Southwestern Ethnobotany Collection
The Southwestern Ethnobotany Collection provides easily accessible specimens of plants used by people (past and present) living in southern Nevada and adjacent areas of the United States and Mexico.
Purpose and scope of the collection
The collection supports studies of ethnobotany, that is, the relationship between people, plants, and culture. It explores both traditional usage of plants by prehistoric people and modern usages by many cultures, including ethnic groups found among today’s urban population in the Las Vegas Valley.
Collection — specific interpretations of this policy and special instructions
- Refer to Table and consider all types of plant uses when selecting specimens to include in this collection.
- Plant some species in taxonomic exhibits (i.e., groups of related species) to facilitate comparison of use s of similar species among different cultures.
- Plant some species in geographic exhibits (i.e., with plants from the same part of the world) to facilitate studies of the ethnobotany of individual cultures.
- All trees in ethnobotanical exhibits should be accessioned as individuals.
- Accession only a few individual shrubs of each species within ethnobotanical exhibits.
Programs supported by the collection
- UNLV Biology: BIO 120 Plants and People, BIO 122 Desert Plants, BIO 148 Natural History of the Desert Southwest
- UNLV Landscape Architecture: AAL 246 Plant Materials, AAL 355 History of Landscape Architecture, second through fifth-year design studios (AAL 284, AAL 286, AAL 384, AAL 386, AAL 484, AAL 486, AAL 494, AAL 496)
- CCSN Ornamental Horticulture: OH 103 Ornamental Plant Identification, OH 107B Landscape Materials, OH 213B Drought Tolerant Landscape Plant Identification
Collection data
Type of collection: Special
Year established: 2003
Guidelines created: March 2006
Last revised: March 2006
Proposed by: Fred Landau
Location: n/a
Size: n/a
Amenities: n/a
Last inventoried: in progress
Number of species: n/a
Number of specimens: n/a
Table 1.
Plant Uses to Consider When Selecting Plants for the Southwestern
Ethnobotany Collection1
Plant Uses Related to Food
Food plants
Wild plants, cultivated plants
Primary food sources, secondary food sources
One plant group (e.g., fungi or grains)
All plant groups
Plant parts
Roots, tubers, bulbs
Stems, leaves, tree bark, inflorescence, flowers
Fruits, seeds, nuts, berries
Whole plants
Related uses
Beverages, chewing, smoking
Saps, gums, oils
Spices, condiments, seasonings, herbs
Poisons, plants avoided
Gathering, preparing, and storing food
Plant-gathering and harvesting tools and implements
Hunting and fishing tools and implements
Milling tools and storage facilities or utensils
Cooking and eating utensils
Fuel and charcoal
Agriculture
Farming tools and fencing
Food for livestock
Pest control
Plant Uses Related to Medicine, Ceremony, and Ritual
Medicinal uses
Remedies for people and for livestock
Medicine containers
Ceremonial and ritual uses
Dances and dance implements
Ritual baths
Clothing, adornments
Tools, utensils, implements
Food and drinks
Structures, buildings, shrines, temples
Sacred groves and images
Ritual objects, religious artifacts, incense
Plants avoided
Myths, legends, and magic
Plant Uses Related to Construction, Arts, and Crafts
Construction
Shelter, flooring, framing
Doors and windows
Walls and roofing
Furniture for seating, sleeping, eating
Storage
Construction tools
Transportation
Land conveyances
Boats and rafts
Air transport
Fibercraft
Clothing, textiles, weaving, sewing
Cordage (rope, string)
Matting
Sewing and weaving implements
Basketry
Basket materials
Tools and implements
Personal use
Adornment, jewelry, headdresses
Perfume, cosmetics,
Soaps and oils
Other hygiene products
Leathercraft
Tanning tools and agents
Saddlery and harness
Footwear
Utilitarian uses
Dyes, coloring agents
Gums and glues
Resins, latex, waterproofing, caulking
Pottery glazing
Other uses
Toys, games, sports
Musical instruments
Warfare, armor, weapons
1 Adapted from Susan Bahnick Jones and Mark Elison Hoversten. 2004. “Attributes of a Successful Ethnobotanical Garden”. Landscape Journal, 23(2): 153-169.
