AJ5()RI(iIiNAL AMEKK'AN lUSKETllY. 205 



Epicampes rigens. Eiiii;iiii|)«'H. 



In the rooMon of tlie MoIuiac and Coloruilo dcsorts of soiithcasliM-n 

 California tiio Panainint, Coahuilla (D. P. Barrows, 11)00). and otlici- 

 tribes use this u-rass for the packing of their coiled l)askets. The purt 

 used, at least in the better baskets, is that portion of the stem above 

 the uppermost joint, which sometimes reaches a length of 45 centi- 

 meters (18 inches). 



Equisetum palustre. Horsetail. 



Dalits (SiioliomiHh). 

 Hill iiiuii-i' (Tlinkit). 



The rootstocks of this plant, which sometimes reach a diameter of 

 1.5 centimeters (f inch) and a length of 20 centimeters (S inches) 

 between the joints, were used in the early days, though rarcdy now. 

 in th(> patterns on spruce-root Tlinkit baskets of the south Ahiskan 

 coast. Strips are split from the surface of the rootstock and used as 

 an overla3'ing material. The color is a i-ich. \'ery dark purple, which 

 appears as a l)lack. (G. T Emmons, notes.) A similar use was madt^ 

 of the plant, in their cedar-root baskets, })y the Snohomish Indians, 

 of Puget Soiuid, Washington. (('. ]M. Ruchanan. notes.) 



Equisetum robustum. Scouriiiii' Knsli. 



The coal-black surface of the rootstock is sometimes used by the 

 (yowlitz Indians of south westiM'n Washington as a substitute for the 

 rootstock of E(iui'<etiu)h palnst I'o in the black o\erlay patterns ou cedar- 

 root baskets. 



Evernia vulpina. Wolf IMoss. 



Se'-lio-li (Tlinkit). 

 Swil'-ii-sani ( Klamath ) . 



This 3-ellow tree-lichen was widely used as a dye by the Indians of 

 the timbered area of the western United States. The Klamath Indians 

 of Oregon, as well as the Hupas of northern California (Alary H. 

 Manning, letter), use this dye in their l)askets, the coloring matter 

 ])eing extracted In' boiling. In the case of the Hupas the dye is 

 applied to Xeroph3dliun leaves, but the Klamaths use it only for the 

 porcupine (piills which form the beautiful canary yellow patterns of 

 their twisted tule baskets. The Tliidcit Indians of the south Alaskan 

 coast also use the dye in their spruce-root baskets, the lichen T)eing 

 secured by them not on the coast, ))ut fi'om the interior. (G. T. 

 Emmons, notes.) (See Plate 5.) 



Fraxinus nigra. Black Ai^li. 



The remnants of the Six Nations in New York, Pennsylvania, and 

 adjacent portions of Canada make extensive use of ash. presumat)ly 

 black ash, in their modern splint-basket industry. (T. Donaldsori, 

 1891.) 



