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| Click on pictures to enlarge. |
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Opuntia engelmannii
var. lindheimer
(Texas Prickly Pear). |
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| Dr. Dering discusses the many uses of lechuguilla. |
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| Prickly pear, lechuguilla, and sotol can all be processed in an earth oven and have many uses beyond that of food. |
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Ethnobotany of
the Lower Pecos Region
Working with the Amistad National Recreation Area (National Park Service), Phil Dering is working on a book that discusses the ethnobotany of the Lower Pecos, Edwards Plateau, and Trans-Pecos regions of Texas. Plants furnished most of the food, medicine, and raw material for shelter, clothing, and tools to the Native Americans who lived in the for region at least 11,000 years. After European settlers arrived, many of the food and medicinal plants remained in use.
By drawing on National Park Service archeological collections from the Lower Pecos region, Phil has added time depth to the ethnobotany by demonstrating how indigenous people used these plants thousands of years ago.
The Ethnobotany Gallery, posted on the Texas Beyond History website, is the product of this first effort sponsored by the National Park Service, Amistad National Recreation Area. It is part of an ongoing partnership between the National Park Service, Shumla School, and Texas Beyond History. Please visit the Gallery at www.texasbeyondhistory.net/pecos/ethnobot.html. |
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