Quelite : Verdolagas : Purslane

Portulaca oleracea, It is commonly known as purslane in English also called : itzmiquilitl (obsidian arrow quelite), pigweed, pursley, verdolagas (en Español), graviol (quecchi), paxlac (quiché), xukul (Maya), Mixquilit (Nahuatl), X’pul cac (Totonaco), Matac’ani (Otomí), Sa´luchi Chamo (Raramurí); (Asian names) gulasiman (Phillipines), kulfa (Hindi), ma chi xian (Chinese), (Australian aboriginal names) munyeroo (Diyari), baragilya or thibi (Wajarri), Like many of the quelites, purslane is an agricultural … Continue reading Quelite : Verdolagas : Purslane

Xochimilco and the Axolotl

The word “Xochimilco” is Nahuatl for “where the flowers grow”. It is an area of lakes and canals that was a major agricultural centre in Mesoamerica and remains as the only reminder of traditional Pre-Hispanic land-use in the waterways of the Mexico City basin. This compound glyph for the place name Xochimilco features two colourful, detailed flowers [xochi(tl)], and a rectangular, segmented, textured parcel of land [mil(li)]. … Continue reading Xochimilco and the Axolotl

Papaloquelite : What’s in a name?

Porophyllums were first described by Linnaeus in 1753. The University of Arizona has specimens in their Herbarium collected from the Sonora and Chihuahua regions in the 1800’s. The Latin translations of some of the names in the poreleaf family are as follows;  The common name “Papaloquelite” is from the Nahuatl words papalotl (butterfly), and quilitl (edible weed, vegetable; adj green). Quilitl (quelite) is from the Goddess Quilaztli, the goddess of “those … Continue reading Papaloquelite : What’s in a name?

Quelites : Quilitl

Even though anthropological studies are often undertaken there are no truly accurate records of the native use of wild plants. The daily foods of indigenous peoples are usually considered a food of low social status and are often overlooked by peoples of a “developing” society, in particular those people of the society doing the developing. This was the case in Mexico where some plants were … Continue reading Quelites : Quilitl

Quelite : Pápaloquelite : Porophyllum macrocephalum

Porophyllum macrocephalum Also called : Papaloquelite, Papaloqulitl (Nahuatl),Papalokilitl, Papalo, pápalo rollizo, (“plump” papalo), Quelite de mariposa, Mariposa Azteca , pucsnan’caca (Totonac), quelites oloroso, ahoyacaquilitl (sweet scented edible plant), chipaca, chaoacocopin, xpechukil, Pech´uk (Yucatán Maya), xac’ani (Otomi), wacamacho, ukche, tepegua (Queretaro), tepelcacho (Chilapa, Guerrero), tepelcasho, Pápalo macho, pápalo hembra (Mixteca), Chapahua (Totonaco, Veracruz Coast) Chapahuate (Totonaco), chivatillo (Michoacán), Mesis, Tepehua (Hidalgo), liendrilla, yerba de peo, yerba de chulo … Continue reading Quelite : Pápaloquelite : Porophyllum macrocephalum