Mayo Ethnobotany: Land, History, and Traditional Knowledge in Northwest Mexico

4. Plant and Animal Life

4 Plant and Animal Life vegetation The plant communities found in the lands inhabited by Mayos are varied and complex, more so than in the lands of any other groups indigenous to northwest Mexico. In keeping with Martin et al. (1998) we have adopted the following categories for classifying vegetation: coastal vegetation, coastal thornscrub, foothills thornscrub, tropical deciduous forest, and oak woodland. The last category is represented only marginally in Mayo lands in specialized soil situations . Arroyos, canyons, and cajones (narrow canyons) also present special plant associations that add considerably to species diversity in the region. For example , species normally associated with tropical deciduous forest are found in arroyos adjacent to coastal thornscrub nearly to the coast, and the canyons and cajones of the Río Fuerte and Río Mayo are the northern limits of many tropical species. In the more arid thornscrub near Arroyo Cocoraque vegetation more typical of the Sonoran Desert reaches its southern limits, suggesting to Shreve (Shreve and Wiggins 1964) that this arroyo be designated the southern limit of that desert. Near Masiaca the sahuaro cactus (saguo, saguaro; Carnegiea gigantea) and ejéa (palo fierro, ironwood; Olneya tesota, Fabaceae), key species of the Sonoran Desert, reach their southernmost points. Coastal Vegetation Coastal vegetation is divided into two subgroups: estuarine plants and dune and beach communities. Mayo lands contain several estuaries: Estero Tóbari, Estero Aquiropo, Bahía Yavaros, and the complex of estuaries known as Estero Agiabampo.1 These are dominated by three species of mangroves: ciali (mangle negro, black mangrove; Avicennia germinans), pasio tosa (also called moyet) (mangle, white mangrove; Laguncularia racemosa, Combretaceae), and canari (mangle rojo, red mangrove; Rhizophora mangle, Rhizophoraceae). In 62 and near tidal flats a distinct community of salt-tolerant plants includes the mangrove-like pasio (Maytenus phyllanthoides, Celastraceae). The portion of this community lying above normal high tides is still subject to flooding during extreme high tides and hurricanes. Mangroves grow only where their roots can be permanently in saltwater or brackish water. The extensive mangroves of the Agiabampo complex form a maze of channels and small islands stabilized by the mangroves. South of Agiabampo in Sinaloa, the mangrove estuaries extend nearly to Bahía Topolobampo, encompassing the delta of the Río Fuerte. Non-estuarine habitats extend along most of the coastline in Mayo country , a distance of more than 150 kilometers. Sand dunes and associated plant communities are found only near Agiabampo, Camahuiroa, Huatabampito, and Yavaros. Major Mayo villages, including Agiabampo, Camahuiroa, Las Bocas , and Yavaros, are located on the shore and are sustained by fishing and harvesting shellfish.2 In Sinaloa, coastal villages are primarily mestizo, and Mayos live for the most part in inland villages. Plant and Animal Life / 63 Mangrove estuary near Topolobampo, Sinaloa. Four species of mangrove are found here. Coastal Thornscrub Immediately inland from the beach or estuary margin (including dense mangrove swamps) the vegetation assumes a predictable, if varied, aspect. Some uplands are depauperate, supporting only sparse plant life, while others nearby are heavily populated with small trees and cacti. The vegetation changes rapidly with variation in soil and soil horizons (McAuli¤e 1995:108–13) and with distance from the water’s edge. From northwest to southeast the coastal plain becomes slightly more moist, enough to produce a noticeably lusher aspect at the Sinaloan border. Inland locations tend to receive slightly more rainfall than those on the coast. The most prominent feature of coastal thornscrub is the enormous numbers of aaqui (pitahaya, organpipe cactus; Stenocereus thurberi). Mayos refer to the thickest forests of these giants as pitahayales. They are found primarily on the flattest parts of the plain, flourishing in argillaceous soils. Also abundant is the arborescent etcho cactus (Pachycereus pecten-aboriginum), which is as tall as the pitahaya but never found in dense groves. A common, solitary 64 / Plant and Animal Life Coastal thornscrub near Camahuiroa, an indigenous Mayo community and seaside resort. The influence of dew near the coast produces a denser, lusher growth than farther inland. tree is jito (palo jito; Forchhammeria watsonii, Capparaceae), which has a thick, straight bole (trunk) and symmetrical foliage. Its dark, persistent leafage makes it easy to spot during dry months, and it provides ample shade even in the heat of the spring drought. Equally prominent in the pitahayal is báis cápora (saituna; Ziziphus amole, Rhamnaceae), noticeable due to its roundish, bright-green leaves, and height...