Ceiba pentandra (Malvaceae) and associated species: Spiritual Keystone Species of the Neotropics

Marc-Alexandre Tareau (1) , Alexander Greene (1) , Guillaume Odonne (1) , Damien Davy (1)

1 LEEISA - Laboratoire Ecologie, Evolution, Interactions des Systèmes amazoniens

Among the 18 species included in the Ceiba genus in the Malvaceae (Bombacoideae) family, Ceiba pentandra (L.) Gaertn. is not only the tallest and most widespread but also occupies the most prominent place in Neotropical cosmovisions. In this ethnobotanical review, we compare perceptions and uses of Ceiba and related species across Indigenous and Afro-descendant cultures ranging from the Caribbean to the Argentinian Chaco. Ceiba’s widely shared role as axis mundi (particularly in Amazonia), psychopomp, and as a shelter of major forest spirits makes it a perfect example of a Spiritual Keystone Species, a new concept inspired from the concept of Cultural Keystone Species and defined here for the first time.

Mots clés: ethnobotany; Amazonia; Caribbean; lupuna; samauma; mapou; silk-cotton tree; ethnobotany

Mots clés: fromager; kapok ethnobotanique; Amazonie; Caraïbes; capoquier; kapok; fromager

Domaines: Botanique; Anthropologie sociale et ethnologie

Marc-Alexandre Tareau, Alexander Greene, Guillaume Odonne, Damien Davy. Ceiba pentandra (Malvaceae) and associated species: Spiritual Keystone Species of the Neotropics. Botany / Botanique, 2022, 100 (2), pp.127 - 140. ⟨10.1139/cjb-2021-0099⟩. ⟨hal-03485409⟩