Mangummenauk

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Occurrences

Mangummenauk

Additional Notes

Fruit of members of the Oak genus (Quercus spp.) Ex: Quercus alba L. white oak Radford, et al. (1968) ‘Manual of the Vascular Flora of the Carolinas’, Chapel Hill. SUMMARY: Lawson gives good descriptions of various oaks and their uses, good description of Indians use of acorns to produce meal and oil. A number of oak specimens collected by Lawson in eastern NC in 1701-1711 are available in the Sloane Herbarium. Good source for illustrations may be Plukenet (1691-1705) Acorns were eaten by Carolina Indians: roasted, ground into meal, as a thickener for soups and stews, to produce oil used in food preparation and to treat burns. Acorns were an important food source for colonists pigs as well as ‘wild’ hogs and Passenger Pigeons. Lawson Lawson provided specimens of several Oaks in his 1711 packet of plants sent to Petiver in England. This specimens exists today in the Sloane Herbarium (H.S.159). Oak species in the herbarium include: Q. phellos (willow oak), Q. virginiana (live oak), Q. marylandica (black jack oak), Q. michauxii (chestnut oak), Q. velutina (black oak), Q. falcata? (Southern Red Oak), Q. alba (white oak). [NB VJB – a number of these specimens bear notes containing information not included in Lawson’s book.] “Acorn” pp. 33, 51, 74, 75, 88, 99-100, 129, 145, 153,182, 226, 269. pp. 33, 74, 99, 145, 226 (see below under “Oaks” p. 51 “Next Morning, we got our breakfasts; roasted Acorns being one of the dishes. The Indians beat them into Meal, and thicken their Venison-Broth with them; and oftentimes make a palatable Soup. They are used instead of Bread, boiling them until the Oil swims on top of the Water, which they preserve for use, eating the Acorns with Flesh-meat.” p.75 Quotes unnamed Barbados explorers of Cape Fear area in 1663. Indians in a cane sold them baskets of acorns. p.88 ‘The pork exceeds any in Europe; the great diversity and Goodness of the Acorns and Nuts which the Woods afford. Making that Flesh of excellent Taste, and produces great Quantities; so that Carolina (if not the chief) is not inferior, in this one Commodity, to any Colony in the hands of the English..” p. 99-100 General account of oaks of Carolina, including mention on acorns (see “Oaks” below.) p.129 Common gray squirrel, food is acorns. p.145 Describes passenger pigeons, mostly west of the current English habitations, come to coastal plain in search of small acorns, acorns of Turky-oak. p.153 General description of ‘Turkies’, eat acorns. p.182 General description of ‘Indian food’, acorns and acorn oil p. 269 In his Jan 1709 letter to Petiver, Lawson reminds Petiver of his request for seeds (acorns) of cork oak. “Oak” pp. 33,50,64,74,80,97,99, 107, 145, 213, 226. p.33 Flocks of turkeys, in the hundreds, feed upon acorns. p.50 … went to shoot pigeons, millions in a flock, they split limbs of stout oaks and other trees, upon which they roost p.64 camped where there was no timber, but small shabby oaks. p.74 In Cape Fear area . . . thin of timber except here and there a great oak. p.80 In Albemarle area . . . the high land yielding lofty oaks. p.97 “Ever-green Oak, two sorts . . . “ p.98,99 Lawson describes several types of oak tree. Chestnut Oak- clear timber, grow in low land, fairest planks, called Chestnut oak because of the largeness and sweetness of the acorns. [NB VJB – the leaves also greatly resemble chestnut leaves.] White, scaly-bark Oak- building sloops and ships, grows on dry land, called white oak because of white bark, never grows as large as chestnut oak. {Notes attached to this specimen read: “White Oak pag.91, Line 39 April 1711. Virg. JLawson?? Aug. The page reference is to the description of this tree in the 1709 edition of ‘A New Voyage . . . “ Lefler ed. Of Lawson, ‘A New Voyage . . . “} Red Oak- porous wood, used for rails for fences, not very durable, clap b oards, pipe and barrel staves. Spanish Oak- clapboards, durable, vessels fit for sea, good mast for swine. Bastard-Spanish Oak- fencing and clapboards, good acorns. Black Oak- durable wood under