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Lacmellea lactescens Familia: Apocynaceae Kichwa: pungara muyu; chicle
Leaves and edible fruit (pugara muyu) of Lamella lactescens. Photos: Tod Swanson.
Luisa Cadena, "How My Father Gathered Chicle in the Rubber Boom."
During the rubber boom chicle sap was harvested and exported to Iquitos along with rubber by the same runa families working under the same patrones who worked rubber. To harvest wild chicle the trees were cut down and girded. Runa gathered large quantities of seeds to plant in the forest to replace the trees cut down and to increase the numbers of those species.
Pastaza Quichua.
Cite video as:
Tod D. Swanson, "Luisa Cadena, "How My Father Gathered Chicle in the Rubber Boom.’" Youtube video. 2:30. December 14, 2016. https://youtu.be/E7xsyjJtuMw
Thorny trunk of Lacmellea lactescens with moth caterpillar. When the caterpillar lifts the point of its tail it displays large false eyes that make it look like a snake. According to tradition the caterpillar can actually grow into a shishin snake.
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