Phoradendron californicum  (desert mistletoe, mesquite mistletoe) ( ) Viscaceae The leafless green stems bear numerous small white or reddish translucent berries. Food: when growing on certain legumes (catclaw, ironwood, or mesquite) the fruit of desert mistletoe was eaten. However, it was said to be bitter when growing on other hosts, e.g., palo verde and condalia. The fruit was considered ripe and harvestable when it turned "glassy". A common method of harvesting the fruit was to knock it off the tree onto a blanket. The berries were often fed to young children. Medicine: mistletoe tea was taken as a remedy for illness "inside the body". Tea made from the stems and leaves of mistletoe growing on creosote bush ( P. diguetianum ) was taken to cure diarrhea and to help a woman during childbirth. Oral Tradition: sometime in the mid-nineteenth century a group of Seri men went on a killing spree, involving both Seri and non-Seri victims. They then fled and li...

         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 ...

    Lycium californicum  ( ) ( ) Solanaceae Shrub very stiff, somewhat thick twigs, each ending in a sharp thorn. Common near the shore. The fruit is bitter and not eaten.   "People of the Desert and Sea, Ethnobotany of the Seri Indians".

   Datura discolor ( ) (Toloache) Solanaceae Use of Datura by various Indians for its hallucinatory properties is well know. Although it is not known to have been used by the Seri for this purpose. This species resembles other kind poisonous nightshade, but differs in having smaller flowers and in being generally less robust. It is an ephemeral. The fruit is covered with spiny projections and it has typical, black, nightshade seeds. It is widespread on the mainland and on Tiburon and San Esteban Islands, and is common weed near farms and ranches. Medicine: tea made from the dry, mashed seeds was taken for swollen throat because it deadened the pain. A poultice of the leaves was placed on boils. The latter remedy was given to a Seri by a Mexican. The Supernatural: it was one of the first plants formed, and therefore many people would not touch it. "People of the Desert and Sea, Ethnobotany of the Seri Indians".

     Pseudorontium cyathiferum  ( ) ( ) Scrophulariaceae A very common and widespread ephemeral with tiny lavender snapdragon flowers. It appears at any time of year following adequate rainfall and ranges throughout the Seri Region, including the islands. Adornment: to bring good luck, pieces of the plant were put into small cloth bags which were tied on a cord necklace; sometimes the cloth bags were attached to a more elaborate necklace. The plant was said to belong to girls and young women. After grinding the fresh, green plant, they mixed white clay with it and added water to make beads which they strung into necklaces. These were worn because of the fragrance. "People of the Desert and Sea, Ethnobotany of the Seri Indians".

    Cardiospermum corindum ( ) ( ) Sapindaceae This desert vine has hollow fruit resembling small paper lanterns. Each fruit bears three smooth, round seeds. It is common throughout the mainland and on Tiburon Island. Adornment: while still green and soft the seeds were strung for necklaces. Footwear: the long flexible stems were occasionally used to tie pads of creosotebush on one's feet as makeshift sandals. Headpiece: the leafy vines were woven into a headband or wreath. It was worn during hot weather by men and women for shade and to keep the hair in place. Women and girls continued to use it in modern times. Water Transport: this was one of several kinds of leafy plants stuffed into the top of a water-filled olla to prevent spillage. "People of the Desert and Sea, Ethnobotany of the Seri Indians".

   Oligomeris linifolia   ( ) ( ) Resedaceae Ephemeral, often abundant and in dense stands in late spring. It occurs on the mainland and Tiburon Island. These small, slender plants have tiny capsules containing numerous shiny black seeds about 0.4 mm in diameter. Food: the seeds, worked out of the dry plant onto deer hides, were toasted, ground, and mixed with water to make a gruel. Substantial quantities of the seed could be obtained during favorable years. Medicine: tea made from the roots was used as a remedy for measles. Oral Tradition: in Seri mythology, giant girls gathered the plant for the seeds. One of them, who was in love, strung the little seeds on a necklace and gave it to her lover. "People of the Desert and Sea, Ethnobotany of the Seri Indians".

    Eriogonum inflatum  ( ) ( ) Polygonaceae Perennial herb with several or many slender, erect growing, branched flower stalks. The main axis is sometimes hollow and inflated. Commonly found among rocks on the mainland and on  Tiburon Island and San Esteban Island. Medicine: tea made from the plant was taken as a remedy for cold.  "People of the Desert and Sea, Ethnobotany of the Seri Indians".