water, used in house work, good mast for hogs. White Iron or Ring Oak- durability and lasting quality, plentiful acorns, best Oak for Ship-work. Turkey Oak- small acorn fed on by wild turkeys Live Oak- grows on dry sandy knolls, evergreen, most durable Oak in all America, cured limbs serve as knees, timbers for vessels, not good for planks as too hard to cut and short trunk. “The Acorns therof are as sweet as Chestnuts, and the Indians draw an Oil from them, as sweet as that from the Olive, tho’ of an Amber-Color. With these Nuts, or Acorns, some have counterfeited the Cocoa, whereof they have made Chocolate, not to be distinguish’d by a good Palate. Window-Frames, Mallets, and Pins for Blocks, are made therof . . . Acorns make a very fine Pork.” Willow Oak- is a sort of water oak, grows in ponds and branches, leaf resembles willow. Freshwater Oak- The live oak grows in freshwater ponds and swamps, in low ground, is perennial green. p.107 Reference is to oak-vine, not any type of tree. p.145 Reference is to Turkey-Acorns, a small sort of acorn eaten by huge flocks of ‘passenger’ pigeons. These acorns also preferred by Turkies, for this reason this oak is called Turky-Oak. p.213 ‘Spunk’, a sort of soft corky substance generally of cinnamon color that grows in the concave part of an oak, hickory, and several other woods p.226 “They cure Scald-heads infallibly, and never miss. Their chief Remedy as I have seen them make use of, is, the Oil of Acorns, but from which sort of Oak I am not certain.” Treatment for burns. Banister/Ewan ‘Quercus’: pp. 97,129, 205, 237, 238. p. 6 Q. coccinea (Red Oak) in traduced by Banister to Gardens at Fulham (England) p.129 Q. banister named by Michaux to ‘Running Downy Oak’ = ‘Bear Oak’ = ‘Barren Oak’, now: Q. ilicifolia Wang. p.205 note label error in Morrison Herbarium p.237 Quercus. Dwarfe oake. It bears Acornes RAY CAT., as “Q. pumila” = Quercus banesteri Michx. p.238 many oak species listed on this and next page [NB VJB – Ray 1687-1704 may be a good source of illustrations of oaks and acorns.] - Dr. Vince Bellis
Acornes- VJB 14 March Fruit of members of the Oak genus (Quercus spp.) White oak acorn http://plants.usda.gov/java/profile?symbol=qual Radford, et al. (1968) ‘Manual of the Vascular Flora of the Carolinas’, Chapel Hill. SUMMARY: Lawson gives good descriptions of various oaks and their uses, good description of Indians use of acorns to produce meal and oil. A number of oak specimens collected by Lawson in eastern NC in 1701-1711 are available in the Sloane Herbarium. Acorns were eaten by Carolina Indians: roasted, ground into meal, as a thickener for soups and stews, to produce oil used in food preparation and to treat burns. Acorns were an important food source for colonists pigs as well as ‘wild’ hogs and Passenger Pigeons. Bellis I think that not all species of oak were used as food by the Indians. Perhaps members of the ‘white oak’ group were somewhat sweeter (less tannins)? Lawson Lawson provided specimens of several Oaks in his 1711 packet of plants sent to Petiver in England. This specimens exists today in the Sloane Herbarium (H.S.159). Oak species in the herbarium include: Q. phellos (willow oak), Q. virginiana (live oak), Q. marylandica (black jack oak), Q. michauxii (chestnut oak), Q. velutina (black oak), Q. falcata? (Southern Red Oak), Q. alba (white oak). [NB VJB – a number of these specimens bear notes containing information not included in Lawson’s book.] “Acorn” pp. 33, 51, 74, 75, 88, 99-100, 129, 145, 153,182, 226, 269. pp. 33, 74, 99, 145, 226 (see below under “Oaks” p. 51 “Next Morning, we got our breakfasts; roasted Acorns being one of the dishes. The Indians beat them into Meal, and thicken their Venison-Broth with them; and oftentimes make a palatable Soup. They are used instead of Bread, boiling them until the Oil swims on top of the Water, which they preserve for use, eating the Acorns with Flesh-meat.” p.75 Quotes unnamed Barbados explorers of Cape Fear area in 1663. Indians in a cane sold them baskets of acorns. p.88 ‘The pork exceeds any in Europe; the great diversity and Goodness of the Acorns and Nuts