98 USES OF PLANTS BY INDIANS [eth. ANN. 33 



Amorpha cane«cens for inoxa. Amorpha, they found in the sandy 

 luani soil of valleys and Lespedeza on the hills of the loess plain. 



Imtiiykis ornatcs Xutt. Wild Sweet Pea. 



Ili-btkl-ifi-tauya (Omaha-Ponca), large-seeded hi^hthi bean 

 («, seed; ttiiKja. large). 



My informants could describe it and tell in what locality it is to be 

 found. They i-eniembered it as they fcnnerly saw it in the Sand 

 Hills when they went there on the hunt. Children sometimes gath- 

 ered the pods, which they roasted and ate in sport. The plant was 

 not considered of any importance, although noted and named. 



OXALIDACEAE 



loNO.XALis vioLACEA (L.) Siuall. Sheep Sorrel, Violet Wood Sorrel, 

 and Xaxthoxalis stricta (L.) Small. Yellow Wood Sorrel. 

 iltulc-xathe (Oniaha-Ponca), " sour herb " {Kade, herb, grass; 



xathe, sour). 

 Pawnee: Various names were given. Skkladihorit, a. name ha.vmg 

 reference to its taste, which they describe as " sour like salt " ; some 

 called it i-a/V, salt: another name given was askiratrii/u; as, foot; kira, 

 water; irii/u, stands. Another name given is kisosit. The Pawnee 

 say that the buffalo was very fond of Xanthoxalls stncta. Children 

 ate both species, especiallj' lorw.ralis violarea, leaves, flowers, scapes, 

 and bulbs. The bulbs were pounded and fed to horses to make them 

 fleet. 



Lixaceae 



LiNUM LEwisii Pursh. Wild Flax. 



The seeds of the wild blue flax were gathered and used in cookery 

 both because of their highly nutritive value and for the agreeable 

 flavor which they added to that with which they were cooked. 



KlTACEAE 



Zanthoxyi.im AMEUicANUM Mill. Prickly Ash. 



llnknxitx (Pawnee), thorn. 



Omaha young men used the fruits of this sluub as a perfume. By 

 the Pawnee the fruits were used as a remedy for horses in case of 

 retention of urine. 



Mf.liaceae 



Mki.ia azeoeracii L. China Berry. 



Miik(fzh!<lc s(th, ( Omaha-Ponca ) , " black ' rod-medicine.' " 

 Introduced into the Southern States early in the nineteenth cen- 

 tury, it has become naturalized, gi-owing freely along the streams of 



