In 2013, Hidden Garden created a special area for the Smilacaceae Family, which has been exported unsustainably from Central America for almost 500 years. This unique family includes the Cuculmecas (Smilax domingensis or panamensis) and Sarsaparillas (usually Smilax officionalis) which are used to clean the blood, detoxify organs, fight infections and balance the body. We have recently added a collection of Dioscoreas known as White Cuculmecas, including Dioscorea Mexicana, a “Wild Yam”, one of the original ingredients of birth control pills.

 

The Smilax Conservation Project has the following components:

  1. A botanical collection in the garden of as many Smilax varieties as are available in the area. This area has the correct canopy requirements, drainage and soil conditions for growth.
  2. Ethnobotanical research to determine the correct taxonomy and phytochemistry for each species collected, as well as the historical uses of the family as per geographic area and ethnicity.
  3. Developing networks, including academic, local and social media, leading to the organization of existing efforts and documentation
  4. Online and onsite libraries of relevant resources.
  5. Creating a nursery for the sale and donation of sustainably-harvested rhizome starters.
  6. Creating educational material for local traditional communities to correctly identify their most powerful plants, including the Smilax members, as well as instructions for accessing online research resources.
  7. Together with Rich Coast Project, archiving wellness traditions of the area and promoting legal and scientific literacy for ethnobotanical conservation.
SMILACACEAE ONLINE RESEARCH LIBRARY

Check out these resources that we have collected during our research!

 

