94 ETHNOBOTANY OF THE ZUNI INDIANS I eth. ANN. :!0 



Kwi'minne hmn'na, 'black root' {hwi'minni,, root; hioin'na, 

 black). The leaves of this plant are called ha'm poli, 

 'irregular leaf (ha<ha'li, leaf; wi'poli, irregular), m ref- 

 erence to the iiregular distribution of the leaves on the stem. 

 In time of war several leaves, with thcu' tips pointing downward, 

 were often bound on the arrow-shaft, close to the point, and entirely 

 obscured by the smew wrappmg. The Zuni clami that this leaf is so 

 deadly poisonous that an arrow thus prepared will cause the imme- 

 diate death of one pierced by it. Used for this purpose, the plant 

 belongs solely to the Priesthood of the Bow. 



Lycium paVMiim Miei's. Tomatilla. Solanace^. Nightshade 



family. 



Kw/puli, 'water fall down' (kiaKlcia'we, water; pu'li, fal] 



down). So named because the rains cause many of the 



berries to fall from the plant. 



This plant is sacred to the Bow Priesthood. The elder and younger 



Bow Priests watch the plant, constantly spruiklmg meal at its base 



until the berries appear, and then the entire plant is sprinkled with 



meal with the following prayer: 



Houi a' Uitchu.to' maho' u' IsiikVi' wauiweho'o n a' Ushemaio' nuishiko vio'ckihwa' tie. 

 My father you I give prayer-meal I want many peaches. 



In other words, ''May the peaches the coming season be as abimdant 

 as the berries of the km'ptdi.'' ^ 



Machseranthera glabella (Nutt.) Greene. Carduace^e. Thistle 



family. 

 U'tca o'km, ' flower woman ' {u'tea, flower; o'Tcla, woman). 

 The following legend explains the naming of the plant: 



Once when the Zuni were on the warpath, several of their number, leaving the 

 camp and cautiously approaching the Navaho, their hated enemy, found many of 

 the warriors sleeping in a hogan [a Navaho house]. One of the Zuni threw over the 

 sleeping Navaho a quantity of the blossoms and delicate twigs of tliis plant, ground 

 together, while others made a circle of the medicine aroimd the hogan; then all 

 hastened back to their camp. They called their fellow warriors to arms and made 

 an attack on the enemy. 'WTien the Zuiii gave the war-whocjp on approaching the 

 enemy's camp, the Navaho awoke and endeavored to use their arrows, but they 

 were so weak from the effect of the medicine that they could not hold them firmly — ■ 

 "they were as weak and helpless as women." 



All the Navaho were killed, and since that time the plant has 

 borne the name u'tea o'Tcla. 



The delicate twigs, leaves, and blossoms are ground together 

 between stones by the elder and younger Bow Priests and placed in 

 deerskin sacks. 



When the Zuili went on the warpath, as soon as they discovered 

 the enemy the elder-brother and younger-brother Bow Priests gave 



1 Berries of tlie kla'puli are not expressed in the prayer, but the full meaning is understood by the Zuiii 

 mind. 