      Plantago ovata  (Desert Plantain ) ( ) Plantaginaceae Plantago ovata var. insularis   This winter-spring ephemeral often carpets the desert following times of sufficient rainfall. It generally occurs on level terrain on the desert floor on the mainland and Tiburon Island. The size of the plant and number of flowers and seeds varies with the amount of soil moisture. Under favorable conditions each plant develops a half-dozen or more slender spikes 10 to 15 cm tall, each of which bears numerous yellowish to reddish brown seeds 2 to 2.5 mm long. Food: the seeds, often stored in pottery vessels, were an important food. In the 1980s a common methos of harvesting involved the following procedure. Whole plants with matures seeds were pulled up and gathered in a pile. While sitting on the ground, the women rolled the fruiting spikes in their hands to free the seeds and let the seeds and chaff fall onto their outspread skirts. They then picked up handfuls of the se...

     Stegnosperma halimifolium  ( ) ( ) Phytolaccaceae It is a common shrub along the shores of the Gulf including the major islands, and often ranges inland through arroyos and washes. The nearly evergreen foliage consists of simple, semi-succulent leaves. At various times of the year it bears fragrant, star-shaped flowers and juicy red fruit. Medicine: to relieve a headache, the leaves were cooked with leaves of Bursera microphylla and the mixture uses as shampoo. It was said that women going for firewood should carry leaves of this plant in their clothing or tied in their head scarves. If bitten by a rattlesnake, they were to chew the leaves to make a paste, then rub it on the bite. It was said that one would not die if treated in this manner. Oral Tradition: this plant features in the story of two brothers who became angry with their people and went to Baja California. The brothers were found by two giant women who turned them into giants by rubbing their feet, h...

    Passiflora arida  ( ) ( ) Passifloraceae It was said to be one of coyote's plants because of the inferior quality of the fruit was compared with the other passion vine in the region. This small passion vine occurs in scattered locations across the desert on the mainland and Tiburon Island. It flowers and fruits at various times of the year following periods of sufficient soil moisture. The leaves are whitish lanate (wooly). Food: the fruit was eaten fresh. Since about the middle of the twentieth century it was usually eaten only by children. It was of minor dietary importance. Some said it had a disagreeable taste, while others claimed it was good eating. The fruit was said to stink and to smell like guava. Medicine: the roots were cooked in water and the tea drunk for intestinal disorder. "People of the Desert and Sea, Ethnobotany of the Seri Indians".

    Eschscholzia parishii  ( ) ( ) Papaveraceae In years with favorable winter-spring rainfall, this spring wildflower is found on the mainland in the northern part of the Seri region. The flowers are golden yellow. It is replaced by E. minutiflora in the Sierra Seri and on Tiburon Island. "People of the Desert and Sea, Ethnobotany of the Seri Indians".

   Argemone pleiacantha  ( ) ( ) Papaveraceae It is a perennial herb, bearing large flowers with white petals and numerous large, yellow stamens. Found on abandoned farmland northeast of El Desemboque. It is rare in the undisturbed natural desert in the Seri Region. Medicine: to relieve kidney pain a tea was made from the leaves wrapped in cloth and steeped in water. This tea was also used to make a woman "lose bad blood" after parturition. Tea made from this plant was taken to cause expulsion of the remaining portion of a torn placenta. A medicinal tea made from this plant's leaves cooked in water with the inner bark from the root of Opuntia fulgida was taken for urinary problems, as a diuretic, and to "clear the urine". It was said to "rest" the kidneys and relieve the pain. "People of the Desert and Sea, Ethnobotany of the Seri Indians".

      Aphyllon cooperi  ( ) ( ) Orobanche cooperi Orobanchaceae The thick succulent stems appear in spring, and are parasitic on various species of Ambrosia . It occurs near El Desemboque and northward. Food: the people of the Libertad Region ate the "roots" (thickened base of the stem and inflorescence) after they were thoroughly cooked in ashes. "People of the Desert and Sea, Ethnobotany of the Seri Indians".

     Oenothera avita  ( ) ( ) Oenothera californica Onagraceae This winter-spring ephemeral has large white flowers which open at dusk and remain open through the morning on cool days. Generally found on sandy soils, it is common on dunes on the mainland and Tiburon Island. To the Seri it is the same as Abronia villosa except for the difference in flower color. Both species occur together on beach dunes and sandy soils. Girls brought home bouquets of the flowers which were tied together and hung from the walls of their huts. "People of the Desert and Sea, Ethnobotany of the Seri Indians".

