Abstract

RUAN-SOTO, Felipe et al. Use and handling of wild fungi in two communities of the Lacandona Rainforest, Chiapas, Mexico. Rev. Mex. Mic [online]. 2009, vol.29, pp.61-72. ISSN 0187-3180.

In Chiapas, at the south of Mexico, have been developed some studies about the relation between mushrooms and the mayan people. However, the way that people in the Lacandona Rainforest are related with the mushrooms, their local mycological knowledge, and the mushroom's uses, are points that have been given little attention. In this paper we focus on describing and analyzing aspects related with the mushroom's uses and cultural practices in Playon de la Gloria (PG), a recent mestizo community, and Lacanja-Chansayab (LC), a lacandon community whose ancestors have at least 300 years living in the forest. Through a qualitative approach, we constructed a ethnomycography through different techniques like participant observation, ethnomycological forays and interviews with several informants. In both communities, although they have different histories, have as many similarities as: the number and the composition of edible species (10 in PG, 11 in LC) the vast majority of them are lignicolous; consumption is occasional, there is a total absence of accidental poisoning, and in general, similar patterns of resource management.

Keywords : ethnomycology; ethnobiology; edible mushrooms; local mycological knowledge.

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