Ipomoea leptophylla Torr.
Common names: Bush morning glory, bush moonflower
Lakota: pežuta niğe taŋka – “big stomach medicine” (Munson 1981:235)
Pawnee: kahts-tuwiriki – “whirlwind medicine.” The Pawnee name comes from twisted form of stem fibers (Gilmore 1977:58).
Location in Texas: N, NW, & C TX; not in Travis Co.
Food
Roots – large roots were used as a famine food by several tribes (Vestal and Schultes 1939). These are not very palatable, and their large size and depth make them difficult to extract (Vestal and Schultes 1939). Roots were gathered and toasted for food in times of need by Cheyenne, Arapaho, and Kiowa (Vestal and Schultes 1939).
Medicine
Roots – the Pawnee prized the roots highly as a remedy for nervousness and bad dreams (Gilmore 1977:58, Vestal and Schultes 1939). The roots were generally used in the form of a smoke treatment, that is inhalation of, and bathing in of its smoke, but pulverized root may also be dusted on the body with a deer tail or feather brush (Gilmore 1977:58,Vestal and Schultes 1939). This method of application was to alleviate pain or revive one who has fainted (Gilmore 1977:58, Vestal and Schultes 1939). Scrapings from the “kernel” of the root were eaten raw for stomach ailments by the Lakota (Munson 1981:235).
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