Paleo Foraging

Liquidambar styraciflua L.

Common names: Sweetgum, American-storax, alligator tree, white gum, star-leaved gum, liquidambar, copal

Cherokee: ^djilalí / ^dji·yɑlí / ^dzilɑlú (Banks 1953:58)

Location in Texas: E TX; only Liquidambar sp. in US.

Form: tree, up to 130 ft. tall; perennial.

Food

Sap – a piece of bark was removed, and a week later, the resin exuded from the wound was used for chewing gum by the Cherokee (Banks 1953:58).

Medicine

Leaves – mixed with tobacco for smoking by the Choctaw (Swanton 2001:47).

Sap – a piece of bark was removed by the Cherokee, and a week later, the resin exuded from the wound was used on infected wounds (Banks 1953:58).

Inner bark – an infusion was drunk by the Cherokee for “nervous patients” (Banks 1953:58).

Roots – the oily fraction rising to the top of a pot of boiled root was skimmed off by the Choctaw and mixed with a decoction of Obolaria virginica root, and this concoction was highly valued for dressing severe cuts and bruises (Bushnell 1909:23). A strong decoction was used by the Houma to apply to sore spots on the skins thought to be caused by worms (Speck 1941:62), perhaps ringworms.

Note: Sweetgum is a common ornamental plant in California, and ornamental plantings likely represent most of the Pacific state occurrences in the GBIF map.