Principles of Tzeltal Plant Classification

Principles of Tzeltal Plant Classification: An Introduction to the Botanical Ethnography of a Mayan-Speaking People of Highland Chiapas covers the underlying classificatory principles used by the Tzeltal to order the vast array of organisms of the plant world. The book describes the setting of the research, both from a botanical and ethnographic view; the general outline of Tzeltal plant classification and nomenclature; and the methods used to collect data. The text also discusses the rich ethnolinguistic terminology used by the Tzeltal in describing and discussing the structure of plants, referred to as ethnophytography; and the cultural significance of plants to the Tzeltal in agriculture, food types, house building, and other areas of material culture where plants and plant products are of major importance. The individual description of all known Tzeltal plant classes is also encompassed in detail. Botanists and ethnobotanists will find the book invaluable.

Foreword Preface Acknowledgments Conventions, Abbreviations, and Key to Pronunciation of Tzeltal Words Part I The Setting, Principles, and Methods Chapter 1 The Setting 1 Phytogeography of Chiapas 2 Linguistic and Cultural Characteristics of the Central Highlands 3 The Municipio of Tenejapa 4 Informants Utilized in the Research Chapter 2 General Principles of Tzeltal Plant Classification and Nomenclature 1 Universal Principles of Classification and Nomenclature in Ethnobiology

2. Tzeltal Plant Taxonomy: A General Overview 3 Nomenclature and Classification: Some Possible Qualifications 4 Intermediate Taxa as Covert Conceptual Categories 5 Terminal Taxa 6 Summary of the Overview 7 Detailed Analysis of Tzeltal Plant Nomenclature Chapter 3 Methods of Collecting Data 1 Prior Work in Tzeltal Botanical Ethnography 2 Procedures and Techniques Employed in the Present Study 3 Advantages of General Botanical Collecting Procedures 4 Tzeltal Collection Files and Supporting Linguistic and Ethnographic Data 5 Basic and Extended Ranges of Tzeltal Plant Names 6 Informant Variability and the "Ideal Speaker-Hearer" 7 Establishing Tzeltal Plant Complexes Chapter 4 Ethnolinguistic Considerations of Plant Morphology and Plant Development 1 Linguistic Specification of States of Growth and Development 2 Tzeltal Ethnophytography 3 Descriptive Terminology of Tzeltal Plant Characteristics and Qualities Chapter 5 Cultural Significance of Plants 1 Linguistic Considerations of Cultural Significance 2 Ecological Considerations of the Significance of Plants

Part II The Flora Chapter 6 Introduction 1 Considerations on the Adequacy of the Description 2 Organization of th