""■"""^l TAXONOMIC LIST OF PLANTS gO 



fancy it is expected will thus be captivated. Omaha girls were 

 somewhat in fear of the plant because of this supposed property and 

 because, further, too strong a whiff of the odor was thought to 'cause 

 nosebleed. On this account Omaha swains took delight \n playfully 

 frightening girls by suddenly thrusting some of the powder "under 

 their noses. 



Bkrhekidaceae 



Caulophyllum THALicTiioiDEs ( L. ) Michx. Blue Cohosh. 

 Zhu-nakcula-tan.ga-nuika" (Omaha-Ponca), " great fever medicine " 

 (sAw, flesh; nakada, hot; tam/a, great; maka", medicine). Zhu- 

 nakada, literally " hot flesh," is the Omaha word for " fever." 

 A decoction of the root was given for fevers. This was considered 

 the most effectual febrifuge known to the Omaha. 



Menispermacelae 



Menispermum canadense L. Moonseed. 

 ImjthaJie-hazi-i-ta (Omaha-Ponca), " thunder grapes " {ingthake, 

 thunder; ha^L grapes; /, they; ta, genitive sign). Another name 

 of Menispermum among the Ponca is Wa7ia''ha Juizl ttai, 

 "grapes of the ghosts" {ivan<t."h.a, ghost or shade or spirit; h^isi, 

 grapes). 

 Wmmghi-haz (Winnebago), literally " gliost fruit," or "fruit of 



the ghosts or shades." 

 Hakakut (Pawnee), " Sf>re mouth" (h-akaii, mouth; kut, sore). 

 The several tribal names suggest the sinister character ascribed to 

 this plant. 



Papaveraceae 



Sanguinaeia canadensis L. Bloodroot. (PI. 12.) 



Minigathe makcV^ u-au (Omaha-Ponca), "woman-seeking medi- 

 cine." 

 PeK-hishuji (Winnebago). The first member of this compound 

 means " gourd," and the second, " to make red " : hence the name 

 probably refers to the use of the plant for reddening gourd 

 rattles in ancient time, though I have never seen a rattle of 

 modern time so decorated. 

 For the purpose of dyeing red the root of this plant was boiled 

 with the materials to be dyed. For a love charm a bachelor of tlie 

 Ponca after rubbing some of the root on his palm would contrive 

 to shake hands with a girl he desired; if successful in this, after five 

 or six days she would be found willing to marry him. From tliis use 

 comes the Omaha-Ponca name of the plant. It was said to be used 

 sometimes also as a decorative skin stain. 



