Abstract

SOLANO GOMEZ, Rodolfo; CRUZ LUSTRE, Gabriela; MARTINEZ FERIA, Aarón  and  LAGUNEZ RIVERA, Luicita. Plants used in the celebration of Holy Week in Zaachila, Oaxaca, Mexico. Polibotánica [online]. 2010, n.29, pp.263-279. ISSN 1405-2768.

We documented the ceremonial use of plants during the celebration of Holy Week in Zaachila, Oaxaca. By means of direct observations and open interviews we obtained information about species utilized, harvest localities, ornaments produced, and participation of people in this annual catholic tradition. Twenty-six plant species, 14 of them orchids, are employed in the elaboration of eight ornaments for Zaachilas churches; most are harvested from the wild, but others are acquired from the local market. Zaachila's inhabitants form three collector groups ("concheros"), each one having the commission to harvest the three most utilized species, Disocactus ackermannii, Huperzia sp., and Prosthechea karwinskii. Since the harvest localities are far from Zaachila, the "concheros" spend an entire week looking for the plants, returning Tuesday of Holy Week, when the village receives them with music, dances, and processions. This day and the next people make the ornaments and put them in Zaachila's churches. We recommend quantifying the impacts of the harvest on the populations of the three most heavily used species and implementing a management plan with the intention of rescuing them from over-utilization.

Keywords : ceremonial plants; ethnobotany; orchids; religious festivals; useful plants; Central Valleys.

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