CURRANTS AND SERVICE BERRY. 07 



and slender racemes of narrow, divergent pods. It occurs in open, 

 upland soils, often as a weed in cultivated fields. The seeds, called 

 chep'-sam, are parched and ground for food. 



SAXIFRAGACBAE. 



Pliiladelphus lewis:i IMirsh. 



A shrub with white or cream -colored sweet-scented dowers about 2.5 

 cm. (I inch) in diameter. The stems of this shrub were used in the 

 manufacture of. arrows for war purposes or large game. In the "Willa- 

 mette Valley the plant is common and is known under the names 

 "arrow wood," "dowering shrub," and " sweet, syringa;" on the plains 

 side of the Cascades, it grows at Wocus Bay, near the head of Upper 

 Klamath bake. 



Ribes aureiim Pursli. 



Ohdma'-Mm. — The yellow-dowered currant common along streams. 

 The sharply acid berries, chom'-ohak, which vary in color at maturity 

 from yellow to red or even purplish, are used for food. 



Ribes cereum Dougl. 



Qhmar'-tiik. — A common currant of upland soils, with a bright red. 

 almost tasteless, but juicy and mucilaginous berry. It is frequently 

 gathered for food. For the probable use of the wood for arrow tips, 

 see Phragmitt'8 phraymitcfi. 



Ribes oxyacanthoides saxosum (Hook.) Coville. 



UtfhlO'-flo'-f-m'hn. — The only gooseberry of the region, and locally 

 known as such among the white people. It is a common shrub in moist 

 bottom lands among willows and other bushes, bearing a smooth, red- 

 dish amber-colored berry to 10 mm. (one-fourth to two-fifths of an 

 inch) in diameter, with a faint bloom or glaucousness and a pleasant, 

 slightly acid taste. It is eaten fresh or dried by the Indians, and among 

 white people also is a favorite berry. 



ROSACEAE. 

 Amelancliier alnifolia Purah. 

 Chak'-itm. — The common sarvice berry or service berry of the region. 

 It occurs abundantly on rocky slopes, on the edges of forests, and 

 along streams in almost all parts of the reservation. The fruit, chiik, 

 is gathered in large quantities in August, spread out on mats to dry, 

 and kept for winter use. When fresh the juicy berries, which are ot a 

 dark purple color with a bloom, nearly spherical or somewhat obpyri- 

 form, have a sweet, pleasant taste similar to that of a huckleberry, but 

 with a much less pronounced flavor. The objectionable feature of the 

 berry is its large seeds, which are similar to those of an apple, though 

 smaller, and become mucilaginous when chewed. 

 1G032— No. 2 2 



