Table 3 Uses of Euterpe precatoria (A) and E. oleracea (B) gathered from 483 informants in 10 amazonian communities in Peru and Bolivia, distributed by ethnic groups and use categories. Use-reports are shown in parenthesis. (*) Local name for an ornament used during carnaval; (**) Axis used to form rubber bales (made from Hymenaea courbaril)
Palm use category | Palm use sub-category | Part plant used | Peru | Bolivia | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Awajun | Cocama | Mestizo-Iquitos | Chácobo | Mestizo-Riberalta | |||
A. Uses of Euterpe precatoria | |||||||
Construction | Houses | Stem | Roof frame (4) / Walls (4) | Floor frame (66) / Walls (87) / Flooring (6) | Roof frame (19) / Floor frame (2) / Walls (138) / Flooring (14) / Stake (6) | Walls (49) | Walls (71) / Flooring (6) |
Thatch | Entire leaf | Thatch (5) | Thatch (63) | Ridgepole (5) / Thatch (12) | Thatch (72) | Thatch (73) / Roof edge (4) | |
Stem | - | - | Rods for thatch (6) | - | - | ||
Environmental | Fences | Stem | - | - | Fences (1) | - | - |
Human food | Beverages | Fruit | - | Juice (77) | Juice (136) | Juice (71) | Juice (77) |
Food | Fruit | Edible (39) | Edible (5) | Edible (47) | Edible (19) | Edible (4) | |
Palm heart | Edible (45) | Edible (83) | Edible (163) | Edible (77) | Edible (79) | ||
Medicinal and veterinary | Blood and cardiovascular system | Fruit | - | Anemia (4) | Anemia (1) | - | - |
Root | - | Anemia (1) / Blood pressure (2) | Anemia (3) | Anemia (4) | Anemia (72) | ||
Digestive system | Fruit | - | - | - | - | Diarrhea (6) | |
Root | Hepatitis (2) | Liver pain (2) | Colic in babies (2) / Diarrhea (5) / Stomach pain (2) / Hepatitis (5) / Liver pain (2) / Gallbladder (2) | - | - | ||
Endocrine system | Root | - | Diabetes (3) | Diabetes (2) | - | - | |
General ailments with unspecific symptoms | Fruit | - | - | Body weakness (2) | - | - | |
Root | - | Fever (1) | Body pain (3) / Indisposition (2) | - | - | ||
Infections and infestations | Root | - | Malaria (25) | Malaria (33) | Amoebas (21) | Amoebas (7) | |
Metabolic system and nutrition | Root | - | - | - | Malnutrition (2) | - | |
Musculo-skeletal system | Root | - | Rheumatism and arthritis (1) | Hernia (2) / Rheumatism and arthritis (1) | - | - | |
Poisonings | Stem | - | - | - | Snakebit antidote (7) | - | |
Root | - | - | - | Snakebit antidote (2) | - | ||
Pregnancy, birth and puerperial | Root | Galactogogue (3) | Antiabortive (1) | Antiabortive (1) / Childbirth problems (5) | - | - | |
Reproductive system and sex health | Root | - | - | Uterus infections (3) / Menstrual problems (5) | - | - | |
Respiratory system | Stem | - | - | - | Pneumonia (1) | - | |
Root | - | - | Bronchitis (1) / Pneumonia (14) | - | - | ||
Sensory system | Root | - | Ear ache (5) | - | - | - | |
Urinary system | Root | - | Inflammation of kidneys (41) | Prostate (4) / Inflammation of kidneys (44) | - | - | |
Other medicinal uses | Root | - | Hairloss (3) | Hairloss (2) / Stomach cancer (2) | - | - | |
Not specified at all | Root | - | - | Unspecified (13) | - | - | |
Cultural uses | Clothes and accessories | Spear leaf | - | Hats (6) | - | - | Hats (8) |
Cosmetics | Fruit | - | - | - | - | Hair oil (2) | |
Dyes | Fruit | - | - | Dyes (9) | - | - | |
Root | - | - | Dyes (2) | - | - | ||
Spear leaf | - | - | Dyes (1) | - | - | ||
Personal adornment | Seed | - | Jewellery (9) | Jewellery (18) | - | Jewellery (1) | |
Ritual | Entire plant | - | “Umsha” (2) (*) | - | - | - | |
Utensils and tools | Domestic and utensilis | Infrutescense | - | - | - | Broom (1) | - |
Leaf rachis | - | - | - | Broom (5) | - | ||
Spear leaf | - | Fan (10) / Basket (2) / Mats (1) | - | - | Fan (25) / Basket (2) / Mats (2) | ||
Stem | - | - | - | - | Mesons (3) / Shelf (6) / Ceiling (7) | ||
Hunting and fishing tools | Stem | - | - | Arc (2) | - | - | |
Labor tools | Stem | - | - | - | - | “Tendal” (2)(**) | |
Other | Human food | Stem | Larvae edible (2) | - | - | - | - |
Medicinal | Stem | - | - | - | Larvae cough (7) | - | |
B. Uses of Euterpe oleracea | |||||||
Construction | Houses | Stem | - | - | Frame (6) / Walls (8) / Flooring (2) | - | Walls (1) |
Thatch | Entire leaf | Thatch (2) | - | Thatch (2) | - | Thatch (3) | |
Environmental | Ornamental | Entire plant | - | Ornamental (27) | - | - | - |
Human food | Beverages | Fruit | - | - | Juice (8) | Juice (13) | Juice (41) |
Food | Fruit | Edible (17) | - | Edible (3) | - | - | |
Palm heart | Edible (37) | - | Edible (10) | - | Edible (21) | ||
Medicinal and veterinary | Blood and cardiovascular system | Root | - | - | - | - | Anemia (2) |
Digestive system | Root | - | - | Gallbladder (2) | - | - | |
General ailments with unspecific symptoms | Fruit | - | - | Body weakness (2) | - | - | |
Root | - | - | Indisposition (2) | - | - | ||
Pregnancy, birth and puerperial | Root | Galactogogue (3) | - | - | - | - | |
Respiratory system | Root | - | - | Pneumonia (2) | - | - | |
Urinary system | Root | - | - | Inflammation of kidneys (2) | - | - | |
Not specified at all | Root | - | - | Unspecified (2) | - | - | |
Other uses | Human food | Stem | Larvae edible (5) | - | - | - | - |