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International audience; Ethnopharmacological relevance: In French Guiana, traditional phytotherapies are an important part of self-healthcare, however, a precise understanding of the interactions between local phytotherapies and biomedicine is lacking. Malaria is still endemic in the transition area between French Guiana and Brazil, and practices of self-treatment, although difficult to detect, have possible consequences on the outcome of public health policies.Aim of the study: The objectives of this research were 1) to document occurences of co-medication (interactions between biomedicine and local phytotherapies) against malaria around Saint-Georges de l’Oyapock (SGO), 2) to quantify and to qualify plant uses against malaria, 3) and to discuss potential effects of such co-medications, in order to improve synergy between community efforts and public health programs in SGO particularly, and in Amazonia more broadly.Materials and methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted in 2017 in SGO. Inhabitants of any age and nationality were interviewed using a questionnaire (122 questions) about their knowledge and habits regarding malaria, and their use of plants to prevent and treat it. They were invited to show their potential responses on a poster illustrating the most common antimalarial plants used in the area. In order to correlate plant uses and malaria epidemiology, all participants subsequently received a medical examination, and malaria detection was performed by Rapid Diagnostic Test (RDT) and Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR).Results: A total of 1566 inhabitants were included in the study. Forty-six percent of them declared that they had been infected by malaria at least once, and this rate increased with age. Every person who reported that they had had malaria also indicated that they had taken antimalarial drugs (at least for the last episode), and self-medication against malaria with pharmaceuticals was reported in 142 cases. A total of 550 plant users was recorded (35.1% of the interviewed population). Among them 95.5% associated pharmaceuticals to plants. All plants reported to treat malaria were shared by every cultural group around SGO, but three plants were primarily used by the Palikur: Cymbopogon citratus, Citrus aurantifolia and Siparuna guianensis. Two plants stand out among those used by Creoles: Eryngium foetidum and Quassia amara, although the latter is used by all groups and is by far the most cited plant by every cultural group. Cultivated species accounts for 91.3% of the use reports, while wild taxa account for only 18.4%.Conclusions: This study showed that residents of SGO in French Guiana are relying on both traditional phytotherapies and pharmaceutical drugs to treat malaria. This medical pluralism is to be understood as a form of pragmatism: people are collecting or cultivating plants for medicinal purposes, which is probably more congruent with their respective cultures and highlights the wish for a certain independence of the care process. A better consideration of these practices is thus necessary to improve public health response to malaria.

