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Ethnobiol. :165-173 11(2) /. ETHNOBOTANY OF THE SOUTHERN TEPEHUAN OF DURANGO, MUSHROOMS MEXICO: EDIBLE I. MARTHA GONZALEZ ELIZONDO Centro Interdisciplinario de Investigation para Desarrollo Integral Regional el IPN-Unidad Durango Avdo. 738 Postal Durango, Dgo. C.P. 34000 Mexico ABSTRACT.— The Southern Tepehuan an indigenous group the living in is southern Durango and North- part of State the northern part of Nayarit State in among west Mexico. Gathering a very important traditional practice them; is still demand in particular reharvestable edible mushrooms are in great during the rainy when season complement they represent an important dietary for the people. how know This paper Tepehuan environment, and they describes the group, their and Comments made use with regard at least fourteen species of edible fungi. are some work to other edible species of fungi found in the area during the field as well as to Tepehuan knowledge of poisonous fungi. RESUMEN.-Los Tepehuanes del sur son un grupo etnico que habita en el sur del Estado de Durango en Estado de Nayarit, en noroeste de y norte del el el hongos Mexico. La recoleccion es una practica tradicional entre los tepehuanes; los demanda epoca silvestres comestibles, en particular, tienen una gran durante la de Uuvias, cuando un complemento importante en dieta de esta representan la En grupo tepehuano de su gente. este trabajo se hace una semblanza del y medio como cuando menos catorce especies de ambiente, y se describe utilizan hongos de algunas otras Se hacen comentarios acerca silvestres comestibles. campo de acerca especies comestibles encontradas en area durante el trabajo y el hongos venenosos. del conocimiento que tepehuanes tienen de los los RESUME.— au sud- Les Tepehuans du Sud sont un groupe ethnique qui habite du Mexique. est de de Durango au nord de de Nayarit au nor-ouest I'etat et I'etat Tepehuans. La parmi une importante les ceuillette est pratique traditionnelle tres demandes Les champignons particulierement tres sont sauvages comestibles y un complement alimentaire pendant quand representent saison des la pluies ils environnement, Tepehuan, son important. Dans groupe cet article sont decrits le com- champignons sauvages son de et d'au moins quatorze especes utilisation comestibles trouvees especes estibles. Des commentaires sont sur les autres faits cham- dans des Tepehuans sur les la region de etude sur savoir lors cette et le pignons veneneux. INTRODUCTION The been poorly studied in contrast has Northern Mexican mycological flora evident to This especially in that of the South Mexico (Valenzuela 1982). is of new number the of State of Durango where research has revealed a large recent No. Vol. 2 11, records. Quintos et al. (1984), for example, cite 92 of 100 species included in their paper time Durango. Perez and Aguirre-Acosta reported for the for (1985) first new 81 fungi for Durango in their study, which included 132 species. Both on papers are taxonomically oriented; they do not include local information On the other hand, there are no ethnomycological studies for utilized species. Madre North Mexico. indigenous groups living in the Sierra Occidental in the of names Information on topic Pennington reports the of eight this scarce. (1963) is work on mushrooms Tarahumara exhaustive edible in the language, and, in his Tepehuans Chihuahua (Pennington gives the the material culture of the of 1969), common names main mushrooms used by the Northern of the three edible and Tepehuans, hongo hongo de or hongo hongo pino, del encino. la tierra rojo, del mushrooms, Amanita Mares work (1982) includes in his four species of edible two and caesarea (hongo del tiempo de aguas), Ustilago maydis (hongo del maiz), undetermined and species, hongo de temporal hongo bianco de las aguas. the aim of this paper to present our current knowledge of the edible wild It is mushroom Durango, used by Tepehuan southern their species the people of harvest times, and methods of preparation. Although not a linguistic study, this work Tepehuan ethnobotanical intended is to contribute to the study of nomenclature by Tepehuan name included in this including the each species of 1 study. when became work was Tepehuan soon In 1984, field started in the area, it and