    Eulobus californicus  ( ) ( ) Camissonia californica Onagraceae Winter-spring ephemeral, often very common across the desert floor on the mainland and Tiburon Island. Medicine: the flowers and leaves were cooked in water and used to wash the head as a remedy for falling hair and hair with split ends. "People of the Desert and Sea, Ethnobotany of the Seri Indians".

     Boerhavia erecta  (erect spiderling) ( ) Nyctaginaceae Summer-fall ephemeral, resembling B. coulteri but having flowers in tiny umbellate clusters. Some Seri said they were the same plant but that this had grown taller. Animal Food: the edible caterpillar of the sphinx moth ( Hyles lineata ) was said to be found more often on this plant than on other kinds of plants. Medicine: the stems were cooked in water, and the resulting tea taken to combat measles. "People of the Desert and Sea, Ethnobotany of the Seri Indians".

    Boerhavia coulteri  (spiderling) ( ) Nyctaginaceae A common summer-fall desert ephemeral; mainland and Tiburon and San Esteban islands. The small, pinkish flowers are on slender racemose inflorescences. The Seri said it is like tall hay, but with small leaves. Food: the green herbage was cooked, mashed and eaten. This was one of the few greens used by the Seri. Water Transport: it was one of several kinds of plants used to cover an olla to prevent water from splashing or spilling. "People of the Desert and Sea, Ethnobotany of the Seri Indians".

    Abronia maritima  (coastal sand verbena) (  ) Nyctaginaceae This prostrate-growing perennial has thick succulent leaves and bright magenta flowers. It forms dense mats on upper beaches and beach dunes throughout the region, including Tiburon Island. Medicine: tea made by cooking the outer portion of the root was taken to aid in the expulsion of a torn placenta. "People of the Desert and Sea, Ethnobotany of the Seri Indians".

   Horsfordia alata  ( ) ( ) Malvaceae It is a spindly shrub 2 to 3 m tall with sparse foliage. Mainland, and Tiburon Island and San Esteban Island. Food Preparation: it was used to string grasshoppers, presumably to carry them to camp. Medicine: a thick liquid made by soaking the outer bark of the root and the lower part of the stem was used as medicine for sores in the mouth or eyes. "People of the Desert and Sea, Ethnobotany of the Seri Indians".

   Hibiscus denudatus  ( ) ( ) Malvaceae This small desert perennial is widespread and common in western Sonora. "People of the Desert and Sea, Ethnobotany of the Seri Indians".

   Abutilon palmeri ( ) ( ) Malvaceae Perennial bush with relatively large, velvety leaves and orange petals; found in arroyos on the mainland and the islands. Food Preparation: the Seri used to capture and string grasshoppers for food. Medicine: the bark was removed from the root, and the root then cut into pieces and put in cold water; the liquid was drunk to alleviate a sore throat. "People of the Desert and Sea, Ethnobotany of the Seri Indians".

  Abutilon incanum  ( ) ( ) Malvaceae Small shrub with slender stems and drought-deciduous foliage; widespread and common on the mainland and on Tiburon Island. Adornment: small pieces of the stem were put through pierced ear holes to keep them from closing. Food Preparation: several mallows apparently were once used to string grasshoppers. "People of the Desert and Sea, Ethnobotany of the Seri Indians".

      Triteleiopsis palmeri  ( ) ( ) Fabaceae The small blue flowers are borne in an umbellate arrangement on a slender stalk arising from a cluster of tiny underground bulbs. The foliage, consisting of several leaves, and flowers appear in spring. In the early 1980s some of the women and girls at El Desemboque dug it up and transplanted them to their gardens. They grew them in cans, buckets, and in the ground. Food: it was given to a young child whose mother was pregnant. Since the mother was often unable to provide sufficient milk, the child was likely to be undernourished. The tiny bulbs were said to be survival food for the companion child. The bulbs were cooked in water until they became soft mush. This mush was one of the soft foods fed to young children when they started eating solids. In addition, children enjoyed looking for the plants on dunes in springtime and eating the bulbs fresh. For this reason it was often difficult to find mature plants near El Dese...

     Phaseolus filiformis  ( ) ( ) Fabaceae This delicate ephemeral bean can appear at various times of the year following sufficient rainfall. It has twining stems, pink, pea-like flowers, and small pods. Animal Food: it was eaten by quail. "People of the Desert and Sea, Ethnobotany of the Seri Indians".

