Etimología e historia de un fitónimo canario y cubano: Embeleso: belesa

Frequently, phytonymies present etymological problems, which become even more difficult when they are dated terminology. When it is the case that the plant in question has species which grow extensively geographically, we will have to face difficulties arising from dialectal variation. In this paper, we pursue three main goals. The first one is to reconstruct the history of the name of the plant known generically as belesa, also known as embeleso in the Canary Islands and Cuba. The second is to revise its lexicographic description and the different etymological theories about it. Finally, we will look at the numerous ways this plant is called in the Spanish Peninsula the Canary Islands and America and its different applications —as a narcotic and medicinal plant, as a form of decoration, its varied uses in fishing, etc.