among Tepehuan apparent that gathering a very important the activity is still demand rainy during the that, in particular, reharvestable edible fungi are in great season. The Tepehuan products diet limited to several non-irrigated agricultural is such such as corn, beans, and squash. This enriched by gathered foods diet is and as roots and other underground by-products plant greens, parts, fruits, mushrooms which play different parts of Agave and spp., also various species of an important role in their diet. The study comprehensive information presented in this part of a article is research of useful wild plants from the Mexican Durango. The aim of this State of make building an to inventory used medicine, is of the plants for food, all and materials, industry, other purposes. THE TEPEHUAN AND ENVIRONMENT THEIR From southern an from ethnographic Tepehuan point of view, the culture Uto-Azteca Durango has been poorly known Tepehuan a studied. that is It is known language which belongs Piman but to the family (Sanchez 1980) little is with about the group's relationships past, their prehispanic settlements, or their other native groups. The two groups, Tepehuan are geographically and divided into linguistically Chihuahua the northern and southern Tepehuan. The former southern in live The and have Durango. as neighbors the Tarahumara; southern the in latter live Huicho and southern Tepehuan's Cora closest indigenous neighbors are the and the The Tepehuan groups (Fig. past relationships between these two 1). timing of their separation are controversial matters. still JOURNAL OF ETHNOBIOLOGY Tsm |l05°00' FRANCISCO DEL f* OF CANCER MEZQUITAL C ' SANTIAGO rENEfaCA showing FIG. Map the location Nayarit 1.— Durango and northern of southern of indigenous discussed in the text. groups and Tepehuan comunidades 2 assumed and Tepehuans Spanish historians that the northern southern belonged to one group which occupied a large extension of the State of Durango, them an so they called Nation tepehuana (Sanchez 1980). Rinaldini, in eighteenth century document (Pennington claims that the Tepehuan spread Jesuit 1969), hundreds of kilometers north and south during the great rebellion in the period between and However, Mason based on language A. D. 1616 1618. (1948) argues, differences, that the separation took place long before the Spaniards arrived. Today, the southern Tepehuan occupies an area of about 9,380 square territory 22°20' Madre from kilometers in the Sierra of southwestern Durango, extending The to 23°31' north latitude and from 104°10' to 105°50' west longitude. presence which of the majestic Mezquital River canyon and the river tributaries 1 The the zone results in the most rugged topography found in Durango. a" m range from canyon 600 at the deepest part of the Mezquital is t m and of 3,250 at the top of Cerro Gordo. The ruggedness of the land the diver- which and types sity of soils elevations present result in a variety of vegetation These main include three of the types of vegetation found in Mexico. are, and according Rzedowski Tropical to Coniferous Quercus Forest, Forest, (1978), Deciduous Forest (Gonzalez 1984). The Santa Tepehuan southern seven comunidades: divided territory into is Magdalena Maria Ocotan, San Francisco Ocotan, Santiago Teneraca, Santa Maria de San Bernardino Taxicaringa in the Municipio of Mezquital, Durango), (all Nuevo, San Pueblo Milpillas Chico, Francisco de Lajas in the Municipio of (all Durango), and San Andres Nayarit) Milpillas Grande (Municipio of Huajicori, (small Each (Fig. comunidad has several anexos 1). a political-religious center, from and settlements) innumerable two houses isolated rancherias (one or family Ocotan Maria centers of population). Concerning ownership Santa the of land, to organized an which members given the right is as ejido in individual are communally exploit individual parcels of land. The rest of the comunidades are From the organized. a linguistic point of view, these comunidades also differ; Tepehuan Mexican of Secretary of Public Education (SEP) recognizes three dialects language de (Secretaria Education Piiblica 1986). many the of Because of the poverty and the land, limited productivity of Tepehuan are forced to leave their communities and work seasonally in the cities, especially during