The Geology, Ecology, and Human History of the San Luis Valley by unknow

Author:unknow
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Nonfiction, Science & Nature, Science, Earth Sciences, Geology, History, Americas, United States
ISBN: 9781646420407
Publisher: University Press of Colorado
Published: 2020-08-24T04:00:00+00:00

Ethnobotanical Uses of Selected Sub-alpine Forest Plants

Indian paintbrush (Castilleja spp.) is a facultative parasite, meaning it can grow without a host but will tap into the roots of certain plants to steal water. It most commonly parasitizes grasses and lupines, and it ranges in height from 13 cm to 60 cm (~5 in to 2 ft). The green leaves are narrow; and in most species the red, orange, or yellow colors are not the petals but rather the bracts or sepals. Tips of the inflorescences resemble paintbrushes dipped in paint. There are several Native American legends surrounding this flower. The most common is that a young Native American worked long and hard trying to paint the perfect sunset. He used several shades of red, orange, and yellow, using a different paintbrush for each shade. When he was finished, he left the paintbrushes on the hillside where he worked, and they planted themselves into a field of flowers and grew back year after year. Native Americans used this plant in conjunction with other plants to dye deerskins. Some Native Americans soaked in a bath made with the whole plant to soothe aches and pains. Hispanos of the SLV refer to this plant as flor de Santa Rita. A strong tea is drunk to alleviate water retention (Moore 2008).

Ligusticum porteri is known by several different common names; however, in the SLV it is best known as osha’. It is a member of the parsley family and has the highly dissected leaves characteristic of parsley. The leaves rise 60 cm to 90 cm (~2 ft to 3 ft) above the forest floor and the flowering stalks another 30 cm to 90 cm (~1 ft to 3 ft). The tiny white flowers are arranged in a compound umbel. The origin of the name is unclear, but some claim it to be a Spanish derivative of a Native American word for bear (Bye and Linares 1986; http://www.native-languages.org/legends-osha.htm). In many Native American cultures, the plant is called bear root or bear medicine because of bears’ preference for this plant after hibernation. They are said to not only eat the plant but frolic in it. Osha’ is the most popular and most widely used of the remedios in the SLV. Its aromatic root is collected in the early fall just after the leaves have turned reddish-yellow (Bye and Linares 1986). The root is most potent at this time because the perennial reallocates many of its chemical compounds for storage during the winter. People chew osha’ root to help fight gingivitis and soothe irritated gums. A tea is drunk or the root chewed to treat colds, flu, sore throats, and stomachaches (Bye and Linares 1986). It is also used as an expectorant to treat coughs and lung infections (Moore 2008). To treat fever, a bath is made with infused root. Chewing or drinking a tea from osha’ root can also induce sweating to break a fever. The root has antibacterial, antiviral, and antifungal properties (Beck and Stermitz 1995;

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