Katie,
In regards to your theory about feather lovegrass marking African American
burials: I work in the Black Belt Region of Alabama which has pretty much
always had a majority African-American population, and I am familiar with
several nearby antebellum and postbellum Af-Amer. cemeteries.
However, grasses are notoriously hard for amateur botanists to identify (or
at least I think so) so I asked Wayne Barger, a field botanist that is doing
a botanical inventory of some state properties, including our extensive
archaeological site (formerly an antebellum town site with a HUGE graveyard
marked as "Negro burial ground" on historic maps).
Here is what he said: No love grass collected in our burial ground or on
any nearby land with smaller cemeteries. He also said that in Alabama it is
currently only known in about 8 AL counties, all south/southeastern counties
(so the counties nearest to Florida).
He promised to let me know if he finds it, and he cc'd Dan Spaulding, who
he considers the Graminoid/Grass Guru so Dan would know about your question.
Here in Alabama, most rural, old African-American Cemeteries always have
trifoliate orange in them, and I am wondering if they might be the result of
intentional plantings in some cases. They could have symbolic important,
since this "shrub" has nasty thorns that could represent the crown of thorns
and the unusual stems remain a bright green all year round. It does have a
fruit that look lime or lemon-like, and it flowers in the spring before the
trifoliate leaves emerge. It makes an awesome hedge plant, because its
sharp thorns would ward off any marauding pig or other animal that might
mess with the graves.
I know that it was introduced our area in the 19th century in an attempt to
grow oranges further north (as root stock) , but it remained as a hedge row
plant, but like you, I am wondering of others are noticing this plant
associated with African American burials elsewhere.
Linda Derry
Site Director
Old Cahawba
719 Tremont St.
Selma, AL 36701
ph. 334/875-2529
fax. 334/877-4253
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-----Original Message-----
From: HISTORICAL ARCHAEOLOGY [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of
Katherine Brewer
Sent: Sunday, March 25, 2012 6:00 PM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Feather Lovegrass
Hi,
I am a grad student currently working with Margo Stringfield of the
Archaeology Institute at the University of West Florida to research a
species of grass that is found in St. Michael's Cemetery. It has been
identified by the state botanist as Eragrosteris amabilis (L.) Wight & Arn.
ex Hook. & Arn, or Feather Lovegrass , of the family Poaceae. The Feather
Lovegrass occurs in the Northeast portion of the cemetery along the southern
part of a path where it is thought to have intersected in the past with an
old British cemetery. We believe the Feather Lovegrass could possibly be an
indication of unmarked African burials. Is there anybody who has
encountered this while doing their own research, either in an archaeological
setting, another cemetery, or seen it mentioned in written sources? Below I
have provided a link to the GIS St. Michael's Interactive Map as well as
further information about St. Michael's Cemetery. Any help in the direction
of more information is greatly appreciated.
Thanks,
Katie Brewer
GIS link: http://uwf.edu/gis/research/smc/index.cfm
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