Insertions and Deletions: Evolution in the assemblage of Vietnamese food plants

Abstract

An analysis of taxa used and that are salient to Vietnamesein Hawai‘i compared with southern Vietnam reflectsan evolution of the assemblage of food plants demonstratedby substitutions, insertions, and deletions of plant taxa.Replications occur as the Vietnamese in Hawai‘i have accessto many similar plant taxa as those in Vietnam, possiblydue to the location of Hawai‘i as a place where similarfood plants can grow and due to a large Asian population.Food plant taxa were elicited from interviews and recordedduring participant observations. The current scientificbotanical nomenclature and taxonomic groupings, plantlife form or part utilized, the southern and many northernVietnamese vernacular names with diacritical markings,and the English and French translations are provided forover 200 food plants. An introduction to Vietnamese diacriticalwriting and vernacular botanical nomenclature isincluded.