    Acmispon maritimus  ( ) ( ) Lotus salsuginosus Fabaceae Winter-spring ephemerals with tiny, pea-like, yellow flowers, and prostrate or spreading stems. Common during favorable years on the mainland an Tiburon Island. Games: one of these plants, together with Descurainia would bring good luck when rubbed on a person who planned to play certain gambling games. "People of the Desert and Sea, Ethnobotany of the Seri Indians".

   Dallea mollis  ( ) ( ) Fabaceae This low-growing, winter-spring ephemeral is widespread in the region, including Tiburon Island. Medicine: the plant was heated in coals and used as poultice on swellings. The poultice was held in place with a rag or cloth band. "People of the Desert and Sea, Ethnobotany of the Seri Indians".

  Parkinsonia praecox  ( ) (Palo Brea) Cercidium praecox Fabaceae This low, spreading tree has nearly horizontal branches, pale pea-green bark, and bright yellow flowers in spring. It is wide ranging in Latin America, and extends northward along the coast to Tastiota and Siete Cerros. Medicine: the bark, ground with sea turtle oil and salt, was used as a lotion for bruises and sprains. Tea made from the bark was taken to aid in the expulsion of a torn placenta. "People of the Desert and Sea, Ethnobotany of the Seri Indians".

    Mariosousa willardiana  ( ) (palo blanco) Acacia willardiana Fabaceae This thin, wispy tree is spineless and has paperlike, peeling, white bark. The trunk and limbs are usually straight, slender, and flexible, and the wood is hard. It is very common on rocky slopes, cliffs, bajadas, and arroyos near mountains. Palo blanco occurs in coastal mountains from the Sierra Seri to Guaymas and on Tiburon Island. It is endemic to western Sonora. Food Gathering: the wood was used to make the chisel pry bar ant the digging stick. Hunting: the detachable foreshaft of a sea turtle harpoon was often made from palo blanco wood. Shelter:  the trunks commonly were used in the framework of brush houses and as posts in wattle and daub houses. Other Uses: uses of the wood included: the club for killing fish and sea turtles, a pole on which a deer skin was scraped, a carrying yoke. This was often made in the spot after killing a deer, in order to transport the meat back to camp. "Peop...

   Senegalia greggii  (Catclaw acacia) (uña de gato) Acacia greggii Fabaceae Catclaw is a shrub or small tree with irregular branches and trunk, and small, sharp. recurved spines. The wood is strong and hard, and the heartwood reddish. It ranges nearly throughout the Seri region, including Tiburon Island, and is common along arroyos and other drainageways. It does not occur on San Esteban Island. Food Gathering: the wood was used as the chisel-prybar for the various century plants and for the digging stick for saiya, etc. Hunting and Fishing: before metal was available the preferred material for fish and turtle harpoon points was catclaw wood. Music: this plant was one of several kinds of wood used to make the violin bow. The musical rasp was occasionally made from catclaw instead of ironwood. Weapons:   the wood was used to make the bow. Other Uses: the wood was used for the carrying yoke and for spikes to hold cargo on the balsa.. "People of the Desert and Sea...

  Krameria bicolor  (White Ratany) (Cosahui) Krameria grayi  Krameriaceae Low-spreading shrub, spine-like branch tips, and small drought-deciduous leaves. The deep magenta flowers, ca i cm in diameter, are crowded in small clusters and may appeal at various times of the year. The bur-like fruit, ca i cm in diameter, resembles a miniature sea urchin. The thick roots radiate from a point about 15 cm below the soil surface. It is a common desert plant, found on the mainland and Tiburon Island. South of Kino Bay it is replaced by a similar, although distinct species, K. sonorae , which develops into a shrub 1.5 to 2 m in height. Dye: the most common basket dye color and, according to Seri oral history, the only color traditionally used was a reddish brown dye. It was generally made from cosahui root. Johnson (1959:12) described it as a "rich burnt sienna color. With considerable effort the lateral roots (not the main root) were dug up with a stick, seashell, knife, or metal s...

             Koeberlinia spinosa  (Crucifixion Thorn) ( ) Koenerliniaceae Shrub or small tree, mainland coast south nearly to Tastiota and on Tiburon Island. The wood is exceedingly hard and produces copious oily black smoke when burned. The plant was said to be poisonous or toxic and to cause the flesh to swell when one was pricked by the thorny branches. Medicine: tea made from the flowers was taken as a remedy for dizziness and a certain intestinal disorder, or diarrhea. The twigs were combined with hierba del manso as a remedy for rheumatism. The wood was burned in a hut to drive away disease during epidemics, probably measels. During the nineteenth century, after excursions to Hermosillo to sell and trade, the Seri came home and burned this plant's wood to disinfect their houses against diseases they had encountered in the city. "People of the Desert and Sea, Ethnobotany of the Seri Indians".  