Author
Title
Link
Type
Tags
Alan Bolt Plantas medicinales http://www.cenaturaleza.org/doc/1328225810_Plantas%20Medicinales%20%C3%A1rea%20protegida%20Macizo%20de%20Pe%C3%B1as%20Blancas.pdf Online PDF file Medicinal Plants, Central America, Nicaragua, Research, Reference, Ethnobotanical, Methods
Aldo Orlando López Salguero Caracteristicacion de una Planatacion de Zarzaparilla http://biblioteca.usac.edu.gt/tesis/01/01_2135.pdf Smilax, Herbs, Identification, Global, Reference
Andres Hernandez Panama Silvestre: Detalles sobre la vida silvestre en Panama http://panamasilvestre.blogspot.com/2011/11/smilax-spinosa-var-spinosa-smilaceae.html Online Photos Identification
Anne E. Winterbottom Of the China Root: A Case Study of the Early Modern Circulation of Materia Medica http://shm.oxfordjournals.org/content/28/1/22.short?rss=1 Online Abstract Abstract, Reference, Journal
Armando Cáceres, Sully M. Cruz, Vincente Martinex, Isabel Gaitan, Aylin Santizo, Susana Gattuso, Martha Gattuso Revista Brasileira de Farmacognosia: Ethnobotanical, pharmacognostical, pharmacological and phytochemical studies on Smilax domingensis in Guatemala http://www.scielo.br/scielo.php?pid=S0102-695X2011005000211&script=sci_arttext Online Article Reference, Methods, Results, Ethnobotanical, Pharmacology, Chemistry, Characteristics, Reference
Castro-Cortes, R My Virtual Herbarium V 1.9.8 http://reservaeleden.org/plantasloc/material/herbario/herbario.html Online Herbarium Plants, endangered species, Tropical Research Center, Veracruz University
Centro Agronomico Tropical de Investigacion y Enseñanza, Proyecto Conservacion para el Desarrollo Sostenible en America Central Informe final Proyecto Conservacion para el Desarrollo Sostenible en America Central Fase 1 (1989-1992) https://books.google.com/books?id=lOUNAQAAIAAJ&dq=smilax+cuculmeca&source=gbs_navlinks_s Online Book Conservation, Sustainable, Central America
Cloverleaf Farm Online Herbal Encyclopedia of Knowledge http://www.cloverleaffarmherbs.com/sarsaparilla/ Online Database Reference, Herbal Encyclopedia, History, Actions, Componets, Medicinal Parts, Traditional Uses
Dra. Lilian Ferrufino, Zamorano Honduras Plantas Para La Salud del Mundo https://blogzamorano.wordpress.com/2015/05/28/zarzaparrilla-cuculmeca-plantas-siglo-xv-xvi/ Online Blog Identification, References
edited by herbalist of MDidea Extracts Professional. Botanical Source and History of Sarsaparilla, Smilax root http://www.mdidea.com/products/proper/proper08804.html Online Article Reference, Botanical Info, Description, Constituents, Ethnobotanical, Ethnomedical, Research
Felipe Herrera Taller de Seguimento Tecnico http://orton.catie.ac.cr/repdoc/A8767e/A8767e.pdf Manejo Sostenible, Smilax
Gabriel Roberto Robles Valle, Kloeber Oliveira Barbosa, Róger Villalobos Soto Assessment of non-wood forest products in Central America http://www.fao.org/docrep/007/ae159s/ae159s12.htm Online Research Reference, Medicinal Plants, Central America, Nicaragua, Guatamala
Hipolito Ruiz Tavels of Ruiz, Pavon, and Dombey in Peru and Chile (1777-1788) https://archive.org/stream/travelsofruizpavfiruiz#page/n3/mode/2up Online Book Scan Travel Journal, Mention
Janet L. Allured Women’s Healing Art: Domestic Medicine in the Turn-of-the-Century Ozarks http://beckerexhibits.wustl.edu/mowihsp/articles/Ozarks.htm \ Women, folk medicine\"
Jim Duke,Dr. Duke's Phytochemical and Ethnobotanical Databases,http://www.ars-grin.gov/duke/,Online Database,Reference
Database Ethnobotanical"
John Hancock, M.D. The Properties and Preparation of the Rio Negro Sarsaparilla and of the Angustura Bark, Practically Examined by John Hancock, M.D. https://archive.org/stream/b22274728#page/12/mode/2up Online Book Scan Reference, Properties, Preparation, History
Leslie Taylor Raintree Tropical Plant Database http://www.rain-tree.com/sarsaparilla.htm Online Database Identification, Reference, Database, Healing Properties and Actions, Folk Medicine, Clinical Research, Practical Uses, Ethnomedical Uses.
Lilian Ferrufino-Acosta Willdenowia—Taxonomy of Plants of the Americas: Taxonomic revision of the genus Smilax (Smilacaceae) in Central America and the Caribbean Islands. http://www.jstor.org/stable/27896656?seq=1#page_scan_tab_contents Online Article Identification, Taxonomic, Smilax, Central America, Caribbean
Ling-Nieto, F.; Robles-Valle, G,; Villalobos-Soto, Roger Sarsaparilla and ecological studies cuculmeca in Talamanca, Costa Rica http://www.ots.ac.cr/bnbt/19161.html Online Abstract of Book ISBN 9977-57-314-X Reference, Central America, Summary, Costa Rica
Manuel Galeote Nombres indígenas de plantas americanas en los tratados científicos de Fray Agustín Farfán http://www.revistas.uchile.cl/files/journals/83/articles/21493/submission/copyedit/21493-67509-1-CE.pdf Online PDF file Reference, Ethnobotanical Names, Actions, Qualities, Ortiga
Martha Velazquez Medicina Precolombina (Cap.7) https://prezi.com/u3rzeoydepu9/medicina-precolombina-cap7/ Online Presentation Presentation
Merriwether Foraging Texas: Greenbriar http://www.foragingtexas.com/2008/08/greenbriar.html?m=1 Online Article Identification, photos, distribution, North America
Monica Chavez Guzman Medicos y Medicinas en el Mundo Penisular Maya Colonial y Decimononico http://www.scielo.org.mx/pdf/peni/v6n2/v6n2a4.pdf Indigenous massage, sobando
Patrick Browne The Civil and Natural History of Jamaica http://books.google.co.cr/books?id=vcRhFZ9p96UC&pg=PA359&lpg=PA359&dq=smilax+tuberosa&source=bl&ots=9_s47mX8DR&sig=Pi9T3_7yGfRI6l_vWzI3dDWC7GQ&hl=en&sa=X&ei=XeFOU6v5LPCu0AGTyoHoBQ&redir_esc=y#v=onepage&q=smilax%20tuberosa&f=false Online Book Scan Description, Jamaica
Pedro de Cieza de Leon La Cronica del Peru https://ia801406.us.archive.org/3/items/lacrnicadelper00ciez/lacrnicadelper00ciez.pdf Online Book Historical, Colonization
Philip Miller The Gardeners Dictionary, 8th edition http://www.tropicos.org/Name/18401802 Online Article Identification, Reference, Distribution, Specimens, Images
Rémi Siméon Diccionario de la lengua náhuatl o mexicana https://books.google.com/books?id=92WU5bamcTQC&vq=cocol&source=gbs_navlinks_s
Rossana Lok Huertos Caseros Tradicionales de America Central https://books.google.com.pa/books?id=lPaxgG_WCSIC&printsec=frontcover&source=gbs_ge_summary_r&redir_esc=y#v=onepage&q&f=false Online Book Preview Central America,
The Field Museum Neotropical Live Plant Photos http://fm2.fieldmuseum.org/plantguides/results.asp?genus=Smilax Online Photos Identification, photos, distribution
U.S. Forest Service U.S. Forest Service: International Programs http://www.fs.fed.us/global/iitf/pdf/shrubs/Smilax%20domingensis.pdf Website International Programs
William H. Helfand Advertising Health to the People http://www.librarycompany.org/doctor/helfand.html Health Justice, Community
The Meaning of Latin Plant Names http://theseedsite.co.uk/latin.html Herbs, Identification, Global, Reference
Encyclopaedia Britannica http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/524508/sarsaparilla Online Encyclopedia Description, Distrubution
http://lucina.inbio.ac.cr/portalDarwin/species/browse/taxon/59779/ page not loading
Libro de la Miseria https://archive.org/stream/librodelamiseria02juan#page/n259/mode/2up/search/mecatl Online Book Scan 1604
Encyclopedia of Life http://eol.org/pages/1082520/media Online ID Indentification, Photos, Reference Smilax
http://hiddengarden.co/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/LaCienciaMedicaDeLosAztecas-Text.pdf Searchable Text
http://hiddengarden.co/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/LaCienciaMedicaDeLosAztecas-LuisAngelRodriguez.pdf
Kavasch American Indian Healing Arts
Wood, Matthew The Earthwise Herbal: A Complete Guide to the New World Medicinal Plants
Guzman Peredo, Miguel Medical Practices in Ancient America https://books.google.co.cr/books/about/Medical_Practices_in_Ancient_America.html?id=jLENAAAAYAAJ&redir_esc=y Online Book TLM

 

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