the dry season. Due constant movement, is difficult to this it SEP A made by the determine number to the exact of Tepehuan. recent census reports 25,000 people. The Tepehuan many features, prehispanic culture has lost of distinctive its men's such as political and religious organization. However, native language, prac- clothing, and economic traditional feasts, such gathering are as activities tices that continue to exist. AND METHODS MATERIALS most work was Ocotan, the Field conducted from 1984 1986 Santa Maria to in anexos: important and of Tepehuan, several its political-religious center of the in were Llano Grande, Charcos, Laguna Chivo, and La Guajolota. Sporadic visits del made Milpillas also to the comunidades of San Francisco Ocotan, San Bernardino JOURNAL OF ETHNOBIOLOGY Chico, Santa Maria Magdalena de and San Taxicaringa, Francisco de Lajas. In each area ethnobotanical information was by obtained interviewing several local informants and on most occasions specimens were with collected the help of these informants. During interviews, photographs and freshly collected specimens of each mushroom shown species were and the informant asked about the Tepehuan name of the fungus, method and its edibility, of preparation, harvest season. At same the time, informants were asked about and other edible fungi their habitats. This information was then checked through work. field The mushrooms Guzman freshly collected were using Moser identified (1977), and Once (1983), Singer specimens were and (1975). dried, labeled sent to the ENCB (Herbario, Departamento de Botanica, Escuela Nacional de Ciencias Biologicas, Instituto Politecnico Nacional, Mexico City, D.F., Mexico) where each specimen was examined and determinations confirmed by Ricardo Valen- who zuela, the curator of mycology herbarium. Voucher specimens is at this were deposited at the Centro Interdisciplinario de Investigacion para el Desar- rollo Integral Regional (CIIDIR) Herbarium Durango The species included in city. in study Von this are illustrated in the taxonomic references cited above or in Frieden (1969). RESULTS Fourteen Tepehuan were species of edible fungi used by the identified during this study. These are discussed below. The following information is given for each species: name, Tepehuan name (different linguistic forms are scientific given, Tepehuan followed by from into place of translation collection), literal English, and voucher specimen habitat, harvest form of preparation, time, reference, following Bye (1986). Agaricus Maria "horse excrement"; soi campestris kabai pbich (Santa O.), L.: Fr. nano (San and Francisco O.) "grasshopper eggs"; pbur pbich (Lajas Taxicaringa) "donkey excrement." common May mushroom This or harvested after the first rains in June. It is is in open, M. level ground. prepared by boiling or roasting over charcoal. It is Gonzalez 1676, CIIDIR. Amanita yakua jix'uam yakua, jixchua yakua, caesarea (Scop.: Grev.jixbi' Fr.) mushroom", (Santa mushroom", "yellow Maria San "red O., Francisco O.) "white mushroom"; nakai San Bernar- jix'am (Lajas, nakai, bip*' nakai, jixtata dino) mushroom." "red mushroom", mushroom", "yellow "white humus This known mushroom, found August and in in is a well preferred in pine Tepehuan language according the names to forests. has the several in It color of the pileus, which can be orange, yeUow, or very light yellow (red, yellow, and Tepehuan white, people). respectively, according the them The Tepehuan mushrooms when young and prepare by prefer these roasting and garnished over stewing with pork lard, spiced, charcoal, or boiling, With cheese. M. Gonzalez CIIDIR. 1414, nak most communities) "ear"; Hypomyces (Schw.:Fr.) Tulasne. lactifluorum (in pbuchi nak "daughter-in-law ear." (Lajas) and fungus on This a parasitic Russula brevipes, Lactarius salmonicolor, L. is mushrooms which deforms. This one of the deliciosus, three edible species of it is mushrooms mainly most well-known and preferred in this region. collected It is tomato June and prepared simply boiled or crushed, stewed with in July. It is and onion, and garnished with cheese. M. Gonzalez 2014, CUDIR. Maria Mre. guin'xacan (Santa O., Taxicar- Hygrophoropsis aurantiaca (Wulf.: Fr.) "iguana lard." inga) "delightful"; kia's gio' (Taxicaringa, Lajas) mushroom found humus and harvested from July This pine in in forests is is and garnished with cheese. September. roasted over charcoal or boiled until It is M. Gonzalez CHOIR. 