            Aristida californica  ( ) ( ) Poaceae Perennial grass, forming small, dense clumps in sandy soils, generally near the shore. Relatively thick, tough, almost wiry roots. It is common from Kino Bay northward and on the east and north coasts of Tiburon Island. Boats: men used pads of this grass to cushion their knees when paddling a balsa. Hair Care: the hairbrush was usually made from roots of this grass. Several plants were pulled out and several close to the rootcrown. The roots were tied into a bundle and evened off by burning. Firemaking: pieces of this grass mixed with rabbit dung were used as tinder. The Supernatural: of one used the brush at night his spirit would wander off toward the place of the dead. If one dared to use it a second time at night, his hand would swell A discarded hairbrush used by one who had died was considered dangerous. Tanning: the grass was mixed with animal brains and made into patties which were dried for sto...

           Jatropha cuneata  ( ) ( ) Euphorbiaceae This shrub is abundant and widespread in the Gulf of California region, including most of the major islands. It ranges from the Guaymas area northward into southwestern Arizona, and extends through most of the peninsula of Baja California. It is characteristic of arid places, and is often abundant on hot, dry, south or west-facing slopes. It is common throughout all of the territory of the various Seri groups. It is a semi-succulent and multiple-stemmed shrub, commonly reaching 1 to 2 m in height. Each shrub has a number of large, radiating, and carrot-shaped roots, up to about 10 cm in diameter. The roots and lower stems exude copious blood-like sap when cut. The stems are flexible, the wood very soft, and the foliage drought-deciduous. The sensitivity of this species to freezing weather limits its northern range. Relatively rapid stem growth may occur with the summer-fall rains. After being cut, such...

          Euhporbia misera  ( ) ( ) Euphorbiaceae Small to medium-sized shrub with knotty stems, often on north-facing slopes. Superficially resembling Jatropha cuneata but readily distinguished by its copious milky sap. Reported to be used un the making of blue clay, or Seri Blue, but this practice was not verified by the Seri. Medicine: tea made from the roots was used as a remedy for stomachache, dysentery, and venereal diseases. "People of the Desert and Sea, Ethnobotany of the Seri Indians".  

         Acalypha californica  ( ) (hierba del cáncer) Euphorbiaceae After collecting the very last columnar cactus fruit of the year, the people of the Libertad region were said to have spread branches of this shrub on the ground and dumped the fruit out of their collecting baskets onto the branches. This small, drought-deciduous shrub ranges through most of the region, including Tiburon and San Esteban Islands. Shelter: the branches were used as roofing for the brush house. "People of the Desert and Sea, Ethnobotany of the Seri Indians".  

        Dudleya arizonica  ( ) ( ) Crassulaceae In Sonora, this thick-leaved succulent occurs in coastal mountains as far south as Cerro Tepopa, but it is not common in the region. It usually grows wedged in crevices of cliffs or canyon walls. "People of the Desert and Sea, Ethnobotany of the Seri Indians".  

       Trixis californica  ( ) ( ) Asteraceae A very common small shrub with brittle stems, green foliage, and attractive yellow flower heads. It is widespread in the region, including Tiburon Island. Medicine: tea made from the roots was taken by a woman before delivery to hasten the birth. Smoking: the leaves were smoked like tobacco. "People of the Desert and Sea, Ethnobotany of the Seri Indians".  

      Brickelia coulteri  ( ) ( ) Asteraceae Common along washes and arroyos in the mountains and inland, such as at Rancho Estrella. Adornment: the fresh leafy stems were put in little cloth bags on necklaces because of their pleasant aroma. For this reason the plant was also rubbed on the clothing and put in one's shirt or blouse pocket. "People of the Desert and Sea, Ethnobotany of the Seri Indians".  

     Ambrosia ambrosioides  ( ) ( ) Asteraceae Common bushy perennial with slender stems and elongated, triangular, rough-surfaced leaves. It usually occurs in canyons and arroyos, and ranges throughout the region, including Tiburon Island. Medicine: tea made from the roots was given to a woman near parturition. Pigment: the pounded root bark was sometimes substituted for Ambrosia dumosa in the manufacture of Serie Blue. It gave the pigment a distinct aroma. "People of the Desert and Sea, Ethnobotany of the Seri Indians".  

