Paleo Foraging

Tillandsia usneoides (L.) L.

Synonyms: = Dendropogon usneoides, Renealmia usneoides

Common names: Spanish moss, pastle

Location in Texas: E, SE, S, & C TX; not uncommon in Travis Co.

Form: herb, epiphyte; perennial.

Material

Leaves – single leaves were used as oil lamp wicks by the Atákapa (Dyer 1917:5).

Leaves / whole plant – used by the Tonkawa as stuffing for mattresses covered with furs (Berlandier 1969:43,147, Ohlendorf et al. 1980:312). The plant was also used by the Atákapa for mattresses and bedding (Dyer 1917:2,5). The Atákapa bartered it to traders who took it to Galveston Island where it was used for mattresses by settlers (Dyer 1917:5). It was also used as disposable diapers by the Atákapa (Dyer 1917:5).

The dried plant was used for tinder by the Comanche (Kavanagh 2008:127,250).