Nabhan, G.P. 1990. Gathering the desert. University of Arizona Press, p. 3-19.
This reading truly intrigued me. I've been down to the deserts in Southern California (Death Valley) a few times, but never did I imagine that the plants surrounding me were such big sources of food or cures - the most I got from the desert were cacti through my shoes (ouch!).
Sorry, I couldn't find the picture of me with a cactus in my leg, but here's the lovely barren/desert view of Drumheller anyway ( PS: I'm the little one in hot-pink pants).
It's sad to think that the traditional uses of the plants is becoming vestigial (like our appendixes!) in today's society - they're all still around us, but we won't know how to use 'em. Truthfully, I'll admit that the only plants I know how to use as a cure are garlic, onions, and sage (and those are very widely used as cures).
NATURE'S CROP CIRCLES!!! Now this part of the paper I really liked, and upon looking up images of 'King Clone' it really does look like an eerie desert crop circle!
It's crazy to see how they form rings. When I thought about it I thought that they would form multiple rings, but apparently they grow by allelopathic growth. This causes them to release chemicals inhibiting growth of any other plants surrounding them - essentially meaning that the creosote bush will keep on growing in an outward ring because they cannot grow where they have already grown.
***
MORE OF MY ESSAY:
The Peculiar case in which the fruit is the ‘prize’
“Isn’t ‘Bard on the Beach’ great?” I ask as the car is stuck in Vancouver’s evening traffic.
“Not bad, not bad, “ is my uncle’s reply, “Speaking of Shakespeare, do you know where potatoes originated?”
Transitions like this always take me aback. “Um, Ireland?”
“Idiot.”
Green mountains that reach like towers towards the blue skies, with white clouds
surrounding the peaks like swirling snakes. Potatoes – Solanum tuberosum – the tuber
known to all, originated in the lower Andes of South America some 10,000 years ago.
Their introduction to Europe – and subsequent spread to other parts of the globe – was
only some 400 years ago during the Spanish conquests of the 16th century.
All my life I have been ignorant of these facts, and this ignorance has been quite
limiting. I have been eating maybe two or three varieties, imagine my surprise at finding
out that there are one hundred commonly produced varieties worldwide, and over 4000
varieties in total!
The late spring soil is still a bit hard as I work with a pitchfork to make even rows
and mounds in the planters. The sun is shining down, getting hotter by the day, and the
spuds in the bucket next to me have begun sprouting. Taking a knife I carefully cut the
spuds in half, making sure each half has a sprout or two. I push each spud into the
shallow trenches, spacing them by six inches, and covering them with a mound of soil.
After thoroughly saturating the planters there’s nothing to do but wait.
It doesn’t take long for small, dark green leaves to poke through the tough soil.
Once the sunlight hits the leaves it almost seems as though their growth is a race. Just
over a month after planting them a canopy of green covers the ground like a thick carpet.
These potatoes are up to my knee – I smile, remembering the first time had
planted potatoes. Back then the only planter available was in the darkest corner of the
yard, and what I got for all my hard work was a wild tangled mess taller than me in
height!
Spring passes, summer wears on, and the last petal drop to the dusty soil below.
“Hey dad, the potato plants have little green things that look like tomatoes…”
“Don’t eat those!!”
This turns out to be good advice. For even though the potato and tomato are of
the same family, the small ‘tomato-like’ fruit of the potato is full of the toxin solanine.
“The fact that there are fruits means that we can soon harvest the potatoes. Just make
sure to add more soil to the planter, don’t let the potatoes poke through.”
“Okay.”
As with the fruit, if the growing potatoes come in contact with sunlight they will
photosynthesize and simultaneously begin producing solanine.
(only about half-way done, but some insightful comments might be nice)
