324 



The Aborigines of Brazil. 





it is very remarkable, that almost all of them without ex- 

 ception, occur in the islands of the Caribbean sea, just as 

 in Brazil, and also in widely separated districts of the New 

 World, and that several were known and used in North Ame- 

 rica, Mexico, and Chili, when Columbus landed there for the 

 first time. Another still more remarkable circumstance is 

 this, that these plants are designated by different names in 

 several American languages, but that these same words have 

 also quite a different meaning in each of these languages. 

 This peculiarity, if thoroughly investigated, might throw 

 much light on the aboriginal history of the American man. 

 But I cannot here enter into the subject, and mean only to 

 point out the most important of the plants termed by me my- 

 thical, which occur in Brazil. 



1. Manihot utilissima, Pohl, the poisonous Manioc-plant, 

 from which the common flour and bread of the American are 

 prepared. In the Tupi language it is called Manuba, and in its 

 Guarani dialect Mandiba. Among the Caribs of the continent 

 it has often this name : in the Haiti language it is called Juca> 

 and the flour, Kiere. Among the Chaymas and the Cumana- 

 gotos, the plant is called Quicharapo, the root Quichere. 



2. Manihot Aypi, Pohl ; in Tupi Aypim, the mild Mandi- 

 occa. In Haiti, it is said by Oviedo not to be indigenous. 

 There it is called Boniata ; by the Chaymas, Caze or Cachite ; 

 in Mexico, Huacamote. 



3. Indian corn, Zea Mais, L. I have found no species in 

 use in Brazil, except that known among us. In Paraguay 

 and the most southern provinces of Brazil, the Zea Crypto- 

 sperma, Bonafous, is found. This circumstance deserves 

 more attention, from the fact that at present several others of 

 the species Zea are distinguished as being cultivated in differ- 

 ent parts of the New World. Thus there are the Zea Curayua, 

 Molina, of Chili, the Zea Hirta, Bonafous, of California, 

 the Zea Erythrolepis, Bonafous, of the Missouri districts ; 

 and finally, several species different from all these ; in Mexico. 



