ROSACEAE 
Amelanchier alnifolia Nutt. — (Serviceberry) 
Plant: stqe (PB, LP, AP, AV, 
CW); siyeye?, for a different 
variety 
Fruit: slshag (PB, LP, AV) 
Serviceberries constituted one of the most important foods of 
the Flathead Indians. Ripening in mid summer, they were nor- 
mally sun dried and stored for future use (Ad, RS, AV). They 
were cooked with flour to make a gravy, or mixed with bitterroot, 
milk and sugar to make a tasty dish (Ad, AV). Some Indians 
preferred to mash the fruits and form small cakes to dry in the 
sun; powdered leaves of Monarda fistulosa and Mentha arvensis 
sprinkled over them acted to keep. flies away (RS). 
Serviceberry wood was used for lame horses. A sharpened stick 
was stuck deeply into the swollen ankle, whereafter blood and 
other serous matter drained out. The root of a yet unidentified 
plant was then used for medication (PB). The stems were 
employed in the manufacture of arrow shafts, though those of 
Acer glabra were preferred (PB). 
Crataegus columbiana Howell — (Red hawthorn) 
Plant: stemqwpalqw (PB): 
pertains to ‘round’; senchel- 
shpa (PB): ‘coyote’s tree’ 
Fruit: stemoqw (PB) 
Crataegus douglasii Lindl. — (Black hawthorn) 
Plant: sxwe?sxwe?nchelshp (PB, 
AV): pertains to ‘sharp’ 
Fruit: sxwe?ne (PB, AV) 
The berries were pounded or ground and eaten raw or were 
cooked, or they were made into small round cakes and sun dried 
for later eating. They were often mixed with other fruits, like 
chokecherries. They constituted an especially important fruit in 
years when the serviceberry crop was poor; they could be 
gathered in the winter months, as some fruits remain on the bush 
all through the winter (RD, RS). 
