Touching and Tasting; plants that do things

Last week I wrote about a couple of plants that Anderson described as 'beautifull' and a couple that had a particular smell. This week I explore a couple of plants where touch and taste are the two most prominent senses.

Two plants Anderson noted transferred colour when touched. Bixa orellana, often now known as Anatto or the Lipstick Tree, was he noted used by the people now known as Kalinago, as 'their favourite dye for most of their Household utensils, as well as their skins and dress'. It gave he said 'a beautifull vermilion to the skin, cloth or any other material that touch them'. The plant has many uses including as an insect repellant and a sunblock, so in the tropics, using it widely would be very sensible. A photograph of its flower is below.

The other plant that gave a dye was Curcuma longa, or Turmeric. Anderson wrote that the flower was a 'beautifull yellow and gives the same tinge on the slightest touch'. He went on to note that women-of-colour sometimes dyed their petticoats with the flowers. You can see yellow petticoated women in these paintings by Agostino Brunias (c.1730-1796); 'The Barbadoes Mulatto Girl' (c.1764), and 'Free Women of Color with their Children and Servants in a Landscape' (c.1764).

Two plants where taste was important are Theobroma guazuma (Guazuma ulmifolia), and Prunus noyeau. Of Theobroma Guazuma, Anderson notes it is known as Bastard Cedar and that 'the fruit is in size in very much in shape of a large strawberry covered with small depressions arise substance the taste of Honey'. A photograph of the fruit is below and I have to say I wouldn't really describe it as looking like a large strawberry.

The Noyeau tree Anderson brought to the Garden and noted that 'every part of it has an agreeable aromatic smell, in taste the same as the bitter almond'. He said the tree was similar to the Birch tree and that 'from a distillation of the fruit or young branches with their leaves and certain proportions of Brandy or old Rum and sugar, is made the noted Noyeau by the French in so great esteem in the West Indies as well as in Europe and endless source of Fortunes to the manufacturers'.

I have been unable to locate exactly what Prunus noyeau is but this website provides a recipe for a gin-based liqueur where Beech tree leaves are steeped for 3-weeks; its is called Noyau. The site claims that 'the name "noyau" comes from the French word for the stones of fruit such as peaches or apricots, which were used to make almond-flavoured liqueurs'. There is a recipe for making this liqueur with peaches here. Please note that I take no responsibility if any reader tries any of these recipes.

One last plant that I think is interesting in terms of taste is Amomum grandiflorium (Aframomum exscapum). Anderson wrote that he 'obtained this beautifull plant by accident. Mr Carew a Clergyman of Grenada in 1787 found one seed only in the bottom of a Tea chest, not knowing what it was he put it in his pocket with the intention to plant it, but luckily I being in the Island shortly after call'd on him. He mentioned his finding a small seed in the manner mentioned [and] without hesitation he made me a present of it. On my return to the Garden I immediately committed it the ground it soon vegetated and prospered. From where it was found there can be no doubt of its being China' He went on to note that 'every part of it is a pleasant aromatic smell & taste'. As such we know he used taste as a way to learn about and try to identify plants, and that tea in the era came from China.

However, Anderson was incorrect in thinking the plant was connected to China as it is native to West Africa where it has many properties. Grenadian plantations at this time used trafficked African labour, and, with the seeds from this plant used traditionally as a wormer in that part of the world, with much of the rest of the plant also being medicinal, it is highly likely the lone seed fell from one of the enslaved workers unloading cargo. It is known that enslaved people braided seeds from plants that were important to them into their hair.

Bixa Orellana

Theobroma guazuma