Article ID: CBB001422572

Marooned Plants: Vernacular Naming Practices in the Mascarene Islands (2015)

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Kull, Christian A. (Author)
Alpers, Edward A. (Author)
Tassin, Jacques (Author)


Environment and History
Volume: 21, no. 1
Issue: 1
Pages: 43-75


Publication Date: 2015
Edition Details: Article in a special issue: “Transoceanic Exchanges”
Language: English

This article explores possible histories of plant exchanges and plant naming tied to the slave trade between East Africa, Madagascar and the Mascarene Islands. The subsequent 'marronnage' of slaves on these islands - their escape from captivity, sometimes to live in mountain hideouts - continues to inspire cultural references. Inspired by the use of the adjective 'marron/marronne' for a number of plants on Reunion Island, we compile evidence of plant exchanges and plant naming from ecological records, historical accounts and the use of descriptive, emotive or symbolic vernacular names as clues for deepening our knowledge of historical societies and environments. The evidence from the Mascarenes opens a window into the role of the African diaspora in plant introduction, diffusion, domestication and cultivation. We document that maroons relied on a variety of wild, escaped and cultivated plants for their subsistence. We also highlight the role of marronnage in the popular and literary imaginary, with the result that many plants are named 'marron/marrone' in a metaphorical sense. Finally, we identify a few plants that may have been transported, cultivated, or encouraged in one way or another by maroons. Along the way, we reflect on the pitfalls and opportunities of such interdisciplinary work.

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Authors & Contributors
McCracken, Patricia A.
Baijnath, Himansu
Lidwell-Durnin, John
Judith Sumner
Roustaei, Kourosh
Rege, Olirege
Concepts
Plants
Economic botany; plant cultivation; horticulture
Agriculture
Botany
Domestication
Slavery and slaves
Time Periods
19th century
18th century
Prehistory
Ancient
20th century, early
20th century
Places
Great Britain
Madagascar
Amazon River Region (South America)
West Africa
United States
Middle and Near East
Institutions
Great Britain. Royal Navy
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