The following is excerpted from Wild Vision Adventures In Observation, A Monthly Newsletter for Texas Wildlife Interpreters, Published by Wild Vision, October 1995 Volume 1, Issue 5.
Autumn is seen as a time of harvest, with the ripening of nuts and the falling of leaves. It is also a time of resurgence. After the stress of a dry, hot summer, many plants respond to fall rains with renewed growth. Plants that disappear from our thoughts return in different, sometimes hard to recognize forms. Other plants are fall bloomers, providing splashes of color, after having waited patiently through spring and summer. This is also a time when many seeds germinate and grow a basal rosette of leaves held close to the ground to survive the winter.
The list below includes some of the more conspicuous fall plants and how they were used by Texas Indians.
Black-eyed Susan (Rudbeckia spp.)
Young stems of R. laciniata were eaten (though currently viewed as somewhat toxic). (Goodchild 1984)
Root ooze were used for earache and sores were bathed in warm root tea. (Hamel 1975)
Blazing star (Liatris punctata)
Roots were cooked and eaten. (Goodchild 1984)
Coral berry (Symphoricarpos orbiculatus)
Berries of related species were eaten. Unknown whether our species was eaten.
Giant Ragweed (Ambrosia trifida)
Cultivated by several tribes for its edible seeds (Goodchild 1984)
Leaf tea drunk for fever, used topically for hives, poison ivy rash. (Hamel 1975)
Juice of crushed leaves rubbed on insect stings. (Hamel 1975)
Cocklebur (Xanthium italicum)
Root was chewed for Rattlesnake bite. (Hamel 1975)
Bur tea was drunk for cramps. (Hamel 1975)
Daisy-fleabane(Erigeron philidelphicus)
Chewed root or cold root tea for colds, coughs. Sudorific (produces intense sweating) (Foster 1990)
A tea was used for kidney pain, spitting of blood, epilepsy and dimness of sight. (Foster 1990)
The Cree burned dried Canada Fleabane (E. canadensis) to get rid of fleas and gnats. (Goodchild 1984)
Goldenrod (Solidago spp.)
A root piece was inserted in tooth cavities to relieve pain. (Hamel 1975), (Goodchild 1984)
The seeds were eaten. (Goodchild 1984)
The tea was valued as a stimulant/tonic. (Hamel 1975)
Gumweed (Grindelia spp.)
A tea of the leaves was used for bronchitis and whooping cough. (Goodchild 1984)
A poultice of the crushed flowers was used to quell the itch of poison ivy. (Goodchild 1984)
Plant is a dye source for yellow, gold and olive-green.
Prickly Pear (Opuntia spp.)
Pads, fruit, seeds, flowers were eaten. (Goodchild 1984)
The cochineal insect which often infests the Prickly Pear was used as lipstick in the Southwest.
Pads were split and soaked for use as a poultice. (Goodchild 1984)
Sunflower (Helianthus spp.)
H. annuus was cultivated for its seeds. The wild (unimproved) form was useful for vegetable oil.
The seeds were crushed in a pot and boiled. The nutritious vegetable oil rose to the surface and was skimmed off.
Tubers of H. tuberosus and H. maximiliani were eaten raw or boiled. (Goodchild 1984)
H. tuberosus was also cultivated and is still sold in stores today as "Sunchokes" or "Jerusalem Artichoke"
Trompillo (Solanum spp.)
Crushed leaves were put in milk to kill flies. (Hamel 1975)
Yellow fruits were crushed and mixed with milk to make a cottage cheese.
Berries sliced and fried in grease, use grease to cure mange in dogs. (Hamel 1975)
Fully ripe fruit is probably not poisonous after boiling. Unripe fruit is very poisonous with several alkaloids, including: solanine, solanidine, solanocapsine and possibly atropine. (Ellenhorn 1988)
References:
Angier, Bradford. 1978. Field Guide to Medicinal Wild Plants. Harrisburg, PA: Stackpole Books.
Goodchild, Peter. 1984. Survival Skills of the North American Indians. Chicago, IL: Chicago Review Press.
Ellenhorn, Matthew J., M.D. & Barceloux, Donald G., M.D. 1988. Medical Toxicology. New York: Elsevier science publishing co., inc.
Foster, Steven & Duke, James. 1990. Medicinal Plants. Boston, MA: Houghton Mifflin Co.
Hamel, Paul B. & Chiltoskey, Mary U. 1975. Cherokee Plants Their Uses-a 400 Year History. Asheville, NC: Stephens Press
Hays, Wilma P. & R. Vernon. 1973. Foods the Indians Gave Us. New York, NY: Ives Washburn, Inc.
Natural History of North Central Texas Index
Royce & LuCretia Milam Copyright © October 1995 Wild Vision. All rights reserved.