View - Roanoke Colonies Illuminated

Title	Cochinile
Caption	Metaquesannauk
Source	©Ted Bodner. James H. Miller and Karl V. Miller. 2005. Forest plants of the southeast and their wildlife uses. University of Georgia Press., Athens.
URL	http://plants.usda.gov/java/largeImage?imageID=ophu_010_avp.tif
Creator	Ted Bodner
Type	photograph
Copyright	unknown
Origin	internet
Notes	Hariot p.18 “Some that have bin to the Indes, where they have seen that kind of red die of great price which is called Cochinile . . . [NB-VJB] Hariot compares Cochinile to Metaquesunnauk (Prickley Pear Cactus – Opuntia). Hariot apparently knew that the cochineal insect was associated with the Opuntia cactus. From: Wikipedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cochineal The Cochineal (Dactylopius coccus) is a scale insect in the suborder Sternorrhyncha, from which the crimson-coloured dye carmine is derived. A primarily sessile parasite native to tropical and subtropical South America and Mexico, this insect lives on cacti from the genus Opuntia, feeding on plant moisture and nutrients. Ewan p.262 “The Metack sunancs somewhat resembling the Indian fig. Ogilby (1671) p. 196 describes “Mettaquesunnauks”, a sort of fruit resembling In[d]ian figs.” This he had from Hariot (1588), who describes “Metaquesunnauk, a kind of pleasant fruit almost the shape & bignes of English peares, but that they are a perfect red colour as well within as without. They grow on a plant whose leaves are verie thick and full of prickles as sharp as needles.” = Opuntia sp. Radford p.735 Probably Opuntia compressa (Salisbury) Macbride (Prickley Pear) [NB VJB: The fruits are called “prickley pears” and are edible. Monardus- Hariot p.9 “book of Monardus, translated and entitled in English, The joyful newes from the West Indies” Ewan p.419 Monardes, Nicolas. 1569-71 .”Simplicatum medicamentorum ex novo orbe” as an appendix in L’Escluse, Exoticorum, q,v. p.416 L’Escluse, Charles de (Clusius). 1601. Rariorum plantarum historia. Antwerp.

Cochinile