CELERY FAMILY. 371 
ARALIACEAE. Ginseng Family. 
Aralia californica Wats. 
(os'-e-zi_ so (Pomo).—An aromatic, perennial herb, 8 to 10 feet 
high, with compound leaves bearing heart-shaped leaflets 4 to 8 inches 
long and numerous spherical clusters of small, white flowers. It grows 
in damp places in deep canyons throughout the county, but is not 
abundant anywhere. The Pomo name signifies ‘elk clover,” but the 
best accepted common name is ‘California spikenard.” The sweet 
aromatic roots were found in several Indian houses, both at Round 
Valley and at Ukiah, and the growing plant was afterwards pointed 
out to me at Ukiah by an Indian guide. A decoction of the dried root 
is highly valued as a medicine, especially for diseases of the lungs and 
stomach. It is used a great deal for consumption, for colds, and for 
fevers. The Yuki name given for the plant is bu-/7'-muk, the Concow 
mal-e-me'. 
APIACEAE. Celery Family. 
Angelica sp. 
But"-cho'-4(Pomoand Yokia).—A very aromatic umbelliferous plant, 
about 2 feet high, with bipinnate leaves and broad, thin ovate leaflets 
an inch or so long, which are finely and conspicuously net-veined and 
often lobed near the base. The flat elliptical fruit is about half an 
inch long by one-third wide. It is abundant on rocky hillsides in 
the open chaparral at Round Valley. The root is woody and varies 
greatly in size from one-fourth of an inch up to 1 or 2 inches in 
diameter. 
Angelica root, as it is most commonly called both by the Indians 
and whites, is a most valued remedy and talisman. It is found in 
nearly every household and is frequently carried about the person for 
good luck in gambling or hunting. Those roots found in places where 
the plant does not generally grow, especially cold places, are the more 
highly prized. The root, after thorough mastication, is sometimes 
rubbed on the legs to prevent rattlesnake bites, and it is also tied 
around the head and ears in bad cases of headache and nightmare. 
The juice mixed with saliva is used as a remedy for sore eyes. It is 
chewed and swallowed in cases of cold, colic, and especially fever. 
For cold and catarrh it is very frequently crushed up and smoked like 
tobacco. The fresh, young sprouts, being sweet and aromatic, are 
eaten raw with great relish. The seed, although produced in consid- 
erable abundance, does not appear to be used for any purpose what- 
ever. The Yuki name of the plant is che-en’. 
