Lophocereus schottii ( ) ( )

Cactaceae

• L. schottii is widespread in the lowlands of Tiburon Island and the mainland in the Seri region. Flowering and fruiting occur in hot weather from late spring to fall, although peak flwering and fruiting tend to be in early summer. The Seri reported that L. schottii in to areas - one near the cnter of Tiburon Island and the other on the mainland near Punta Sargento - flower and fruit twice a year. The spineless fruit is 2 to 3 cm in diameter and becomes red when ripe. Food: the fruit was eaten fresh, although generally not harvested as a "crop". However, the people who lived in the interior of Tiburon Island ate much of the fruit. Since the fruit is mostly within easy reach, no pole was needed to collect it. Sometimes a fruit-bearing limb would be cut but not entirely severed, so that it swung down, allowing fruit in the center of the plant to be more accessible. Games: boys played a game called hasahcápoj pte cjeaatim "hitting each other with senita". They cut the spines off slabs of the cactus and then, choosing sides, threw them at one another. Shelter: the wood was occasionally used in the walls of the wattle and daub house and as part of the brush house. The Supernatural: L. schottii was one of the first plants formed. The spirit of vegetation called xeele quionam "fog with-hat". Anyone might seek the aid of the spirit of the L. schottii against an enemy. He could place a curse against someone whom he disliked, or seek help against coming danger - for example, against a curse which he believed someone had placed on him. However, one knew that that he got involved with the L. schottii at great personal risk. If too frequent use was made of the cactus in placing a curse on someone, that curse might backfire and affect him instead. The person was then said to be hhe yaróocot 'plant what-it-made crazy'. Also, if one began to fear the plant while seeking its power, he would become ill. To place a curse, one cut a hole in a plant stem on the side facing the south wind and put a strand of the enemy's hair or a piece of cloth which had absorbed that person's sweat or saliva into the hole. The spirit of the cactus would cause the enemy to become weak and sickly and eventually die. Should the supplicant suddenly become fearful of the spirit of the plant with which he was dealing, he must smash a small chunk of the plant and mix the juice with any one of the various native paints. This mixture was used to paint crosses on the face and thus avoid sickness that might otherwise affect him. One who painted his face for this reason was called hehe ccatim 'plant who-uses'. People who saw the crosses painted on his face might fear that he had been placing a curse on them. A person who believed he had obtained good results from the spirit of the plant and continued to seek its help was called hehe ozíim 'plant what-he-enjoys'. He might paint his face with the above-mentioned paint to bring good luck to himself and his family. Good luck was solicited from the spirit of the plant by wedging clamshells, or sometimes twigs or other objects into the stems of the cactus. This good luck cache was called hasahcápoj heeyolca 'senita what-are-given-to'. It was believed that the plant was able to hear a conversation and people, therefore often avoided it. Toys: a section of the living stem was made into a toy. The fleshy part was removed from the woody central portion, leaving wheel-like discs at each end. The same toy was also made from Stenocereus thurberi. The stem from which it was made could remain alive for many months - even a year or more. "People of the Desert and Sea, Ethnobotany of the Seri Indians".