As farmacopeias são, como toda produção cultural, objetos eminentemente vivos e dinâmicos que se transformam e se reinventam constantemente, ao longo dos contatos e intercâmbios incessantes que acontecem entre os diferentes grupos humanos. As plantas medicinais também são “objetos bioculturais” (Pordié, 2002) pela riqueza e complexidade das relações que as sociedades mantêm entre si, que estão igualmente sempre em evolução. Na Guiana Francesa e, especialmente, nos espaços transfonteiriços, as interações culturais são constantes. As plantas e seus usos circulam entre as comunidades, participando assim da renovação e hibridação contínuas das fitoterapias. Esses fluxos materiais e imateriais compõem a realidade cultural dos espaços transfronteiriços do Planalto das Guianas. O presente artigo foca a fronteira franco-brasileira, materializada pelo Rio Oiapoque. Baseados em entrevistas feitas na cidade de Saint-Georges de l’Oyapock, propomos uma descrição exploratória dos fluxos etnobotânicos em contexto transfronteiriço, interessando-nos pelas plantas medicinais intercambiadas, pela difusão dos saberes a elas associados e, logo, pelos modos de circulação das plantas e conhecimentos. Este estudo integra uma pesquisa mais ampla sobre as circulações bioculturais na região da Guiana Francesa e seus vizinhos. Les pharmacopées sont, à l’image de toute production culturelle, des objets éminemment vivants et dynamiques qui se transforment et se réinventent constamment, au fil des contacts et échanges incessants qui se jouent entre les différents groupes humains. Les plantes médicinales sont, elles aussi, des « objets bioculturels » (Pordié, 2002) par la richesse et la complexité des relations que les sociétés entretiennent avec elles, elles aussi toujours en évolution. En Guyane, et en particulier sur les espaces transfrontaliers, les interactions culturelles sont constantes. Les plantes et leurs usages circulent entre les communautés, participant au renouvellement et à l’hybridation continuelle des phytothérapies. Ces flux matériels et immatériels composent la réalité culturelle des espaces transfrontaliers du plateau des Guyanes. Cet article se focalise sur la frontière franco-brésilienne matérialisée par le fleuve Oyapock. À la lumière d’entretiens menés dans la ville de Saint-Georges-de-l’Oyapock, nous proposons une description exploratoire des flux ethnobotaniques en contexte transfrontalier, en nous intéressant aux plantes médicinales échangées, à la diffusion des savoirs associés et donc aux modes de circulation des plantes et des connaissances. Cette étude compose une partie d’une recherche plus large sur les circulations bioculturelles à l’échelle de la Guyane et de ses voisins. Pharmacopoeias are, like any kind of cultural production, living and dynamic objects that constantly change and reinvent themselves, throughout continuous contacts and exchanges between different social groups. Medicinal plants are “biocultural objects” (Pordié, 2002) as well, because of the richness and the complexity of relationships that societies develop with them. In French Guiana, especially in its cross-border areas, cultural interactions are usual. Plants and knowledge about their uses circulate among communities, contributing to a permanent renewal and a continuous hybridation of herbal medicines. These material and immaterial flows form the cultural reality of cross-border areas on the Guiana Shield. This paper focuses on the border between French Guiana and Brazil, which was made tangible by the Oyapock River. Based on interviews conducted in the French border town of Saint-Georges-de-l’Oyapock, it proposes an exploratory description of ethnobotanical flows in this cross-border context. It lists the medicinal plants used in Saint-Georges, analyses the diffusion of associated knowledge between the different communities and highlights the circulations of plants and of related medicinal knowledge in this transfrontier area. This research is one part of a larger study on biocultural circulations at the scale of French Guiana and its neighbours.

Pharmacopoeias are, like any kind of cultural production, living and dynamic objects that constantly change and reinvent themselves, throughout continuous contacts and exchanges between different social groups. Medicinal plants are "biocultural objects" (Pordie, 2002) as well, because of the richness and the complexity of relationships that societies develop with them. In French Guiana, especially in its cross-border areas, cultural interactions are usual. Plants and knowledge about their uses circulate among communities, contributing to a permanent renewal and a continuous hybridation of herbal medicines. These material and immaterial flows form the cultural reality of cross-border areas on the Guiana Shield. This paper focuses on the border between French Guiana and Brazil, which was made tangible by the Oyapock River. Based on interviews conducted in the French border town of Saint-Georges-de-l'Oyapock, it proposes an exploratory description of ethnobotanical flows in this cross-border context. It lists the medicinal plants used in Saint-Georges, analyses the diffusion of associated knowledge between the different communities and highlights the circulations of plants and of related medicinal knowledge in this transfrontier area. This research is one part of a larger study on biocultural circulations at the scale of French Guiana and its neighbours., Les pharmacopées sont, à l’image de toute production culturelle, des objets éminemment vivants et dynamiques qui se transforment et se réinventent constamment, au fil des contacts et échanges incessants qui se jouent entre les différents groupes humains. Les plantes médicinales sont, elles aussi, des « objets bioculturels » (Pordié, 2002) par la richesse et la complexité des relations que les sociétés entretiennent avec elles, elles aussi toujours en évolution. En Guyane, et en particulier sur les espaces transfrontaliers, les interactions culturelles sont constantes. Les plantes et leurs usages circulent entre les communautés, participant au renouvellement et à l’hybridation continuelle des phytothérapies. Ces flux matériels et immatériels composent la réalité culturelle des espaces transfrontaliers du plateau des Guyanes. Cet article se focalise sur la frontière franco-brésilienne matérialisée par le fleuve Oyapock. À la lumière d’entretiens menés dans la ville de Saint-Georges-de-l’Oyapock, nous proposons une description exploratoire des flux ethnobotaniques en contexte transfrontalier, en nous intéressant aux plantes médicinales échangées, à la diffusion des savoirs associés et donc aux modes de circulation des plantes et des connaissances. Cette étude compose une partie d’une recherche plus large sur les circulations bioculturelles à l’échelle de la Guyane et de ses voisins., As farmacopeias são, como toda produção cultural, objetos eminentemente vivos e dinâmicos que se transformam e se reinventam constantemente, ao longo dos contatos e intercâmbios incessantes que acontecem entre os diferentes grupos humanos. As plantas medicinais também são “objetos bioculturais” (Pordié, 2002) pela riqueza e complexidade das relações que as sociedades mantêm entre si, que estão igualmente sempre em evolução. Na Guiana Francesa e, especialmente, nos espaços transfonteiriços, as interações culturais são constantes. As plantas e seus usos circulam entre as comunidades, participando assim da renovação e hibridação contínuas das fitoterapias. Esses fluxos materiais e imateriais compõem a realidade cultural dos espaços transfronteiriços do Planalto das Guianas. O presente artigo foca a fronteira francobrasileira, materializada pelo Rio Oiapoque. Baseados em entrevistas feitas na cidade de Saint- Georges de l’Oyapock, propomos uma descrição exploratória dos fluxos etnobotânicos em contexto transfronteiriço, interessando-nos pelas plantas medicinais intercambiadas, pela difusão dos saberes a elas associados e, logo, pelos modos de circulação das plantas e conhecimentos. Este estudo integra uma pesquisa mais ampla sobre as circulações bioculturais na região da Guiana Francesa e seus vizinhos.

