Native American Ethnobotany of Cane (Arundinaria spp.) in the Southeastern United States: A Review

Abstract

Abstract Cane (Arundinaria spp.) was one of the most important plant resources for Native Americans living in the southeastern United States prior to Euro-American settlement. The use of cane permeated virtually every aspect of tribal life. Cane was used to make houses and village structures, military and hunting weapons, fishing gear, furniture and domestic implements, personal adornments, baskets, musical instruments, and watercraft. Medicines were prepared from cane, and parts of the plant furnished food and fuel. Canebrakes provided agricultural land, livestock forage, and habitat for wild game. Although large numbers of canes were harvested each year, there is no historic evidence that Native Americans actively managed canebrakes for the production of culms. The cultural importance of cane to Native Americans declined dramatically following Euro-American settlement of the southeast because: 1) trade goods were deemed superior and replaced articles made from cane in local economies; 2) the rapid disap...