546 
Plants  Used  by  the  Indians. 
[  Am.  Jour  Pharra. 
t      Nov.,  1876. 
sunflower  and  planted  them,  raising  a  large  crop.  Now  many  of  the  Indians  plant 
this  sunflower,  and  it  goes  under  the  name  of  the  Chief  Mokeack. 
The  native  sunflower  of  Utah  yields  an  exudation  from  the  stems  of  creamy  white 
color,  nearly  tasteless,  but  of  a  gummy  nature.  It  is  eaten  by  the  Indians  and  white 
children  of  Utah,  or  rather  chewed  in  place  of  pine  gum. 
Portulaca  oleracea. — The  seeds  of  this  plant  after  being  reduced  to  flour  are  eaten 
an  the  form  of  mush.  The  plant  when  tender  is  cooked  as  greens  by  the  Pah-Ute 
Indians. 
Sporobolus  cryptandrus,  or  Quaque  of  the  Pah-Utes,  a  species  of  grass,  the  seeds 
of  which  are  much  used  by  the  Indians  as  an  article  of  food.  After  being  parched 
they  are  ground  and  mixed  with  water  or  milk  and  made  into  mush  or  biscuit. 
The  flavor  is  good,  and  food  thus  prepared  is  very  nutritious.  The  leaves  yield  a 
short,  fine  fibre,  adapted  to  the  manufacture  of  paper.  It  is  abundant  about  St. 
•George,  Southern  Utah. 
Sporobolus  airoides,  Eragrostis  Purshii,  Panicum  crusgalli,  and  Vilfa  asperifolia  are 
very  abundant  grasses  in  Southern  Utah,  and  their  seeds  are  gathered  in  great  quan- 
tities for  food  by  the  Indians,  who  first  parch  and  then  grind  them  to  flour,  which 
is  eaten  either  dry  or  in  the  form  of  bread  or  mush.  It  is  healthful,  nutritious  and 
more  agreeable  in  flavor  than  buckwheat. 
Atriplex  californica. — This  plant  grows  in  ravines  and  has  large,  long  roots,  which 
are  much  used  by  Indians  and  Mexicans  of  California  as  a  substitute  for  soap. 
After  being  pounded  and  mixed  with  water  it  is  said  to  be  especially  good  in  clean- 
ing woolen  fabrics.  The  seeds  of  this  plant  are  also  gathered,  parched,  reduced 
to  flour  and  made  into  mush  or  bread.  At  other  times  the  seeds  are  ground 
without  parching  and  used  as  if  parched. 
A.  Povjelliiy  A.  lentiformisy  A.  expansa,  A.  confertifoliay  A.  Nuttalliiy  A.  canescens. — 
All  these  yield  abundance  of  seeds,  which  are  gathered  by  the  Indians  of  Utah, 
Arizona  and  California.  The  seeds  are  ground  into  flour  and  made  into  bread 
or  mush. 
Sarcobatus  <vermiculatus,  "Grease  wood"  of  the  plains. — It  produces  abundance 
of  seeds,  which  are  prepared  for  food  in  the  same  manner  as  those  of  Atriplex, 
and  eaten  by  the  Western  Indians. 
Audibertia  polystachya,  white  sage  of  California,  is  a  very  common  plant  in 
many  parts  of  the  State.  From  its  flowers  the  bees  make  the  celebrated  honey 
for  which  San  Diego  is  famous.  Indians  gather  the  seeds  and  use  them  cooked 
with  other  substances  to  impart  flavor,  as  vie  do  parsley. 
Halostachys  occidentalism  called  Tub-bo-ivelts  by  the  Pah-Utes.— -The  seeds  are 
ground  fine  and  made  into  bread  or  mush.    It  is  one  of  the  regular  articles  of  diet. 
Amarantus  leucocarpus,  A.  Poivellii,  Camoot  of  the  Pah-Utes. — The  seeds  of  botk 
these  species  are  highly  prized  as  food  products.  They  are  regularly  cultivated 
by  the  Pah-Utes,  and  are  also  found  abundant  in  the  wild  state  on  river  bottoms. 
The  plants  are  very  prolific  in  seeds,  which  are  very  nutritious  and  of  an  agree- 
able taste.    Bread  or  mush  made  of  the  meal  is  very  good  and  not  to  be  despised. 
Lepidium  Fremontii,  L.  intermedium.  Sisymbrium  sopbia,  S.  canescens. — The  seed* 
of  all  these  plants  are  ground  up  with  other  seeds  to  impart  flavor,  and  cooked 