Ethnopharmacological relevance Quassia amara L. recently came into the spotlight in French Guiana, when it became the object of a biopiracy claim. Due to the numerous use records throughout the Guiana shield, at least since the 18th century, a thorough investigation of its origin seemed relevant and timely. In the light of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) and the Nagoya protocol, questions about the origin of local knowledge are important to debate. Aim of the study: Defining cultural biogeography as the dynamics through space and time of biocultural complexes, we used this theoretical framework to shed light on the complex biogeographical and cultural history of Q. amara. We explored in particular the possible transfer of medicinal knowledge on an Old World species to a botanically related New World one by enslaved Africans in Suriname. Materials and methods Historical and contemporary literature research was performed by means of digitized manuscripts, archives and databases from the 17th to the 21st century. We retrieved data from digitized herbarium vouchers in herbaria of the Botanic Garden Meise (Belgium); Naturalis Biodiversity Center (the Netherlands); Missouri Botanical Garden, the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History, the Field Museum (USA); Royal Botanic Gardens Kew (UK); the IRD Herbarium, French Guiana and the Museum National d’Histoire Naturelle (France). Vernacular names were retrieved from literature and herbarium specimens and compared to verify the origin of Quassia amara and its uses. Results Our exploration of digitized herbarium vouchers resulted in 1287 records, of which 661 were Q. amara and 636 were Q. africana. We observed that the destiny of this species, over at least 300 years, interweaves politics, economy, culture and medicine in a very complex way. Quassia amara's uses are difficult to attribute to specific cultural groups: the species is widely distributed in Central and South America, where it is popular among many ethnic groups. The species spread from Central to South America during the early 18th century due to political and economic reasons. This migration possibly resulted from simultaneous migration by religious orders (Jesuits) from Central America to northern South America and by Carib-speaking Amerindians (from northern South America to Suriname). Subsequently, through colonial trade networks, Q. amara spread to the rest of the world. The absence of African-derived local names in the Guiana shield suggests that Q. africana was not sufficiently familiar to enslaved Africans in the region that they preserved its names and transferred the associated medicinal knowledge to Q. amara. Conclusions Cultural biogeography has proven an interesting concept to reconstruct the dynamics of biocultural interactions through space and time, while herbarium databases have shown to be useful to decipher evolution of local plant knowledge. Tracing the origin of a knowledge is nevertheless a complex adventure that deserves time and interdisciplinary studies.

International audience; 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.

