Lippia origanoides  ( ) ( ) Lippia palmeri Verbenaceae This shrub has thin, brittle stems and small leaves with deeply incised veins. The drought deciduous foliage appears after each soaking rain. Flowering may occur several times per year. It is common in the desert throughout most of the region, including Tiburon and San Esteban islands. Food: the dried, crushed leaves were used to flavor meat and fish. The flavor was similar to that of commercial oregano, although somewhat stronger. Ideally the leaves were collected after a heavy rain. for then the plant has tender foliage. When the shrub was in flower the leaves were sometimes not collected because they were said to be too strong. If harvested when in flower, then the small cone-like flower spikes were removed because of their bitter taste. It continued to be a much-used spice in the 1980s. Large bundles of the leafy branches were often sorted on the roof tops. When out in the desert, the peopl...

        Bonellia macrocarpa ssp pungens  ( ) ( ) Jacquinia pungens Theophrastaceae This small tree has a thick trunk, and dense evergreen foliage of stiff, spine-tipped leaves. The orange-red corolla readily separates from the ovary and falls as a unit. The fruit is abour 2 to 2.5 cm long, ovoid, and hard shelled, but fleshy or gelatinous inside. Common in arroyos and on plains from the vicinity of Kino Bay southward and on Tiburon Island. Flowering and fruiting occur at various times, with peak production in late spring. Adornment: the freshly picked corollas were strung as necklaces. These dried flowers reopen when placed in water, taking on a fresh and newly picked appearance, and may be revived many times. Food: the fruit was cracked on a metate and the soft inside part eaten. However, if one ate too much it was said to cause dizziness and possible intestinal disorder. Hunting: great horned owls roosting in this plant were often killed with bow and arrow dur...

       Melochia tomentosa  ( ) ( ) Sterculiaceae Medium-size shrub, slender stems, and smallish pubescent leaves with deeply incised veins. Showy rose-lavender flowers appear at various times of the year, including dry seasons. The Seri said it often blooms when other plants are not in flower. Dye: the root was occasionally used for a reddish brown dye. It was crushed on a metate and boiled. Basketry splints were steeped in the brew until stained the desired shade. Games: women used the sticks to roll hoops in the hoop rolling race. Supernatural: young girls were cautioned not to touch the flowers or they become promiscuous. "People of the Desert and Sea, Ethnobotany of the Seri Indians".

      Physalis crassifolia ( ) ( ) Solanaceae Annual or perennial herb, commonly found on rocky slopes and gravelly arroyo margins. The calyx grows over the small tomato-like fruit to form a paper lantern-like structure. Flowering and fruiting occur at various times of the year. Food: the fruit was eaten fresh. "People of the Desert and Sea, Ethnobotany of the Seri Indians".

     Physalis crassifolia  ( ) ( ) Solanaceae Annual or perennial herb, commonly found on rocky slopes and gravelly arroyo margins. The calyx grows over the small tomato-like fruit to form a paper tomato-like fruit to form a lantern-like structure. Flowering and fruiting occur at various times of the year. Fruit: the fruit was eaten fresh. "People of the Desert and Sea, Ethnobotany of the Seri Indians".

    Nicotiana obtusifolia  ( ) ( ) Nicotiana trigonophylla Solanaceae Perennial or facultatively annual herb, with whitish tubular corolla. Widespread and common, it usually grows among rocks on north-facing slopes and along arroyos. Found on the mainland and Tiburon and San Esteban islands; also common on Alcatraz Island in Kino Bay. Smoking: although the leaves of any plant of this species might have been smoked, certain populations with superior smoking qualities were well known. The men made special trips to harvest this tobacco and brought it back to camp in quantity. Most of the leaves were allowed to dry naturally, but a mall quantity was often parched, so that it would be immediately available for smoking. For this purpose, the leaves were chopped up in a sea turtle carapace, then placed in a small, shallow clay bowl and parched with live coals. It was smoked in clay pipes, or pipes made from large tube worm shell or a thin section of Phragmites . The leaves were ...