98 ETHNOBOTANY OF THE ZUNI INDIANS [cth. axn. 30 



Rumex mexicanus Woinni. Dock. Polygonace^;'. Buck- 

 wheat family. 

 Ktm'mi i'topmxa, 'painted root' {kwi' mi <kwi' minne , root; 

 i'topoJia, painted). 

 The powdered root is sprinkled mto a ceremonial bowl of water in 

 the fraternity chamber, and the water is consecrated with elaborate 

 ceremony. Six stone animal fetishes, each representing one of the 

 six regions, are deposited separately, and in order, in the bowl, while 

 incantations are sung to the zooic gods.' 



The a'lcwamosi (maker of medicine) administers the consecrated 

 water to members of the fraternity and to the invited guests, for 

 physical purification. 



SpTiseralcea lohata Wooton. Nigger Weed. Malvace^. 



MaDow family. 

 Ko'wa, 'red pepper pod' Qio<'ko'li, red-pepper pod; wa, mean- 

 ing unknown). Named from the red color of the blossoms 

 of the plant. 

 The root, which is the only part of the plant used, is boiled and the 

 tea drunk hot each evening during the ceremony of the Sword Swal- 

 lowers fraternity. This root is also pulverized between stones, then 

 taken into the mouth, ejected into the hands, and rubbed over the 

 body, especially on the throat and chest, by the members of the fra- 

 ternity of the Sword Swallowers and the order of the Sword Swal- 

 lowers of the Great Fii-e fraternity, previous to swallowing the sword, 

 to prevent injury from the weapon.^ 



Svida stolonifera riparia Rydb. Dogwood. Cornaceje. Dog- 

 wood family. 

 Pi'chiko. 

 The delicate stems are employed by the rain priests to make plume 

 offeruigs. The Zuni believe that the Divine Ones ^ were so pleased 

 with the beauty of the young shoots of the pi'chiko that they named 

 it la'pichiJco {la<la'we, sacred stick offerings), and requested the 

 rain priests to use the twigs for this purpose.^ 



Thalesia fasiculata (Nutt.) Britton. Cancer Root. Oroban- 

 CHACE^. Broom family. 



We'lcwinne, 'foot'; so named because this plant is supposed to 

 have grown in great abundance in" the undermost world,^ 

 and as the people trod upon it, it felt pleasant to the feet. 



' Se62Sd Ann. Sep. Bur. Amer. Mhn., p. 552. 



2Ibid.,p. 452. 



3 Ibid., p. 24. 



* The stick indicates to wliom the prayers are offered : the attached plumes carry to the gods suppli- 

 cated the prayers breathed into them ; the spiritual essence of the plume conveys the breath prayer. The 

 material part of the plume and stick remains where the prayer offering is planted. 