French Guiana is an overseas French department in South America at the margin of the Amazon basin. Its population is characterized by an important number of cultural groups. Many inhabitants originate from the Caribbean (mostly Saint Lucia, Martinique, Guadeloupe, Haiti, and the Dominican Republic). The objectives of this study were to present an overview of the main uses of plants among the Caribbean populations in French Guiana, and how they contribute to the dynamics of plant-based practices, in order to provide insights into ethnobotanical convergences, divergences, and hybridizations (such as the importation of new species and associated practices, and the adoption of Amazonian species by Caribbean people). Interviews and botanical voucher collections were conducted throughout the coastal area of French Guiana. Sixteen Saint Lucian, nineteen Haitian, eighteen French Caribbean, and twelve Dominican informants were interviewed during the fieldwork. Altogether they use 212 botanical species. Some plants have recently been imported directly from the Caribbean, while adaptations have also taken place: some species that do not exist locally are abandoned while Amazonian species are integrated to form hybrid pharmacopoeias. The phytotherapies of these communities in French Guiana are still conserved as consistent sets of knowledge, although they tend to blend through an ongoing process of hybridization.The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s12231-021-09529-0.La Guyane française est un département français d’Amérique du Sud situé à la marge nord du bassin amazonien. La composition de sa population est caractérisée par une très grande diversité d’appartenances culturelles. De nombreux habitants sont notamment originaires des Caraïbes (principalement de Sainte–Lucie, Martinique, Guadeloupe, Haïti et de la République dominicaine). Les objectifs de cette étude étaient de présenter une vue d’ensemble des principaux usages de soin par les plantes chez les populations caribéennes de Guyane française, et la manière dont ils contribuent à la dynamique des pratiques de phytothérapie locales, afin d’apporter un éclairage sur les modalités de convergences, de divergences et d’hybridations ethnobotaniques (telles que l’importation de nouvelles espèces et d’usages associés et l’adoption d’espèces amazoniennes par les migrants caribéens) auxquelles elles donnent naissance. Des entretiens et des collectes d’herbiers ont été menés sur l’ensemble de la zone côtière de la Guyane française. Seize informateurs saint–luciens, dix–neuf haïtiens, dix–huit caribéens français et douze dominicains ont été interrogés au cours du travail de terrain. Au total, ceux–ci ont mentionné utiliser 212 espèces botaniques. Certaines plantes ont récemment été directement importées des îles de la Caraïbe, et des adaptations ont également eu lieu: certaines espèces qui n’existent pas localement sont progressivement délaissées par les migrants caribéens tandis que

Background French Guiana is characterized by a very multicultural population, made up of formerly settled groups (Amerindians, Maroons, Creoles) and more recent migrants (mostly from Latin America and the Caribbean). It is the ideal place to try to understand the influence of intercultural exchanges on the composition of medicinal floras and the evolution of phytotherapies under the effect of cross-culturalism. Methods A combination of qualitative and quantitative methods was used. Semi-directive interviews were conducted in 12 localities of French Guiana’s coast between January 2016 and June 2017, and the responses to all closed questions collected during the survey were computerized in an Excel spreadsheet to facilitate quantitative processing. Herbarium vouchers were collected and deposited at the Cayenne Herbarium to determine Linnaean names of medicinal species mentioned by the interviewees. A list of indicator species for each cultural group considered was adapted from community ecology to this ethnobiological context, according to the Dufrêne-Legendre model, via the “labdsv” package and the “indval” function, after performing a redundancy analysis (RDA). Results A total of 205 people, belonging to 15 distinct cultural groups, were interviewed using semi-structured questionnaires. A total of 356 species (for 106 botanical families) were cited. We observed that pantropical and edible species hold a special place in these pharmacopeias. If compared to previous inventories, 31 recently introduced species can be counted. Furthermore, this study shows that the majority of the plants used are not specific to a particular group but shared by many communities. However, despite this obvious cross-culturalism of medicinal plants between the different cultural communities of French Guiana, divergent trends nevertheless appear through the importance of 29 indicator/cultural keystone species in 10 cultural groups. Finally, we have emphasized that the transmission of herbal medicine’s knowledge in French Guiana is mainly feminine and intra-cultural. Conclusion French Guianese medicinal flora is undoubtedly related to the multiple cultures that settled this territory through the last centuries. Cultural pharmacopeias are more hybrid than sometimes expected, but cultural keystone species nevertheless arise from a common background, allowing to understand, and define, the relationships between cultural groups.

