ly in the Chinantec villages. The surplus is taken to the 
Zapotec town of Santiago Choapam (long. 95° 54%, lat. 
17° 22’) and is there sold to Zapotec tradesmen for very 
small sums. The Zapotecs take the baskets to nearby 
villages and sell them at much higher prices. Apparently 
none of the excellent Chinantec basketry reaches the mar- 
kets of Oaxaca City. ‘The baskets which are sold in the 
capital are made by the Mixtecs of western Oaxaca and 
are constructed of entirely different plant materials. 
The basic plant in this forest Chinantee industry is 
Desmoncus chinantlensis. he men gather the flexuous 
stems of the palm, remove the sheathing spiny petioles 
and bark, and use the lustrous white stems without fur- 
ther treatment. One of the Chinantec names of the plant, 
huan-ka, means, according to the natives, “‘basket (Aa) 
vine (huan).”” 
While most of the baskets are made from Desmoncus 
chinantlensis, other plants may enter into their construc- 
tion. The fibrous aerial roots of epiphytic species of An- 
thurium and Philodendron, which are very abundant in 
the forests of the District of Choapam, are also utilized. 
Usually only portions of the baskets, especially the cov- 
ers, are made from the Anthurium and Philodendron 
roots, while the main part is constructed of Desmoncus 
stems. Sometimes, however, baskets are made entirely 
of Anthurium or Philodendron roots, but these baskets 
ure not so strong and durable as those which are entirely 
or partly made of Desmoncus stems. 
According to Bevan (l.¢., p. 45), the Chinantee bas- 
kets are constructed from the ‘‘vine from which are made 
the splendid hammock-bridges so characteristic of the 
Chinantee.”*’ Many different lianas enter into the con- 
struction of the long and beautiful suspension-bridges 
which are so numerous in northeastern Oaxaca. ‘The most 
common materials which are used for this purpose I 
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