Ethnobotany Test One • Name:

I. Matching: Write letters under correct image below.

Place the letter for the correct name of the plant under the picture of the plant. Write the name in your first language (L1), if any. Your language might no longer have a name for the plant. If so, then leave the item blank. Write down a use for the plant in Micronesia. The use can be from any culture.

A. Asplenium nidus             D. Moss  
B. Cyanobacteria               E. Phymatosorus scolopendria
C. Lycopodium cernuum          F. Thelypteris maemonensis            
nostoc Balls of green jelly found on rocky ground in the sun.
1. ____
L1 name:

Local use:
moss Found on rocks near rivers, on tree trunks, and in the shade.
2. ____
L1 name:
Local use:
lycopodium cernuum Fuzzy almost furry plant found on sunny hilltops beyond the gym.
3. ____
L1 name:

Local use:
asplenium nidus Usually found growing on trees.
4. ____
L1 name:
Local use:
phymatosorus scolopendria Found growing on trees, including coconut palms. Also grows on the ground.
5. ____
L1 name:

Local use:
Thelypteris maemonensis Found growing on the shady forest floor.
6. ____
L1 name:
Local use:

Linguistic matching

As best as you can, match the word to the language or language subgroup

07. _____ Asplenium nidus
08. _____ Bird's nest fern
09. _____ chath
10. _____ kardoap
11. _____ lo'goho
12. _____ muhlihklihk
13. _____ nük
14. _____ tehnlik
15. _____ toahnlik
A. Chuukese
B. English
C. Kapinga
D. Kosraen
E. Kitti
F. Latin
G. Mwoakillese
H. Pohnpeian
I. Yapese

II. Short Answer

  1. What organism is able to convert nitrogen (N2 gas) in the air into nitrogenous compounds usable by plants and animals?
  2. What is the function of the vegetative cell in the balls of green jelly found on rocky ground in the sun?
  3. Can we tell by looking the difference between male and female moss plants?
  4. Put the following into order from the botanically most "primitive" to most "evolved": cyanobacteria, ferns, lycopodium, mosses.
  5. 012759moss (98K)In the image of the moss to the right, what is the function of the long stalks that come up from the moss and end in a capsule? We viewed these in the laboratory on Tuesday. On living moss the stalks and capsule are usually brown.
  6. Mosses are unusual among plants in that the green part we see is haploid. All other plants we encounter in this course are diploid. What do the terms haploid and diploid mean?
  7. As a human being, are you a haploid or diploid?
  8. Where can I find cyanobacteria?
  9. To the best of your ability, label the parts #1, #2, and #5 of the fern shown using botanically correct terms.
    fern sketch #1: ______________
    #2: ______________
    #5: ______________
  10. List some common features of reproduction for mosses, lycopodium, and ferns.
  11. Why do ethnobotanists study indigenous peoples?
  12. Traditional systems of healing exist in a cultural context. Explain what is meant by the term cultural context.
  13. What is the meaning of a cultural disease, also known as a culture bound syndrome?
  14. Cross-cultural super toughies: Four different plants below are described by a name in Micronesia. Translate each plant name into your own first language (L1). If the plant is already in your first language, you simply put that word down again. If you do not have a name for the plant, leave it blank.

    gob: ____________________________
    muhlihklihk: ____________________________
    pwisehn ketipen: ____________________________
    unen katu: ____________________________

III. Short essay answer

On page fifty-three of our text Dr. Balick notes that "This triad of immobility, carbohydrate production, and diverse biochemistry makes plants far more useful to human beings than animals can be." Lecture has also covered the impact of immobility and biochemistry on the importance of plants. Write a short essay explaining this triad, both the meaning of the three terms and how they relate to making plants important to people.