La cueillette des plantes médicinales en Guyane française est une pratique relativement méconnue, sous-estimée et souvent perçue comme anecdotique ou insignifiante. Pourtant, tous les jours, des personnes peuvent être vues ramassant des plantes sur les bords de route, pour leur propre usage ou, dans de moindres proportions, pour les vendre. Cet article vise à caractériser ces pratiques de cueillette des plantes médicinales et leur diversité et à souligner la pertinence de l’entrée par ces plantes pour interroger le fonctionnement de sociétés sujettes à des transformations rapides et désignées ici comme « en transition ». À la lumière de deux études de cas, une sur la cueillette urbaine dans l’agglomération de Cayenne et l’autre en zone rurale le long du bas-Maroni, cet article permet de repenser les relations nature-société-ville. En observant les spécificités socio-culturelles influençant les modalités de cueillette, il propose un schéma conceptuel de ces pratiques en mobilisant les idées d’hétérogénéité et de finalité comme concepts explicatifs. The gathering of medicinal plants in French Guiana is a relatively unknown practice, underestimated and often perceived as an anecdotic or insignificant one. However, everyday people can be seen harvesting plants on the road sides, for their own needs or in small proportions, for selling. This paper aims to characterise these medicinal plants’ collection practices, their diversity and their relevance for questioning the functioning of societies, which are subjected to rapid transformations and are therefore designed here as “transitional”. Through two case studies, one on urban collection in Cayenne city and one in the rural area along the low Maroni river, this paper analyses the connection between societies, nature and urban dynamics. By observing the socio-cultural specificities influencing collection modes, we propose a conceptualization scheme of collection practices, through the explanatory concepts of heterogeneity and purpose.

The gathering of medicinal plants in French Guiana is a relatively unknown practice, underestimated and often perceived as an anecdotic or insignificant one. However, everyday people can be seen harvesting plants on the road sides, for their own needs or in small proportions, for selling. This paper aims to characterise these medicinal plants’ collection practices, their diversity and their relevance for questioning the functioning of societies, which are subjected to rapid transformations and are therefore designed here as “transitional”. Through two case studies, one on urban collection in Cayenne city and one in the rural area along the lower Maroni River, this paper analyses the connection between societies, nature and urban dynamics. By observing the socio-cultural specificities influencing collection modes, we propose a conceptualization scheme of collection practices, through the explanatory concepts of heterogeneity and purpose.

Ethnopharmacological relevance French Guiana is a French overseas territory with a rich history of migration that has led to a highly intercultural society. Today, its population is one of the youngest in the French territory and is rapidly increasing. Despite a context of cultural revival seeking “tradition”, a distanced baseline of local practices is still lacking. This work addresses some aspects of the cultural hybridizations in progress in urban areas. Methods Semi directed interviews were conducted with willing participants aged between 18 and 40. Interviews took place in French Guiana's two main urban centres: Cayenne and Saint Laurent du Maroni. People were interviewed about the last medicinal plant they used in the preceding year. Due to the high use of plant baths in French Guiana, a focus was made on baths. Results and discussion Eighty-three people answered: 43 women and 40 men (mean age of 28.7 years old). In total, 226 remedies were counted in our study, 155 single plant remedies and 71 compound remedies leading to 316 use reports of plants from 16 cultural groups. A surprising number of 108 botanical species were recorded. Eighty-one recipes for baths were also collected. Despite this high citation rate, a rather low proportion of people declare a systematic and regular recourse upon local pharmacopoeia (46%; 38/83). Although many interviewees used plants, far from the majority used them on a regular basis. In practice, 50% of the species (54/108 spp.; 99/316 URs) are non-native but domesticated exotic species, imported from Asia, Europe, Africa or remote parts of America, either during colonization, the slave trade era, or more recently with the latest migrations. Conclusion Although phytotherapy use is often thought to be related to countryside dwellers and older people, medicinal plants seem to play an important role in the lives of urban French Guianese youth. Research shows a large diversity of medicinal species used linked with the great cultural diversity of the Guianese cities. One characteristic of this population is the hybridization process leading to a perpetual renewal of practices, both in terms of species and practice.

International audience