    Ruellia californica  ( ) ( ) Acanthaceae This small shrub has slender, brittle stems, and showy lavender flowers. It is common in the southern part of the Seri region and certain parts of Tiburon Island, especially on rocky bajadas and hills near the mountains. R. peninsularis from the Baja California peninsula is similar and closely related to R. californica but differs in having dull oily glandular-pubescent foliage and not glabrate foliage which is glutinous and somewhat shiny. These characters might have an effect on the medicinal and smoking qualities of the plant. Food: nectar was sucked from the base of the corolla. Medicine: tea made from the leaves was taken for dizziness, and put on the face of one who was tired out. The same liquid was used as shampoo to relieve a headache, and also as eyedrops. As another means to cure a headache, the leaves or leafy branches were put on moderately hot or warm coals; then the toasted leaves were put in an olla with warm wa...

     Atriplex canescens  ( Fourwing Saltbush ) ( ) Chenopodiaceae These dense shrubs are common on coastal dunes and low-saline and alkaline soils. They have four-winged fruits. It can be distinguished from A. linearis by its larger stature and larger fruits and leaves. The Seri did not distinguish between them, and also sometimes did not distinguish them from   A. polycarpa . Medicine: tea made from the leaves was taken as an emetic. Shelter: the leafy branches were used as roofing material for the brush house. "People of the Desert and Sea, Ethnobotany of the Seri Indians".

    Allenrolfea occidentalis  ( Iodinebush ) ( ) Chenopodiaceae This evergreen bush or small shrub has succulent stems with bead-like green or reddish green joints and an alternate branching pattern. It is abundant at the desert edge of marshy and saline wet places throughout the Gulf of California. the seeds are reddish brown, about 0.8 mm long, and are produced in great quantity in mid-winter. A container the size of an ordinary work basket can be filled in about ten minutes by shaking the seed bearing branches into it. Food: the seeds were toasted, ground, and cooked as gruel, or mixed with turtle oil. The seeds were said to pop when toasted. Shelter: the branches wee used to provide shade and roofing for the brush house. The Supernatural: it was considered to be one of the first plants formed. It was one of several plants used in the smoking ceremonies. Tanning: because it was a soft plant, it was used to cover the ground beneath a deer hide to keep it clean during th...

    Stenocereus gummosus  ( ) ( ) Cactaceae This is a large sprawling cactus, the stems often arching and leaning, forming thickets of impenetrably spiny tangles commonly 2 to 3 m tall. It occurs throughout much of Baja California, on San Esteban and Tiburon Islands, and along the Sonoran coast from the vicinity of El Desemboque southward nearly to Cerro Prieto near the north end of Kino Bay. It somewhat resembles Stenocereus alamoensis ; however, the geographic ranges of the two species do not overlap and the flowers and fruit are very different. The stems and fruit are covered with very sharp and brittle twisted spines. The large whitish flowers are nocturnal. The fruit is about the size of a small orange. When it is ripe the spines tend to fall away. Throughout most of its range the fruit is red when ripe, although in the vicinity of El Desemboque the Seri know of plants which bear yellowish fruit. Flowering and fruiting generally begin later than the other large-fruit...

    Pachycereus pringlei  ( cardon ) ( cardón ) Cactaceae Cardon is the largest cactus in the Sonoran Desert, and one of the most striking features of the landscape in the Gulf of California region. It is common throughout most of Baja California, the Sonoran coast from Guaymas northward to Puerto Lobos and on most of the islands in the Gulf, including Tiburon and San Esteban. The geographic distribution of cardon in Sonora closely approximates the original area of occupation of the various Seri groups. The large white flowers usually appear in April and early May, and the fruit ripens in early summer. Fully ripe fruit often splits open to reveal the fleshy pulp and seeds. Spine length and color of the fruit pulp is variable, although an individual plant bears fruit of only one color and general spine length. Four types of fruit were classified according to color of the pulp:  red or red-purple, red the most common color white light yellow-orange pinkish-white  ...

