BOTANICAL MUSEUM LEAFLETS 
HARVARD UNIVERSITY 
Campripngr, Massacuuserts, Jung 27, 1975 Voi. 24, No. 
K'THNOBOTANY OF THE WESTERN 
TARAHUMARA OF CHIHUAHUA, 
MEXICO 
I. Nores ON THE GENUS Agave 
BY 
Roserr A. Byrg, Jr.', Don Burcess’, 
AND ALBINO Mares Trias’ 
INTRODUCTION 
The genus 4 gave, native to Mexico and southwestern 
United States, has played an important role in the ma- 
terial culture of the peoples who lived in its range. In 
the Greater Southwest, various species played a part in 
almost every aspect of aboriginal life (Castetter, Bell and 
Grove, 1988; Gentry, 1972: 9-11). Kven in industri- 
alized Mexico, the maguey plants are important sources 
of commercial fibre (sisal and henequén) and fermented 
beverages (pulque). 
In southwestern Chihuahua, several species of fave 
are still important to the Tarahumara Indians, although 
the intensity of some uses has decreased. From the first 
European observations to the present, numerous writers 
' Botanical Museum of Harvard University. 
* Missionary-linguist, Summer Institute of Linguistics, Rocoroibo, 
Municipio de Guazapares, Chihuahua. 
* A Western Tarahumara from Municipio of Guazapares who is writ- 
ing a series of booklets in Tarahumara and Spanish under the direc- 
tion of Mr. Burgess (cf. Mares, 1972 and 1974). 
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