Useful plants described in the Plantes Équinoxiales (1805–1817) by Alexander von Humboldt and Aimé Bonpland

Abstract

ABSTRACT Alexander von Humboldt and Aimé Bonpland departed from Europe on a journey to the American continent. The naturalists explored America’s biodiversity, collecting approximately 6,000 plant species between 1799 and 1804 and registering the customs and habits of local people. To date, the medicinal and useful plants reported by Humboldt and Bonpland during their American journey have not been studied in depth. The aim of the present report is to present data recorded by both naturalists in their books Voyage de Humboldt et Bonpland. Sixième Partie, Botanique. Plantes Équinoxiales (Volumes I and II), published from 1805 to 1817 in 17 parts, regarding medicinal and useful plants collected by them. Data on plants were obtained from the two-volume work, which was deposited and accessed in the library of the Biological Sciences Sector of Universidade Federal do Paraná, Curitiba, Brazil. Traditional information about the plants was translated and tabulated. The botanical identification of each plant was updated according to current nomenclature. Correlated pharmacological studies were obtained from scientific databases. A total of 130 plant species from 49 different botanical families are described in the Humboldt’s and Bonpland’s Plantes Équinoxiales books. Fourteen species were reported for medical purposes (snake anti-venom agents, treatment of cutaneous and digestive diseases, and astringent agents), while 65 species were described for some other use (ornamental, construction, furniture and objects, edible plants, dyeing, mining etc.). The data recorded by these naturalists represent a rich unexplored source of information regarding the American flora and its traditional uses.