CULTURE

What do growing a cactus – and doing an oil painting of a cactus - have in common? They’re both examples of ‘cactus culture’!

Having a look at the broader cultural context of cactus can be both informative and fun! In this wider sense, ‘cactus culture’ refers to the human uses, roles and meanings of cactus in our society. From cactus used as food or medicine, through to its roles in folklore and rituals, to the metaphorical cactus imagery in language, art, movies and songs, the humble cactus turns out to have a wonderful variety of cultural meanings. Here are some examples:

CACTUS FOOD - From historical times to the present day, cacti and other succulents have been used as sources of food and drink. In the desert, the juicy flesh of large globe cacti provided both water and food. The fruits of columnar cacti (Machaerocereus gummosus and Lemaireocereus thurberi) are eaten in Baja California and southern Arizona. The prolific seeds of Pachycereus pringlei and the globular Ferocactus and Echinocactus are roasted and eaten in Mexico. After thorough removal of their minute, barbed spines, Opuntia fruits are eaten raw or processed to produce jam, cheese, honey and wine. Young, despined opuntia pads are used in salads and soups, for which there are many recipes. [1]

CACTUS MEDICINE - The alkaloids contained in the flowers of the climbing ‘Queen of the Night’ (Selenicereus grandiflorus) can be used as a heart stimulant, and if you are a believer in homeopathy, the sap of the young buds used for bladder complaints, worms and (externally) for rheumatism. Of the other succulents, Aloe sap has been used for alleviating constipation, dyspepsia and, most famously, for the external treatment of burns and wounds. The otherwise poisonous Euphorbia resinifera from Morocco has been used since ancient times to prepare skin ointments and treat diarrhoea. [1]

CACTUS FOLKLORE - Folklore covers not only historic traditions, but the vibrant, present-day practices that help bind a community together. The ancient Aztec Indians of Mexico and their descendents used peyote (Lophophora williamsii) as an intoxicant in their ceremonies, as a means of divine revelation. The cactus was consumed in raw pieces or mashed and mixed with fermented Agave sap. After some initial, unpleasant symptoms, the mescaline component produced a distorted sense of time and vivid hallucinations. [1] Cacti make an appearance in the contemporary storytelling of ‘urban legends’. In one legend popularly told in the 1990s, a person purchases a potted cactus and takes it home. He or she notices that the cactus seems to move, pulsate or creak on its own, especially after watering. After phoning for advice, they are told to leave the house immediately, after which the cactus explodes, releasing thousands of tarantulas (or scorpions). [2] Believe it or not!

CACTUS LANGUAGE - In the wonderful world of the English language, there are a number of colourful expressions utilising the word and concept of ‘cactus’. For example, we may call an object such as a car, or even one of our fellow human beings, ‘cactus’, if it or they have turned into a ruined or useless state. [3] There are also the expressions ‘in the cactus’ (‘in difficulty’) and ‘the cactus’ (‘in the backblocks’ of human settlement). [4]

CACTUS ART - Cacti and succulents appear as the subjects of artworks. For example, the Ballarat Fine Art Gallery has recently displayed several Australian, cactus-themed artworks from its collection. The oil painting titled Still Life, Cactus, Stool was done by John Scurry (born 1947, Australia). The improvised furniture in the painting suggests the artist had just moved into a new, sparsely-decorated residence or studio. However, there is a wonderful portrait of a potted cactus with bright red flowers. [5] Another impressive exhibit is a large-scale, 3-D installation titled The Actor Plays his Final Role, by Bob Jenyns (born 1944, Australia). It consists of a life-sized cowboy figure, closely resembling Ronald Reagan, mounted on a brown wooden horse between two stands of tall green cacti. [6]

CACTUS MOVIES - Cacti have a long and distinguished starring role in the movies. You may recall the 1969 comedy, Cactus Flower, with Goldie Hawn and Walter Matthau. But long before that there were the early, silent, black-and-white westerns by Tom Mix – Cactus Jack Heartbreaker (1914) and Cactus Jim’s Shopgirl (1915). The Australian movie, Cactus, directed by Paul Cox in 1986, is a prickly relationships drama. It includes a dramatic scene filmed at a cactus society meeting in Melbourne. Sometimes cacti are supporting actors used to set the scene. For example, in Frida (USA, 2002), the sense of place in Mexico is immediately established by the opening shot of a beautiful courtyard filled with large, ornate cacti. At other times, cacti play a crucial starring role. In Savages (Spain, 2001), there is a scene where cacti act as a botanical metaphor for human relationships. [7]

CACTUS MUSIC - Did you know there are over 200 songs about cactus? Some songs refer to parts of the plant (Cactus Blossoms and Cactus Seed). Others are about colourful characters (Old Cactus Joe), food and drink (Cactus Wine), music (Cactus Boogie) and some are plain weird! The more well-known cactus song composers include George and Ira Gershwin (When it’s Cactus Time in Arizona), Joni Mitchell (Cactus Tree) and David Bowie (Cactus). Several western movies of the 1930s and 1940s feature cactus songs. The song lyrics often celebrate a nostalgic, carefree and simple rural lifestyle. [8] Believe it or not, a couple of musicians have used a cactus plant as a musical instrument! Brisbane-based musician, Greg Jenkins, applies contact microphones to a cactus, then amplifies and digitally processes the resonances that are produced when the spines of a cactus are plucked or scraped. He is currently working on a ‘garden sonata’… [9,10]

REFERENCES

1. Andersohn, Gunter. Cacti and Succulents. East Ardsley: EP Publishing, 1983.
2. Brunvand, Jan. The Baby Train and Other Lusty Urban Legends. New York: Norton, 1993.
3. Moravec, Mark. Cactus Expressions. Ballarat Cactus and Succulent Society (BC&SS)
   Newsheet, 309 (labelled 307), March 2002, 3.
4. Moore, Bruce. From the Centre. Ozwords, 8:2, Dec 2001, 6.
5. Moravec, Mark. Cactus Painting at the Art Gallery. BC&SS Newsletter, 317, Nov 2002, 6.
6. Moravec, Mark. Cactus Culture Corner: Cactus Art. BC&SS Newsletter, 320, Mar 2003, 2.
7. Moravec, Mark. Cactus Movie Stars. BC&SS Newsletter, 319, Feb 2003, 3-6 (Part One) and 321, Apr 2003, 3-6 (Part Two).
8. Moravec, Mark. Cactus Culture Corner: Cactus Songs. BC&SS Newsletter, 335, Jul 2004, 6-7; 336, Aug 2004, 7-8; 337, Sep 2004, 4-5; and 338, Oct 2004, 8. .
9. Jenkins, Greg. Musical Cactus. BC&SS Newsheet, 307, Dec 2001.
10. Moravec, Mark. Cactus Music: The Sequel. BC&SS Newsheet, 311, May 2002, 3-4.
    
    © Copyright 2003 by Mark Moravec.
    ( Contact author for reprint permission )
    
    Mark Moravec writes the Cactus Culture Corner column in the Newsletter of the Ballarat Cactus and Succulent Society.
    
    

CACTUS CULTURE FORUM

Have your say! Do you have a favourite cactus movie or song? Do you know of other human uses of cacti and other succulents? Have you heard of any legends or folklore? If you have any comments or information to add on the wider cultural aspects of cactus, please send a mail to: cactusoz[at]y7mail.com Thank you!

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