Bonellia macrocarpa ssp pungens

       

Bonellia macrocarpa ssp pungens ( ) ( )

Jacquinia pungens

Theophrastaceae

  • This small tree has a thick trunk, and dense evergreen foliage of stiff, spine-tipped leaves. The orange-red corolla readily separates from the ovary and falls as a unit. The fruit is abour 2 to 2.5 cm long, ovoid, and hard shelled, but fleshy or gelatinous inside. Common in arroyos and on plains from the vicinity of Kino Bay southward and on Tiburon Island. Flowering and fruiting occur at various times, with peak production in late spring. Adornment: the freshly picked corollas were strung as necklaces. These dried flowers reopen when placed in water, taking on a fresh and newly picked appearance, and may be revived many times. Food: the fruit was cracked on a metate and the soft inside part eaten. However, if one ate too much it was said to cause dizziness and possible intestinal disorder. Hunting: great horned owls roosting in this plant were often killed with bow and arrow during the daytime. Medicine: to cure dizziness an infusion of the flowers was used to wash the face. This liquid was also used for eardrops to cure an earache. Play: girls sometimes stuck the sharp leaf-tip just under the skin until the entire hand was outlined with leaves. "People of the Desert and Sea, Ethnobotany of the Seri Indians".

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