list of figures - Terry Sunderland

taxa (standing palms) within their palm life-form category (see Ellen, 1998 for a
discussion of this). Indeed it is commonly the case that the life-form category “palm”
of many folk taxonomies do not include climbing palms or other palms exhibiting
significant morphological discontinuities, such as acaulescence (Ellen, 1998).
For example, Berlin (1977) from his research in Peru recorded that the Aguarana
recognise “palm” as a life form, distinct from “tree”, “vine” or “herb”. Yet within this
category, they exclude from this category slender climbing palms (members of the
genus Chamaedorea) as well as a number of acaulescent species (Berlin, 1977). Ellen
(1998) also excludes rattans from his discussion of palm life-form categories in a
number of indigenous societies for the same reason; they are not included within the
same category in which standing palms occur. As such, rattans are commonly
classified separately from other palms as a separate life form (Ellen, 1998); indeed the
word rattan itself is derived from the Malay word rotan, the life form category for all
climbing palms.
In the Niger-Congo language family, “palm” is recognised as a separate life form,
albeit covertly 4 . Yet, as with many other indigenous societies (Berlin, 1977; Ellen,
1998) this life-form category encompasses the standing palms only (Elaeis, Raphia 5 ,
Phoenix & Borassus) and excludes both the climbing palms, and the small acaulescent
genus Sclerosperma, and the stoloniferous Podococcus barteri 6 .
In this Niger-Congo context, climbing palms are recognised as a mutually exclusive
life form category. This life form category, when applied, is explicit and overt and, as
such, is commonly named.
6.6.3 Intermediate and generic categories
Although rattan as a life-form category is distinct in many non-Bantu languages, the
Western Bantu languages do not commonly recognise rattans as a distinct life form, or
if they do, the recognition is covert. In these instances, these societies categorise
4 Where folk taxonomies have names for this category, it is usually polysemous with the oil palm
(Elaeis guineensis), reflecting its symbolic and utilitarian importance.
5 Acaulescent members of this genus are also included under the palm life-form category.
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