This medium-sized tree ( 1 5 m.) of the primary forest is charac- 

 terized by brown urticating hairs on the fruit. The wood is used 

 for spears and blowguns when no chonta (Bactris Gasipaes) is 

 available. The leaves provide emergency thatch. 



Undetermined specimen of Palmae 

 Collect.: Davis & Yost 949. 



Waorani Informant: Geque (m). Downriver dialect: n.v. siyi- 

 cah^nio 



A small palm that attains 4 m. in the primary forest, this treelet 

 has small, hard, black fruits which are shot through blowguns to 

 kill small birds. 



Undetermined specimen of Palmae 



Collect.: Davis & Yost 1016. 



Waorani Informant: Geque (m). Downriver dialect: n.v. omacaho 



The leaves of this 6 m. palm arc especially resistant to rot and, 

 consequently, are highly prized as thatch. The fruits are edible. 



Undetermined specimen of Palmae 



Collect.: Davis & Yost 929. 



Waorani Informant: Taade (m). Ridge dialect: n.v. tepa 



This large 20 m. tree grows in the primary rain forest; the wood 

 is employed for blowguns. 



The Waorani also use the various species of chonta {Bactris 

 Gasipaes and Iriartea sp.) to make blowguns. Two matching 

 sections of wood 3 meters long by 3 centimeters thick are longi- 

 tudinally grooved and bound together so that the grooves form a 

 1-centimeter bore the length of the blowgun. The two pieces are 

 wrapped with a vine {Heteropsis sp.) and sealed with beeswax. 

 The bore is then enlarged and polished with fine sand and wateras 

 an abrasive. The result is a surprisingly straight, highly polished 

 bore. Compared to other Amazonian blowguns, these are rather 

 heavy but very efficient. 



176 



