Thelesperma megapotamicum / Hopi tea greenthread

Thelesperma megapotamicum (Spreng.) Kuntze

Synonyms: = T. gracile, Bidens gracilis

Common names: Hopi tea greenthread, Navajo tea, slender bur marigold, slender beggar’s ticks, slinder pitchforks, té silvestre, cota

Apache: tłogaxe – “coffee plant” (Castetter and Opler 1936:59)

Hopi: ohû’ishi (Hough 1897:41) / hohoisi ~ “sweet-smelling flower” (Fewkes 1896:15)

Navajo: tc’ilkoxwéhíh – “plant, coffee” / téeh (from “té”) / woots’in’azee‘ – “tooth-flesh medicine” (Elmore 1944:89)

Location in Texas: W, NW, & N TX.

Form: herb, perennial.

Flowers: Apr-Oct (yellow)

Food

Flowers – an infusion was drunk as tea by the Hopi (Fewkes 1896:15).

Foliage – the leaves and young stems were used to make tea by the Chiricahua and Mescalero Apache (Castetter and Opler 1936:53) and Navajo (Elmore 1944:89). This tea was used by many Indian tribes of the Southwest (Castetter and Opler 1936:53). Portions were wrapped in small bundles and used by the Apache fresh or dried (Castetter and Opler 1936:53). This tea was considered by the Navajo to be a stimulant and good for the teeth (Elmore 1944:89).

Medicine

Leaves – an infusion was drunk to treat headache by the Hopi (Hough 1897:41).

Material

Flowers – a decoction was used by Hopi to dye yucca fibers a reddish-brown (Fewkes 1896:15).