   Lophocereus schottii  ( ) ( ) Cactaceae L. schottii is widespread in the lowlands of Tiburon Island and the mainland in the Seri region. Flowering and fruiting occur in hot weather from late spring to fall, although peak flwering and fruiting tend to be in early summer. The Seri reported that L. schottii  in to areas - one near the cnter of Tiburon Island and the other on the mainland near Punta Sargento - flower and fruit twice a year. The spineless fruit is 2 to 3 cm in diameter and becomes red when ripe. Food: the fruit was eaten fresh, although generally not harvested as a "crop". However, the people who lived in the interior of Tiburon Island ate much of the fruit. Since the fruit is mostly within easy reach, no pole was needed to collect it. Sometimes a fruit-bearing limb would be cut but not entirely severed, so that it swung down, allowing fruit in the center of the plant to be more accessible. Games: boys played a game called hasahcápoj pte cjeaatim "hitt...

   Tiquilia palmeri  ( ) ( ) Ehretiaceae It generally grows in sandy, gravelly soils and has long, thick, black roots. Medicine: tea made from the thickened portion of the root was taken as a remedy for stomachache or a cold. "People of the Desert and Sea, Ethnobotany of the Seri Indians".

  Funastrum heterophyllum  ( ) ( ) Sarcostemma cynanchoides Apocynaceae This is one of the few common vines in the Seri region. It is often encountered sprawiling over shrubs in floodplains, arroyos, and canyons. Flowers may be produced at various times of the year. Food: the flowers were picked and eaten fresh, often as a snack while walking through the desert. The flavor is faintly onion-like. Medicine: to cure a severe headache, the head was washed in a decoction of the branches and leaves. Tea made by brewing stems and leaves was taken for the bite of a black widow spider. Eye drops were made by cooking the roots in water. "People of the Desert and Sea, Ethnobotany of the Seri Indians".

      Asclepias albicans  ( ) ( ) Asclepiadaceae The Seri did not distinguish between this and A. subulata. A. albicans generally occurs on more arid sites than does A. subulata. A. subulata is the common reed-stem milkweed in the lowlands of the mainland and on Tiburon Islands; it is absent from San Esteban Island. A. albicans is infrequently encountered, and is usually found on exposed mountain slopes; however, it is common on San Esteban Island. A. albicans is taller than A. subulata   and there are significant floral differences. The stems of both species are slender, erect, and essentially leafless when mature. Adornment: the stems, with the bark removed, were cut into pieces approximately 1 cm in lenght. These pieces were stained blue or red, left natural, or toasted black in a pan filled with sand, sometimes with animal fat added to aid in the toasting. The beads were then strung for necklaces, often with Olivella shells. A special necklace pattern m...

     Tidestromia lanuginosa  ( ) ( ) Amaranthaceae This summer-fall ephemereal is common through most of the Seri region. The plant has a silvery, speckled look, due to dense pubescence of branched hairs, and thus was said to cause dandruff. Medicine:   to relieve aching feet, the herbage was heated and placed under the feet. An infusion of the leaves was used for drawing out a thorn. The twigs were cooked and used as shampoo to cure a headache . “People of the Desert and Sea, Ethnobotany of the Seri Indians. Richard Stephen Felger and Mary Beck Moser”

    Amaranthus fimbriatus   ( ) ( ) Burseraceae The plant has relatively flexible herbage ant thin, delicate leaves; the bracts are not prickly. These characters are indicated by its Seri name ( ziim caitic "soft ziim"). This common hot-weather ephemeral occurs on the islands and throughout the mainland region. While generally reaches maximum development along washes and arroyos, it may be seasonally common on open desert and rocky slopes. The seeds are dark brown or black, lens-shaped, and less than 1.0 mm in diameter. There are three other kinds of ziim : A. watsonii, Chenopodium, and Salsola.   Food: the seeds were prepared in the same manner as for A. watsonii . Since A. fimbriatus is not as abundant as A. watsonii , we assume that it was of less importance. The seeds were stored in pottery ollas. The leafy green shoots, when tender and young, were prepared as greens. The "leaves" (shoots or herbage) were cooked in water, and then the water squeezed out by h...

    Sesuvium verrucosum ( sea purslane) ( ) Aizoaceae The Seri distinguished Sesuvium by its narrow leaves and Abronia maritima by its rounder (broader) leaves. They have similar life forms and occupy similar niches, and both were considered to be "soft" plants. This trailing perennial herb is glabrous, and has succulent leaves and stems. It forms low, spreading mats along the margins of mangroves and on upper beaches. Food preparation:   A sea turtle carapace or basket was lined with Sesuvium or some other "soft" plants to provide a bed on which to place meat to keep it clean. "People of the Desert and Sea, Ethnobotany of the Seri Indians. Richard Stephen Felger and Mary Beck Moser."