1370, Hygrophorus communities) "gathering of people." sp. gigira' (in all mushroom brown and This a viscous one with a very slimy pileus; light is grows in July in groups in pine forest humus. boiled in salted water. it It is M. Gonzalez CHOIR. 1764, nakai umbrinum ju'ba'pbich Lycoperdon Pers. kapxia' communities) "ball" (in all '; "star excrement fungus." (Lajas) This fungus found the rains; in moist areas. collected in June after first is It is when After young, specimens provide one of the available edible fungi. earliest Gonzalez M. slicing is roasted over charcoal or simply boiled in salted water. it CHOIR. 1910, Taxicaringa) Macrolepiota procera (Scop.: Sing, yakua (Santa Maria O., Fr.) is "elbow mushroom"; mushroom." nakai "white jixtata (Lajas) and mushroom This grows mainly open Quercus forest in July in places in preferred August. can be eaten either roasted over charcoal or stewed. It is It and stemless roasted over M. Gonzalez CIIDIR. charcoal. 1767, Pleurotus spp. Tepehuan mushroom The This grows as a shelf fungus on damp, rotten logs. two distinguish different species: "mushroom"; tu Kumm. P. ostreatus tasnara communities) (Jacq.: Fr.) (in all mayo (in tuata'mkan nakai "mushroom borne on hongo bianco de (Lajas) log"; mushroom communities) "white May." all of from the This fungus grows on pine appearing early in the year (i.e., logs, crushed middle water, of April through May). can be eaten boiled in salted It M. consumption. and or stewed with sun sliced spices, or dried in the for later Gonzalez 1748, CIIDIR. mushroom. "oak Kumm., communities) P. dryinus (Pers.: Fr.) tua tasnara (in all same the This fungus grows on oak harvested and prepared in July logs. It is way CIIDIR. M. Gonzalez as but appreciated. 1773, P. ostreatus, less is it JOURNAL OF ETHNOBIOLOGY Ramaria spp. The Tepehuan consume two species: R. botrytis (Fr.) Rick, basik jut (Santa Maria O., Taxicaringa) "nail rat." This fungus grows in groups in pine forest humus. gathered June and in It is and prepared July, boiled in salted water or cooked with cheese. M. Gonzalez 2015a, CIIDIR. R. flava (Fr.) Quel., basik jut (Santa Maria O., Taxicaringa) "nail rat"; dius nobi "God nakai (Lajas) hands mushroom." This fungus harvested The Tepehuan when young and is in July. prefer it prepare same way the asR. M. Gonzalez it botrytis 2015b, CIIDIR. Russula mo' San lepida Fr. kurat (Santa Maria O., Francisco O., Taxicaringa) "woodpecker head." mushroom This grows on pine or oak forest humus. gathered in June It is and and July, is prepared boiled, stewed, or roasted over charcoal. not easily It is discriminated from certain poisonous mushrooms, however, therefore the Tepehuan usually do not use M. Gonzalez CIIDIR. 1819, it. Rhizopogon sp. tora'n (Santa Maria O.) "chest"; bonkox tora'n (Santa Maria O.) "squirrel chest"; tur jura' "bull heart." (Lajas) This an hypogeous gathered is fungus found in Quercus-Pinus forests. It is in and Guzman July, eaten While fresh or roasted over charcoal. (1977) classifies Rhizopogon sp. as a non-edible fungus, the results of this study indicate that the Tepehuans consume M. Gonzalez CIIDIR. 1931, it. Ustilago maydis (DC.) Corda. jaroi (Santa Maria O.yjura' (Taxicaringa) "heart." This fungus, on gathered August and September. a parasite corn cobs, in is A day before eating the mushroom roasted over charcoal, then sliced lightly is it and crushed prepared together with corn. The next day a thick beverage, is atole, with this mixture. M. Gonzalez CIIDIR. 2066, DISCUSSION mushrooms It appears that most Tepehuan know and use at least five of the 14 discussed Hypomyces above: Amanita lactifluorum, Agaricus caesarea, campestris, Pleurotus and ostreatus, Ustilago maydis. In some gave addition above informants also infor- to the 14 fungi listed mation about mushroom which was not found during field work. another edible Based on seems photographs prob- from their and descriptions identifications it able The that this mushroom, also grows in this zone. Tepe- Sparassis crispa Fr., huan names "cow rumen"; basik nak "rat ear"; for fungus boka'n this are and bonkox water stewed nanak prepared boiled in