Jacquinia keyensis

joewood

We primarily think of fishing as using hook and line or nets to catch the fish. Natives in many parts of the world, however, use plants to help them out. Using joewood, for example, natives would mix bark, roots, or fruits with lime (crushed alkaline helps activate the efficacy of the compounds), place this in a bag, and put the bag in the water to disrupt the oxygen processing capabilities of fish, which causes them to swim much slower and makes them easier to catch. The compound that causes this disruption is known as rotenone. Although it is toxic to fish, the compound breaks down relatively quickly in the water and in the fish themselves. Cooking breaks down any remaining rotenone in the fish, and animals such as humans also have enzymes in their bodies that break down rotenone, so there is little danger of human poisoning. Here's a good video clip of this type of traditional fishing in Ecuador:

Joewood also produces very hard wood that was known as “cudjoe wood” by early settlers. As is the case with most trees that have very hard wood, joewood is a slow grower. One of the Florida Keys in the lower part of the island chain is named “Cudjoe Key” after this tough native.