Paleo Foraging

For all greenbriers, see Smilax spp. / Greenbrier Smilax bona-nox L. Saw greenbrier, bullbrier, catbrier, zarzaparilla Location in Texas: very common in Travis Co. Form: vine, semi-woody / herbaceous; perennial. Flowers: Mar-May (green). Food Root – Berlandier refers to this plant as Zarzaparilla (Ohlendorf et al. 1980:567), in reference to its root being used to prepare…

Allium canadense L. = A. acetabulum, A. continuum, A. reticulatum, A. fraseri, A. hyacinthoides, A. arenicola, A. microscordion, A. movilense, A. mutabile, A. zenobine Meadow garlic, Canada onion, Canadian meadow garlic, wild onion, wild garlic Dakota: pshin (Gilmore 1977:19) Menominee: sikaku’sia (Smith 1923:70) Omaha-Ponca: manzhonka-mantanaha (Gilmore 1977:19) Onondaga: u’no̜ʹsa‘ ga’no̜suhaʹha‘ (Waugh 1916:118) Pawnee: osidiwa, Winnebago:…

Forestiera pubescens Nutt. = F. neomexicana, F. sphaerocarpa Stretchberry, elbowbush, desert olive, downy forestiera, wild privet, spring goldenglow Apache: iγentłidzi – “hard seed” (Castetter and Opler 1936:62) Navajo: k’įicjíníh / mą’įitąa’ – “coyote food” (Elmore 1944:68) Location in Texas: C, W, & N TX; very common in Travis Co. Form: shrub, up to 15 ft.…

Rhus virens Lindh. ex A. Gray = R. choriophylla, R. sempervirens, Schmaltzia choriophylla Evergreen sumac Comanche: temaichia (Ohlendorf et al. 1980:348) Tonkawa: ayumé (Ohlendorf et al. 1980:313) Location in Texas: C, W, SW, & S TX; very common in Travis Co. Form: shrub, tree. Season: flowers (white) June-Nov. Food Fruit – used to make vinegar…

Ephedra nevadensis S. Watson Nevada jointfir Cahuilla: tú-tut (Barrows 1967:73) / tutut (Bean and Saubel 1972:70) Form: shrub, low shrub. Flowers: Feb-May (yellow, brown). Food Seeds – roasted by shaking in a basket with live coals, ground into a meal, and made into a bitter bread by the Panamint (Coville 1892:353). Seeds were ground into…

Limestone Definition: Limestone is a sedimentary rock that is mostly calcium carbonate. The calcium carbonate is almost all calcite, with a little dolomite. Forms: includes chalk and travertine. Found with: Chalcedony, chert, clay, fossils, and pyrite. Notes: Karst landscapes are those that are dominated by limestone and have extensive cave formations and water aquifers. Material…

Umbilicaria mammulata (Ach.) Tuck. = Umbilicaria dillenii, Gyrophora dillenii Smooth rock tripe, navel lichen Food Whole lichen – was cooked in a soup by the Algonquins, Iroquois, and neighboring tribes (Blair 1911:103,229).

Vicia americana Muhl. ex Willd. = V. dissitifolia American vetch, American deervetch, purple vetch Little Lake: shä-wä-kä’ (Chesnut 1902) Yuki: pod’-jez-pâl-mök’ (referring to the use of stout roots for tying) (Chesnut 1902) Location in Texas: sparse in W & N TX. Form: herbaceous vine; perennial. Food Leaves & stems – often eaten by Indians in…

Trifolium spp. Clover Cahuilla: tre’evula (Bean and Saubel 1972:141) Gosiute: tan’-so (Chamberlin 1911:383) Pomo: sō, Yuki: sik / pots (Chesnut 1902) Location in Texas: all TX, more E; common in Travis Co.; 14 spp. in TX, some introduced. Form: herb; annual, biennial, perennial. Food Seeds – ground into a meal to make mush by the…

Senegalia greggii (A. Gray) Britton & Rose = Acacia greggii A. Gray Catclaw acacia, Texas-mimosa, Gregg’s catclaw acacia, devil’s claw, uña de gato Cahuilla: si-ching-al (Barrows 1967:60) / sichingily (Bean and Saubel 1972:29) Seri: tis – “harpoon” (Felger and Moser 1985:321) Location in Texas: C, W, & S TX; common in Travis Co. Form: shrub,…