The Plant w/Flowers
The Flowers
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Description
"Perennial herbs, 10-50 cm tall, from a taproot; stems 1-50 per plant, decumbent to erect, brown to reddish brown, sometimes whitish toward tips, strigose or villous and sometimes sparsely glandular. Leaves: Alternate along stems, the leaves are usually well spaced on upper spems and often quite sparse lower stems; lowest leaves taper into petioles and upper leaves have wedge-shaped bases; blades oblanceolate with rounded or pointed tips, 2-4 cm long by 4-8 mm wide, the upper leaves smaller than this; blade margins entire, rarely with 1-2 apical teeth; surfaces densely strigose, appearing silvery or grayish. Flowers: Flower heads yellow and radiate, solitary or several near the ends of branches, on hairy peduncles 1-4 cm long; involucres cylindric to campanulate, 7-10 mm high, the bracts (phyllaries) in several slightly graduated series, linear-oblanceolate with pointed tips, green with light colored margins, the green and white parts of the phyllaries sparsely to densely hispido-strigose; ray florets 10-20 per flower head, yellow, the laminae (ray petals) 6-11 mm long; disc florets 20-50 per flower head, yellow. Fruits: Achenes about 3 mm long, obconic, compressed, densely strigose; topped with a pappus of capillary bristles." (SEINet)
Ethnobotanical Uses
Food:
"Navajo, Ramah Fodder Used for sheep feed.---" (Moerman 263)
Medicine:
"Cheyenne Disinfectant Plant burned as incense to remove evil spirits from the house. --- Sedative Infusion of tips and stems taken for feeling poorly and made one sleepy. --- Hopi Analgesic Infusion of leaves and flowers used for chest pain. --- Navajo, Kayenta Ceremonial Medicine Plant used in the corral dance. --- Navajo, Ramah Ceremonial Medicine Plant used as a ceremonial emetic and chant lotion. Emetic Plant used alone as a sweat house emetic. Plant used as a ceremonial and sweat house emetic for various ailments. Gastrointestinal Aid Cold infusion of leaves used to kill a swallowed red ant. Plant used as a sweat house emetic for indigestion. Heart Medicine Plant used as an 'aorta medicine.' Panacea Root used as a 'life medicine.' Toothache Remedy Poultice of heated root applied for toothache. Venereal Aid Plant used as a sweat house emetic for sexual infection. ---" (Moerman 263)
Other Uses:
"Navajo, Ramah Insecticide Infusion thrown on anthill to kill red ants. ---" (Moerman 263)
Internet Resource