USE OF PLANTS IN FOLK-LORE 



Aster incanopilosus (Liudl.) Sheldon. Aster. Cakduace^. 



Thistle family. 

 Ha'mofiawe, 'leaf hall' {}ia<]m'li, leaf; mo'piawe [pi.], round 

 or egg- shaped ) . 

 The blossoms, ground to a fine meal, are sprinkled into a bowl of 

 yucca suds used for bathing a new-born infant. This medicine is 

 said to make the hair grow on the head and to give strength to the 

 body. The remedy belongs to all women. 



Coreopsis cardaminefolia Torr. & Gray. Coreopsis. C'arduace.e. 



Thistle family. 

 Kia'naitu, 'water seeds' (]cia<Ma'we, water; nai'tu, seeds). 

 The plant, minus the root, is made into a tea, which is dx'unk by 

 women desiring girl babies. 



This medicine belongs to all women. 



Cycloloma atriplicifoUmn (Spreng.) Coulter. Wmged Pigweed. 



Chenopodiace^. Goosefoot family. 

 A'icwa lup'tsine, 'yellow medicine' {a'Tcwa, medicine; lujytsine, 

 yellow) . 

 This medicine belongs to the grandmother of the Gods of War. 

 She gave it to them with instructions that when near the enemy 

 the}' should bite off some of the blossoms of the plant and chew them, 

 ejecting the mass into their hands and rubbing the hands well together. 

 As soon as the Gods of War had done this a peculiar yellow light 

 spread over the world, preventing the enemy from seeing how to aim 

 their arrows truly. 



This medicine was exclusively in the keeping of the late Nai'uchi 

 and his ceremonial brother, Me 'she, who were the earthly representa- 

 tives of the Gods of War. The secret of its use passed away with 

 their death, as they did not see fit to confide it to others of the Bow 

 Priesthood. 



JfenteeZm jjwmiZa Torr. & Gray. Stick-leaf. LoASACEiE. Loasa 



family. 

 Mi'hana %'pach'ikia, 'white embroidered sacred blanket catch 

 hold tight' (miKmi'ha, white embroidered sacred blanket; 

 na, to catch: i'pachiJiia, hold tight). 

 The name signifies that when the plant touches the blanket it 

 adheres to it. "Once when a personator of an anthropic god was 

 wearing a sacred blanket," say the Zuni, "in passing one of the plants 

 referred to, the plant attached itself to the blanket and the wearer, 

 could not shake it off; and ever since that time the plant has borne 

 the name mi'hana i'pachiMa." 

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