Of milk, pitch, and blood: vernacular naming patterns of exudate-producing plants in Brazil

Abstract Background Vernacular plant names often limn traits of the plants they name. This study investigates whether exudate is one such trait and, if so, which qualities of exudates are referenced in the vernacular names of exudate-producing plants in Brazil, a country whose rich sociobiodiversity encompasses a variety of these species. Methods This study draws on secondary data available in Dataplamt (Bibliographic Database of Native Plants Used by the Brazilians). Vernacular names for exudate-producing plants in Brazil were extracted from the database and analyzed in terms of their composition and meaning, which were categorized and discussed according to the kind of exudate reference they represent best. Results A total of 152 vernacular names referring to plant exudates were retrieved from Dataplamt for 69 plants, of which 68 are native to Brazil. Fourteen families are represented in the study, with the main ones being Fabaceae (17 spp.), Euphorbiaceae (16 spp.), Apocynaceae (7 spp.), Moraceae (6 spp.), and Styracaceae (5 spp.). Most of the species produce latex (46.4%), followed by resin (23.2%), balsam (21.7%), gum (7.2%), and kino (1.4%); these have medicinal (47.6%), technical (40.5%), cultural (8.3%), food (2.4%), and cosmetic (1.2%) uses in the country. The names of exudate-producing plants were formed from one, two, or more words in Portuguese and/or Tupi, mainly expressing perceptions related to exudate’s type (e.g., “resin,” “gum”), uses (e.g., as “pitch,” as “incense”), color (e.g., of “milk,” of “blood”), similarity to other exudates (e.g., to “gum Arabic,” to “mastic”), and properties (e.g., “fragrant,” “elastic”). Conclusions Exudates have inspired numerous plant names in Brazil that reflect their attributes, including appearance, uses, and properties. By encoding these qualities, these names constitute an important, information-rich source that can be tapped for ethnobotanical knowledge about exudates in the country.