""-"'""^l TAXONOMIC LIST OF PLANTS §9 



The time of the Sun dance was deternuned hv the ripening of the 

 cherries. It began on tiie first day of the full moon when cherries 

 were ripe. 



A Ponca informant told me that a decoction of cherrv hark was 

 taken as a remedy for diarriiea. Another informant of the same 

 tribe said a spoonfid of the dried fruit very finely pulverized and 

 infused in hot water was used as a remedy for the same ailment. 



According to the latter informant, trappers washed their traps 

 with water in which this bark had been boiled, in order to remove 

 the scent of former captures. 



Padus melanocarpa (A. Xelson) Shafer. Western Cliokecherry. 



All that has just been said of Padus nana as to tribal nomenclature 

 and uses applies ecpially to Padus mdanoearpa. 



Mimosackae 



Acuan illixoexsis (Michx.) Kuntzo. Spider-bean. 



Pczhe gamtho (Omaha-Pouca). " rattle plant" {pezhe. plant. herb; 



gasatho, rattle). 



Atikatsatsiks (Pawnee) , " spider-bean " (atit, bean ; tsatsiks, spider ; 



ka, inside). Ati{t)ka t.satsiks. Another name given is kit-sit- 



saris, "■ bad plant "' {kits, plant: ts/f saris, bad). A'ifs!(fsi)t.saris. 



When mature the entire plant with its persistent pods filled with 



seeds was used by little boys as a rattle when in play tliey mimicked 



some of the dances of their people. 



The Pawnee boiled the leaves to make a wash to apply as a remedv 

 for the itch. 



Caesalpi n I ac?:ae 



GTMNOCLAors DioiCA ( L. ) Kocli. Kentucky Coffee-tree. 



WaRnaKna (Dakota). 



Aa^tita ( Omaha-Ponca ) . 



Na" pa^kakanuk (Winnebago ) . 



Tokiits (Pawnee). 



By the Dakota, Omaha, Ponca, Winnebago, and Oto the bark of 

 the root after being dried was pulverized and, mixed with water, 

 was used as a rectal injection in obstinate cases of constipation, for 

 which it was said to be an infallible remedy. This remedy was u.sed 

 from time immemorial. Prior to contact with Europeans the In- 

 dians made their own syringes, an animal bladder being used for the 

 bulb and a hollow cylindrical bone, as the leg bone of a prairie 

 chicken, turkey, goose, or other bird, was used for the tube. The 

 bulb was attached to the tube by sinew wrapping. Wiien the pul- 

 verized bark was put into the water its action was carefully noted 



