Am.  Tour.  Pharm  ) 
Nov.,  1878.  J 
Plants  Used  by  tke  Indiane. 
545 
Arizona,  Corvena.  It  is  rather  a  small  bulb,  resembling  the  crocus  both  externally 
and  internally.  Its  taste  is  agreeable,  sweet  and  mucilaginous,  and  it  is  considered 
very  nutritious,  even  by  Americans. 
Amoreuxia  schiedeana  Himajins  of  the  Papajos  ;  Saya  of  the  Pimos.  It  furnishes 
to  the  Indians  of  Arizona  just  named  an  edible  root.  They  eat  it  roasted  or  baked 
in  hot  ashes.    It  is  quite  palatable,  with  a  slightly  bitter  tang. 
Camassia  esculenta. — Wild  hyacinth,  a  very  common  plant  in  the  upper  Missis- 
sippi valley.  Indians  and  whites  eat  this  root  and  find  it  very  nutritious,  with  an 
agreeable,  mucilaginous  taste. 
Valeriana  edulis. — The  root  of  this  plant  is  eaten  raw  or  dried  ;  it  is  also  ground 
into  flour  and  made  into  bread  or  mush  by  the  Pah-Ute  Indians. 
Claytonta  lanceolata. — The  roots  of  this  plant,  though  small,  are  prized  by  the 
Pah-Utes  as  food,  having  a  pleasant,  crisp  and  nutty  taste. 
Psoralea  castorea,  Watson,  new  species.  This  plant  grows  in  exposed  sandy 
localities  between  Beaver  Dams,  Arizona  and  St.  Thomas,  Nevada.  The  tuberous 
roots  are  large,  very  white  and  farinaceous.  The  Pah-Utes  eat  them  raw  or  cooked 
in  hot  ashes,  or  ground  up  and  made  into  bread  or  mush. 
Psoralea  mephitica,  Watson,  new  species.  The  leaves  of  this  plant  yield  a  very 
disagreeable  smell,  but  the  tuberous  roots,  though  small,  are  farinaceous  and  are 
consumed  as  food  after  being  prepared  as  mentioned  for  Psoralea  castorea.  It  is 
abundant  on  the  low  places  between  the  hills  south-east  from  St.  George,  Southern 
Utah,  and  the  Pah-Utes  resort  there  to  collect  its  roots. 
Roots  of  carrots,  potatoes,  beets,  turnips  and  parsnips  are  eaten  by  Pah-Utes. 
These  Indians  have  acquired  the  taste  for  the  tubers  of  all  these  plants,  and  they 
consume  them  in  great  numbers,  either  raw  or  cooked,  without  being  cleaned. 
They  place  them  in  the  hot  ashes  and  devour  them  when  cooked,  skins,  dirt  and  all. 
When-  boiled,  not  only  are  the  tubers  eaten  but  the  water  in  which  they  were  boiled 
is  drank. 
Seeds. — Corn,  Native  Indian  ;  Ah-iveaph  of  the  Pah-Utes.  This  variety  has 
been  ^  rown  by  the  Indians  since  the  recollection  of  the  oldest  person  among  them. 
Well  preserved  kernels  and  cobs  are  found  in  the  mounds  of  Utah.  This  species 
of  corn  grows  from  two  and  a-half  to  three  feet  high,  and  is  cultivated  by  the 
Indians  on  the  river  bottoms,  maturing  in  sixty  or  seventy  days.  The  ears  come 
out  of  the  stalk  five  or  six  inches  from  the  ground.  Corn  is  a  staple  article  of  food 
with  these  Indians.  In  1873  a  Pah-Ute  Chief,  Tutzegavet,  brought  some  very  fine 
corn  of  his  own  raising  to  the  agricultural  fair,  held  at  St.  George,  Southern  Utah, 
and  the  first  premium  for  that  product  was  awarded  to  him. 
Helianthus  petiolaris,  H.  lenticularisy  native  sunflowers,  Anvk  of  the  Pah-Utes. 
The  seeds  of  these  plants  form  one  of  the  staple  articles  of  food  for  many  Indians, 
aud  they  gather  them  in  great  quantities.  The  agreeable  oily  nature  of  the  seeds 
render  them  very  palatable.  When  parched  and  ground  they  are  highly  prized  and 
are  eaten  on  hunting  excursions.  The  meal  or  flour  is  also  made  into  thin  cakes 
and  baked  in  hot  ashes.  These  cakes  are  of  a  gray  color,  rather  coarse  looking, 
but  palatable  and  very  nutritious.  Having  eaten  of  the  bread  made  from  sunflowers 
I  must  say  that  it  is  as  good  as  much  of  the  corn  bread  eaten  by  whites. 
Mokeack  Sunflower. — A  Pah-Ute  chief  obtained  some  seed  of  the  large,  cultivated 
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