CROWFOOT FAMILY. 347 
NYMPHAEACEAE. Water Lily Family. 
Nymphaea polysepala (Kngelm.) Greene. 
The common yellow pond lily of California, known by some authors 
as Vuphar polysepalum Engelm., grows profusely in shallow lakes and 
winter ponds in the moist coast region, but is only very sparingly rep- 
resented in Round Valley. The fleshy roots are a favorite food of 
deer, and the rich, nutritious seeds are eaten by the Indians whenever 
they can get them. 
RANUNCULACEAE. Crowfoot Family. 
Clematis ligusticifolia Nutt. 
No Indian name was learned for the common virgin’s bower, or 
pepper vine, of the region, a conspicuous vine climbing high over 
trees and in summer displaying large clusters of dull white flowers or 
silky, feathery achenes. The stem and leaves have an acrid, peppery 
taste and are chewed for the purpose of curing colds anc sore throat. 
Delphinium hesperium Gray. 
Mal-chi’-léz (Yuki). —The common blue larkspur, which is abundant 
on dry, grassy hillsides, and appears sparingly in grain fields through- 
out the region. Another common name for the plant is ‘* rattlesnake 
flower.” It is suspected of being poisonous to cattle. 
Delphinium nudicaule Torr. & Gray. 
So-md' yem (Calpella). —The common red larkspur of the region. 
The name signifies ‘*sleeproot,” the root being accredited by one of the 
Calpella Indians with very marked narcotic properties, which are made 
use of in causing an opponent to become stupid while gambling. The 
uame **lady’s slipper” was applied to the plant by an educated Yuki. 
Ranunculus eisenii Kellogg. 
We (Yuki).—The common five-petaled buttercup of the region. 
The smooth, flat, orbicular seeds are gathered in great quantity in 
May and are used either alone or mixed with other seeds for pinole, a 
favorite mixture being wé and cf? o'-mel (Achyrachaena). Both of 
these seeds may be gathered in May. The acrid principle so charac- 
teristic of plants belonging to this group is entirely destroyed in 
parching the seed. 
7é-li’, the Little Lake name of the seed, is also the name applied to 
the tick. There seems, however, to be no resemblance between the 
two. The Yokia name of the seed is fé-loch’-do. 