salted or "squirrel ears". It is with consumption. cheese, onion, and sun-dried for later tomato. also It is Tepehuan Concerning poisonous mushrooms found zone, the iden- in this Hook, and (DC: Krombh., both Amanita muscaria A. pantherina Fr.) (L.: Fr.) tify mushroom" mushroom", because yakua "scraping of called tirok "lagarto or word maimda'kam term "warts" on the cap. The Tepehuan use the as a generic mushrooms make drunk. poisonous people dizzy or to refer to those that feel known mushrooms and Although such other edible as Boletus edulis Bull.: Fr. were Tepehuan do not gather them. Boletus pinicola Vitt. observed in the area, the They are considered animal food since cows eat them. However, also pos- is it human number mushrooms used food has decreased in sible that the of for recent years. and very popular Gathering an important throughout the year, a activity is is it mushrooms an and play rewarding during the rainy season. Edible activity still and canned Tepehuan important of the introduction of role in diet in spite Madre Occidental. processed foods in the remote communities of the Sierra young among Gathering practiced mainly the older generation; nevertheless, is them common people with most mushrooms and include are also familiar the To knowledge about the use of edible in their diet. a certain extent true that is it but mushrooms Tepehuan, being lost due to modernization of the younger is made mushrooms have these changes by is also true that to habitats preferred it resources less available. CONCLUSIONS Tepehuan, Wild edible mushrooms complement the represent a dietary for during mushroom species are dis- especially the rainy season. Fourteen edible cussed in this paper. Agaricus Amanita Hypomyces lactifluorum, campestris, caesarea, Tepehuan. among Pleurotus and most the ostreatus, Ustilago maydis are the preferred One species which was not during work (probably Sparassis crispa) collected field much charcoal also very appreciated by indigenous group. Roasting over is this among the and common boiling are the most methods preparing fungus of Tepehuans. mycological and Rhizopogon were newly the sp. Ustilago maydis registered for an time as flora of the State of Durango. The former recorded the for first is edible fungus; the prepared unique way not documented before (i.e. latter in a is of The Secretary 1 transcription system of the Tepehuan language elaborated by the the includes symbols Public Education of Mexico here used. The inventory of the is vowels a, e, 4, i, i, o, u, and the consonants b, ch, d, dy, g j, k, I, hi, m, n, h, p, P*>> Word most on r, s, f, x, y, '. stress is often the first syllable. JOURNAL OF ETHNOBIOLOGY ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS wish thank Tepehuan I to the people for their help and patience, especially Ignacio Solis, Ascencion Morales and his wife, Jose Mendia, and Pascual Reyes. also thank Ascen- I Reyes cion (Departamento de Educacion Indigena, de Educacion Secretaria Publica, me Mexico) for helping in the writing of Tepehuan names; Robert Bye for his detailed comments and criticisms; Laura Jamieson for her observations and suggestions; Abraham Torres for his assistance during work; Laura Campuzano Volpe suggesting field for several changes in the presentation of information and in the use of technical English. Ricardo Valenzuela (ENCB me Herbarium) and Manuel Quintos (CIIDIR Herbarium) helped in identifying some specimens. Figure was drawn by Antonio Esparza Rocha. 1 This was research supported by Centro de financially the Interdisciplinario Investi- gation para el Desarrollo Integral Regional del Instituto Politecnico Nacional, Unidad Durango (CIIDIR-IPN-UNIDAD DURANGO); Consejo Nacional de Ciencia Tecnologia y (CONACYT); and Comision de Operation Fomento de Actividades Academicas del y Instituto Politecnico Nacional (COFFA-IPN). LITERATURE CITED BYE, ROBERT EVANGELINA, ELVIRA PEREZ and Voucher A., JR. 1986. speci- S., mens AGUIRRE-ACOSTA. Micoflora in ethnobiological and 1985. studies publications. Estado de Durango, Mexico. Revista Journal Ethnobiology del of 6:1-8. Mexicana de MicologTa 1:315-329. GONZALEZ SOCORRO. QUINTOS, MANUEL, LUCIA VARELA, and E., 1984. La Vege- MARIA VALDES. Contribution tation de Durango. 1984. 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