Cultivating Environmental Ignorance: Non-Circulation of Ethnomedicinal Knowledge about Culén (Otholobium glandulosum) in the Atlantic World (1646–1810)

Abstract

A growing body of literature recognises the importance of exploring the uses of plants in historical written sources. The Chilean native plant culén (Otholobium glandulosum) has a long history of medicinal use, with various parts of the plant, including its leaves, aerial parts, and roots, employed to treat numerous ailments. This study undertakes a Critical Discourse Analysis of historical sources, specifically books published between the 17th and early 19th centuries (1646–1810), focusing on the medicinal applications of culén. The research highlights the circulation of plant knowledge over time by adopting an interdisciplinary approach that bridges historical ethnobotany, environmental history, and the history of knowledge and ignorance studies. The study reveals how the evolution of the ethnobotanical and ethnomedicinal knowledge of culén reflects the broader environmental ignorance, wherein the scientific community excluded and oppressed the indigenous and local knowledge of the plant. This work underscores the importance of integrating historical studies into modern environmental and botanical research, emphasising the value of understanding past knowledge systems to inform contemporary conservation efforts and sustainable practices.