting inflammation,
in controlling cholesterol, and improving cardiotonic
action (Melo et al. 1974, Itoigawa et al. 1991, Sharma
et al. 1991, Oyedapo 1996, Devi et al. 1999).
Several studies show that the chemicals in Plumbago
inhibit feeding by insects (Kubo et al. 1980,
Sharma 1984, Hassanali and Lwande 1989). In spite of
the potpourri of toxins in the plants, one genus of
North American butterfly uses Plumbago for its
larvae. Those animals are butterflies in the genus
Leptotes, but specifically L. cassius (Cassius blue) and
L. marina (marine blue) use Plumbago (Brown 1990,
Minno and Minno 1999). How the larvae of those tiny
blue gems can ingest the scalding compounds with
immunity is unknown. Yet, when they become adults,
they can also sip nectar from the flowers.
Podophyllum
(From Greek pous, podos, a foot, and phyllon, a leaf;
Linnaeus modified the name from Catesby’s Anapodophyllum,
duck foot leaf)
Podophyllum peltatum. From Britton and Brown 1897.
Podophyllum peltatum (shield-shaped)
behen (from Medieval Latin behen, corrupted from
Arabic bahman [behmen], a kind of root; the
word appeared in English in Henry Lyte’s 1578
translation of Dodoens’s Cruydeboek of 1554 as
‘‘Called ... of herboristes at this day Behen, or
Been album’’)
che-sa-ne-pe-sha (it pains the bowels, Osage; also
called shon’-gthin-dse)
citron (fruits resembling Citrus medica, among the
French in 1700, Missouri); citron sauvage (wild
citron, Citrus medica, Quebec)
devil’s-apple; hog apple (Iowa); Indian apple; mugapple
duck’s foot (in use by the 1730s by Catesby); wild
duckfoot
fala imisito (fala, crow, im, its, isito, pumpkin,
Choctaw); fala intanchi (fala, crow,in, its, tanchi,
corn, Choctaw); falaanosi’ (fala, crow,aanosi’,
bed, Chickasaw)
ipecacuana (from ipega’kwai, duck’s penis, or ipekaa-guéne,
creeping plant causing vomiting,
Tupí, Carolinas, Catesby 1731 /1732)