which the Woods afford. Making that Flesh of excellent Taste, and produces great Quantities; so that Carolina (if not the chief) is not inferior, in this one Commodity, to any Colony in the hands of the English..” p. 99-100 General account of oaks of Carolina, including mention on acorns (see “Oaks” below.) p.129 Common gray squirrel, food is acorns. p.145 Describes passenger pigeons, mostly west of the current English habitations, come to coastal plain in search of small acorns, acorns of Turky-oak. p.153 General description of ‘Turkies’, eat acorns. p.182 General description of ‘Indian food’, acorns and acorn oil p. 269 In his Jan 1709 letter to Petiver, Lawson reminds Petiver of his request for seeds (acorns) of cork oak. “Oak” pp. 33,50,64,74,80,97,99, 107, 145, 213, 226. p.33 Flocks of turkeys, in the hundreds, feed upon acorns. p.50 … went to shoot pigeons, millions in a flock, they split limbs of stout oaks and other trees, upon which they roost p.64 camped where there was no timber, but small shabby oaks. p.74 In Cape Fear area . . . thin of timber except here and there a great oak. p.80 In Albemarle area . . . the high land yielding lofty oaks. p.97 “Ever-green Oak, two sorts . . . “ p.98,99 Lawson describes several types of oak tree. Chestnut Oak- clear timber, grow in low land, fairest planks, called Chestnut oak because of the largeness and sweetness of the acorns. [NB VJB – the leaves also greatly resemble chestnut leaves.] White, scaly-bark Oak- building sloops and ships, grows on dry land, called white oak because of white bark, never grows as large as chestnut oak. {Notes attached to this specimen read: “White Oak pag.91, Line 39 April 1711. Virg. JLawson?? Aug. The page reference is to the description of this tree in the 1709 edition of ‘A New Voyage . . . “ Lefler ed. Of Lawson, ‘A New Voyage . . . “} Red Oak- porous wood, used for rails for fences, not very durable, clap b oards, pipe and barrel staves. Spanish Oak- clapboards, durable, vessels fit for sea, good mast for swine. Bastard-Spanish Oak- fencing and clapboards, good acorns. Black Oak- durable wood under water, used in house work, good mast for hogs. White Iron or Ring Oak- durability and lasting quality, plentiful acorns, best Oak for Ship-work. Turkey Oak- small acorn fed on by wild turkeys Live Oak- grows on dry sandy knolls, evergreen, most durable Oak in all America, cured limbs serve as knees, timbers for vessels, not good for planks as too hard to cut and short trunk. “The Acorns therof are as sweet as Chestnuts, and the Indians draw an Oil from them, as sweet as that from the Olive, tho’ of an Amber-Color. With these Nuts, or Acorns, some have counterfeited the Cocoa, whereof they have made Chocolate, not to be distinguish’d by a good Palate. Window-Frames, Mallets, and Pins for Blocks, are made therof . . . Acorns make a very fine Pork.” Willow Oak- is a sort of water oak, grows in ponds and branches, leaf resembles willow. Freshwater Oak- The live oak grows in freshwater ponds and swamps, in low ground, is perennial green. p.107 Reference is to oak-vine, not a type of tree. p.145 Reference is to Turkey-Acorns, a small sort of acorn eaten by huge flocks of ‘passenger’ pigeons. These acorns also preferred by Turkies, for this reason this oak is called Turky-Oak. p.213 ‘Spunk’, a sort of soft corky substance generally of cinnamon color that grows in the concave part of an oak, hickory, and several other woods p.226 “They cure Scald-heads infallibly, and never miss. Their chief Remedy as I have seen them make use of, is, the Oil of Acorns, but from which sort of Oak I am not certain.” Treatment for burns. Banister/Ewan ‘Quercus’: pp. 97,129, 205, 237, 238. p. 6 Q. coccinea (Red Oak) in traduced by Banister to Gardens at Fulham (England) p.129 Q. banister named by Michaux to ‘Running Downy Oak’ = ‘Bear Oak’ = ‘Barren Oak’, now: Q. ilicifolia Wang. p.205 note label error in Morrison Herbarium p.237 Quercus. Dwarfe oake. It bears Acornes RAY CAT., as “Q. pumila” = Quercus banesteri Michx. p.238 many oak species listed on this and next page

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