Plant Conservation vs. Folk Traditions: The Case of Ophrys scolopax Cav. (Orchidaceae) in Central Western Spain

Abstract

In central western Spain, the bee orchid Ophrys scolopax Cav. is limited to a few localities of the Arribes del Duero Natural Park, reaching the municipality of Villarino de los Aires (Salamanca) to the north. Due to its restricted distribution, this plant is hardly known in this territory, with the exception of this village, where it is very popular. Although most of its inhabitants are unaware of various aspects of the biology of this orchid, for example its pollination strategy, the place where the only local population grows is well-known: the Teso de San Cristóbal (“St. Christopher’s Hill”), a place of ancient pagan rituals Christianised through the construction of a hermitage. The villagers also know that its flowering period coincides with the Easter celebration, and they have traditionally looked for and collected it there during Easter Monday. This ritual has evolved over time based on the needs and interests of the community. From a religious celebration aimed at blessing the fields, it became a game among young men to obtain prestige within the community, and from the end of the 20th century to the present, it has become a festival to revitalise cultural identity. In this article, we analyse how the aforementioned traditional practices affected this orchid species in the recent past, and we describe the educational actions (conferences, workshops, courses, etc.) carried out during the last ten years so that, while maintaining the cultural practices of the village, its population should be respected and conserved at the same time.

Traditional, Therapeutic Uses and Phytochemistry of Terrestrial European Orchids and Implications for Conservation

“…It should be mentioned that, as reported by Kreziou et al [ 24 ], many Salep consumers were not aware that the product included material from threatened species. Conservation measures including dissemination/education programs aimed at raising public awareness on issues of nature protection are important to be considered and have already proved to be strategically useful (i.e., see [ 128 , 282 ]; , accessed by 14 December 2022; , accessed by 14 December 2022).…”

“…In Liguria (Vara Valley—Italy), in early May (“ au primmu su de Mazzu […]”) children were rubbed with the inflorescence of O. mascula and other orchids to protect them from the bites of snakes and other animals [ 145 ]. In Aosta Valley, Italy, flowers of G. rhellicani were gifted by boys to girls they were interested in [ 104 ]; a similar approach was reported for Ophrys scolopax in Spain by González et al [ 128 ]. Several species are mentioned for being collected as ornamentals at the stem level or as entire plants because of their beauty and/or scents: both in Italy and Turkey, this practice was particularly widespread.…”

Traditional Knowledge and Biocultural Heritage about Medicinal Plants in a European Transboundary Area (La Raya: Extremadura, Spain—Alentejo, Portugal): Transdisciplinary Research for Curriculum Design in Health Sciences

“…Moreover, they represent a pathway closely related to self-care, self-medication, and even pharmaceutical preparation in magistral formulas as an alternative to medicines and their collection in the field, which is not without risk [1][2][3]. In this sense, research on this topic oriented toward the teaching and learning processes of secondary school or university students has an interesting potential from a multidisciplinary or interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary approach [4][5][6][7][8]. It must be considered that its teaching and study enable the development of key transversal competencies to achieve sustainable development goals.…”