Medical Ethnobotany in the OzarkOuachita Highlands

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Medical Ethnobotany in the Ozark-Ouachita
Highlands

• Justin M. Nolan
• Department of Anthropology
• University of Arkansas

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Goals of the Study

• Document medicinal plant knowledge in the Ozark
  and Ouachita Mountains
• Examine the influence of ecological and cultural
  variables on ethnobotanical knowledge
• Investigate the taxonomy of medicinal flora
• Gain insight into traditional health beliefs in
  Ozark-Ouachita Mountain culture

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Map of the Study Region
Pinpoints indicate location of respondents
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Physiography of the Ozarks

• The Ozarks Elevations range from 250-2400 feet
  above sea level
• Mixed oak-hickory forests are predominant in the
  uplands, with sweet gum and river birch common in
  the bottomlands
• Limestone soils help sustain a rich and diverse
  regional flora

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Overview of the Region The Ozarks
Limestone outcrop, Madison County
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Physiography of the Ouachitas

• Elevations ranging from 400-2800 feet
• Characterized by long, parallel ridges running
  from east to west
• Acidic soils sustain fewer varieties of
  herbaceous species
• Vast forests of shortleaf and loblolly pine
  predominate throughout

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Overview of the Region The Ouachitas
Mountain Landscape near Mt.Ida, Montgomery County
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Cultural Characteristics of the Ozarks and
Ouachitas

• Colored by rural lifestyles, retention of
  traditional customs, and resistance to change and
  technology
• Natives are largely Euroamerican (e.g.,
  Scotch-Irish), Cherokee, or mixed
  Euroamerican-Native American ancestry
• Strong emphasis on self-sufficiency,
  independence, and resourcefulness.

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Plant-Based Medicine in the Ozarks and Ouachitas

• The region boasts a rich tradition of medicinal
  plant use, essential to cultural identity
• Medicinal plants exist in various habitats
  forests, pastures, roadsides, stream banks, and
  semi-cultivated herb gardens
• Botanicals are generally dried, crushed, steeped
  in water, and ingested as decoctions to treat
  respiratory, circulatory, and digestive disorders.

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Research Methods

• Snowball sample of community experts
• Ouachitas (Euroamerican, n 12)
• Eastern Ozarks (Euroamerican, n 14)
• Western Ozarks (Cherokee, n 13)
• Successive freelist technique
• Participant observation
• Voucher specimens
• Collection of forest composition data
• Collection of sociodemographic data

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Medicinal Flora of the Region
Sassafras (Sassafras albidum)
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Medicinal Flora of the Region
Asteraceae The Sunflower Family
Tickseed (Coreopsis spp.)
Coneflower (Echinacea spp.)
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Medicinal Flora of the Region
Rosaceae The Rose Family
Blackberry (Rubus spp.)
Wild Strawberry (Fragaria virginiana)
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Medicinal Flora of the Region
Lamiaceae The Mint Family
Heal All (Prunella vulgaris)
Lemon balm (Melissa officinalis)
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Medicinal Flora of the Region(The Roots of
Wellness)
Ginseng (Panax qinquefolius)
Bloodroot (Sanguinaria canadensis)
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Preparing Kanuchi from Hickory Nuts (Carya texana)
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Comparison of Plants Listed by Region
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Summary of Results

• Knowledge of medicinal flora is influenced by
  ecological factors (e.g., region-specific flora)
  and sociodemographic factors (e.g., age,
  ethnicity, geographic isolation).
• Traditional medicine is efficacious and dynamic,
  but persistent among many generations of hill
  dwellers.

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Summary of Results

• The majority of medicinal plants reported in the
  Ozarks and Ouachitas are common, perceptually
  distinct, and widely distributed within each
  region.
• The most culturally relevant species contain
  bioactive compounds
• Medically salient flora are concentrated within a
  limited set of plant families.

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Summary of Results

• Ethnomedical knowledge and praxis remains intact
  in remote communities with an aging population,
  and limited access to conventional health
  facilities
• Ozark-Ouachita medical beliefs coexist alongside
  modern medicine, and do not necessarily conflict
  with it.