Post AJC4e711CuYllRVvMm by Tepid_Tapir@poa.st
 (DIR) More posts by Tepid_Tapir@poa.st
 (DIR) Post #AJBxsjlPEvjSJZEogi by vultureculture@mstdn.social
       2022-05-06T23:56:18Z
       
       0 likes, 1 repeats
       
       "What are those leaves on the ground? Hmm. The world may never know." --Me, until identifying them as Tellima grandiflora.Part 1: An Ordinary PlantThe only species in its genus, Fringe Cups are a common sight in the Pacific Northwest. Often low to the ground, with the central inflorescence averaging about 2 feet tall, this native northwestern plant is a common member in forest understory plant communities.I hate to say it, but this plant isn't one I typically notice; it doesn't stand out. And as it turns out, there's not a wealth of information about it. Several sources cite Erna Gunther's 1973 work, Ethnobotany of Western Washington, and make reference to the Skagit people pounding the plant and using it to restore appetite, perhaps for indigestion. Other than that, and the presence of some chemicals that I can't discern the significance of, it seems like a fairly ordinary plant.Not very interesting, right? I thought so too, until I read some more.#nativeplants #plants
       
 (DIR) Post #AJBxsl9C5yM2bdNKPA by vultureculture@mstdn.social
       2022-05-06T23:57:51Z
       
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       Part 2: Sex, Drugs, and Tellima GrandifloraThe Native American Ethnobotany Database makes reference to the Ditidaht/Nitinaht people using this plant as a psychological drug, "to stop dreams of having sexual intercourse with the dead." This claim comes from Ethnobotany of the Nitinaht Indians of Vancouver Island (Turner, 1983:127). What a wild thing to hear! - so of course, I had to know more about it.The fine folks at a university library were kind enough to send me a scan of the page, which has this to say:"...it was used ... as a medicine for a person who had recurring dreams of having sexual intercourse with a dead person. Chewing this plant would prevent him from having these dreams; if he continued to have them, it was believed, he (or she) would eventually join the dead person, and would himself die." One of the informants also mentioned it as their grandmother's "special medicine," left unspecified.(Re-uploaded to change wording.)#herbalism
       
 (DIR) Post #AJC4e711CuYllRVvMm by Tepid_Tapir@poa.st
       2022-05-07T01:41:17.910680Z
       
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       @vultureculture That's really interesting, especially for such an ordinary looking plant. I find it a bit of a cop out though to say if it didn't work it meant you'd someday die, though. But I guess they needed some kind of explanation. What an odd, incredibly niche use.