Poisoned Arrows - Specimen details
| Catalogue Number: 38648 | |||||
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Plant Name | 200.00 POACEAE Gynerium sagittatum | Entry Book Number | 49.1851 | |
| Artefact Name | Poisoned Arrows | Vernacular Name | |||
| Iso Country | Colombia | TDWG Region | Colombia | ||
| Parts Held | Poisoned Arrows | Geography Description | Lower Vaupes Riverx0Dx0ALocality revised 2019 | ||
| Uses | Poisoned ArrowsUse: MATERIALS User: Not defined | TDWG use | MATERIALS | ||
| Storage | Extra-large shelving | Related Items | |||
| Donor | Spruce R | Donor No | 78 | ||
| Donor Date | 00/00/1851 | Donor Notes | Donor reformatted 2019 | ||
| Collector | Spruce R | Collector No | |||
| Collection Notes | Collection Date | ||||
| Exhibition | Expedition | ||||
| Number Components | Publication | ||||
| Notes: | Label source: Curabi or poisoned arrows of the Maupe Indians. The shaft is made of the flower spike of G. sacchariodes and the heads of Paxiuba Iriartea exorrhiza Mart.x0Dx0Ax0Dx0ASource: Spruce, R. (1855) Domestic Uses. Plantae Amazonicae. Domestic Uses. (pp31, -61) and miscellaneous notes, p46.: This exceedingly handsome grass is most abundant in the Amazon. It is found on Rio Negro near every village where Indians themselves consider it has been planted. I have never seen it truly wild. On Amazon from RioN, egro upwards one scarcely ever loses sight of it, long broad strips often unmined with any other plant. Its aspect is quite that of a bed of reeds on a gigantic scale. Its usual height is 15-20 ft but on upper Marañon in places where it is mixed with tr, ees which at once drew it up and prevented it being overborne by waters in flood-time, I have seen stems 30ft which thickness can be that of man's ankle. When it grows it puts forth from lowest joints buttresses which barely exist on plants of ordinaryst, ature.x0Dx0Ax0Dx0AThe use for which this grass is chiefly known is that in its long smooth light and at same time elastic peduncle the Indian finds best material for his arrow. By simply splitting in the middle these peduncles can be framed into very neat bird c, ages of stout cuticle, fine hair -combs are made by Indians on Uaupés. The stems are perhaps more universally used in the Province of Mayna than any other vegetation product. The walls of the Indians houses, the ceilings, the stages on which he dries h, is fishes and other articles are simply stems of caña brava. With this he fastens up his mosquito net and the white man is glad to follow his example and also fence his garden and make hen coops. For common purposes it is used in its rough state withper, sistent leaf sheath still on, but for ceilings and other uses in interiors of houses the sheaths are stripped. As I came up Nacuta my Indians each provided himself with a 12ft long stem of caña brava which served to propel the canoe whenever water was sh, allow enough more quickly than oars do. Also manufactured into durable hats.x0Dx0Ax0Dx0Ax0Dx0ASource Museum entry book 1847-1855, pp 77-78: Growing in large beds on the Itah de mari- mari- luba, in the Amazon, between Santarem and Obidos. The whole of this was over, 20 ft high and it was cut off from the ground The five pairs of ropes which hold it down to the earth would seem to be scarcely needed in the dry season, but in the wet season when 5 to 15 feet of its stem are under water and the river sweeps alongwith, great fury it is obvious that without their stay, the plant must speedily be uprooted. The length here sent is 7 ft 8 inches. Above this was the fiche, the naked stalk of the panicle. Lastly at the summit was the noble mane like panicle, clad with myr, iads of purple and silver flowers.x0Dx0A | ||||
| Determinations: | 187.00 PALMAE Iriartea exorrhiza Mart. 200.00 POACEAE Gynerium sagittatum (Aubl.) Beauv. 200.00 POACEAE Gynerium sacchariodes Bonpl. | ||||