  Guaiacum coulteri  ( ) (guayacán) Zygophyllaceae Face paint materials: for blue color the resin was used. This large, woody shrub or small tree has very hard wood, and bright green, pinnate leaves. In May and June, at the height of the dry season, it produces spectacular masses of deep violet-blue flowers. The fruit opens in summer and fall. It grows in the interior of Tiburon Island and on the mainland coast from near Tasiota and southward; inland it ranges north of Hermosillo. Hair Care: the roots were mashed and moistened, an then used as shampoo. Medicine: the fruit was crushed and cooked in water, and the tea was taken as a cure for dysentery. In curing the sick, a shaman sometimes used the Seri blue for painting crosses on the patient's chest. Pigment: a blue pigment, Seri blue, was made with guayacán resin and several other ingredients, none of which is blue in its unaltered state. This blue pigment or paint was an important constituent in Seri aesthetic expression. I...

    Bursera hindsiana  ( ) ( ) Burseraceae The Hant Caai (land maker) caused a tree to grow. This first tree was a red elephant tree ( Bursera hindsiana ).  The common elephant tree was strongly involved in the vision quest and religious concepts and might be considered as the Seri "holy bush".  Icoocmolca  "what (blame) is put on (plural)"fetishes carved from the wood of the red elephant tree ( Burserda hindsiana ) served as messengers to the spiritual world. Also involved in the quest for spiritual power were desert lavender ( Condea emoryi ). This large shrub or small tree has a thick woody trunk. It is readily distinguished from, B. microphylla by its smooth reddish gray bark, larger simple or tri-foliate (occasionally 5-folliate) leaves and somewhat harder wood; also, it is generally not as abundant. The wood is excellent for carving because it is relatively soft but firm, and does not split upon drying It was preferred over soft woods (such as B. micr...

     Fouquieria columnaris  (boojum trees) (cirio) Fouquieriaceae The firs man and woman had children and eventually a number of giants inhabited the land. The land was flat, without mountains or even sand dunes, so it was natural that floods should occur. Floods were accompanied by fire, smoke, and earthquakes. After one such disaster, Hant Caai (land maker) saw that because the land was flat, the people had little chance to escape the destruction. So he sang a song, causing mountains, hills, and dunes to form. These were to provide protection for the people during floods. In one such flood a group of giants from the south fled northward to the mountains south of Puerto Libertad. There the flood overtook them and changed them into boojum trees, which still occur there. The boojum is one of the most unusual plants in the world, looking like an upturned carrot 5 to 10 m tall, with scraggly little secondary branches. It occurs in Baja California and there is an isolate...

  Xanthium spinosum  ( ) ( ) Asteraceae Stems erect or ascending, branching, 2-10 dm. tall, puberulent; leaves lanceolate, 4-8 cm. long, with a pair of long, narrow lobes on lower half of blade, sometimes with a few small lobes above middle, green above, densely white-pubescent on lower surface, shortly petioled, each with a pair of long, yellow, 3- or 4-parted, stipular spines at base; fruiting bur weakly spiny, tomentose, about 1 cm. long, the beaks inconspicuous. Abundant in waste fields, sometimes along dikes and edges of marshy areas; introduced European weed occasional throughout the United States.  "A Flora of the Marshes of California. Herbert L. Mason".

  Iva hayesiana  ( ) ( ) Asteraceae Herbage glabrate to rough-pubescent, more or less resinous-dotted; stems woody below, not densely leafy, openly branched, the branches ascending from base, to 1 m. tall; leaves spatulate to linear, 3-6 cm. long, narrowed to a short petiole, usually obtuse, heads clustered on short peduncles in a narrow, spike-like, bracteate panicle, the bracts leaflike but reduced; phyllaries distinct, oval to orbicular, 5-10, deciduous in age. Alkaline flats or brackish areas: San Diego County, south to Baja California.  "A Flora of the Marshes of California. Herbert L. Mason".

  Helianthus annuus  (common sunflower) (girasol) Asteraceae Stout annual; stem very hispid and rough, simple or profusely branching, 3-30 dm. tall; leaf blades 7-30 cm. long, usually broadly ovate, serrate, truncate to subcordate, rough-scabrous, green, the petiole often as long as or longer than the blade; heads single and terminal on long, stout peduncles, or the inflorescence forming an open, cymose, long-branched, long-peduncled, leafy-bracted panicle; phyllaries 1.5-2 cm. long, 5-10 mm. wide, broadly ovate, as long as or sometimes longer than the disc flowers, often conspicuously ciliate and densely hispid to hirsute, the apex abruptly narrowed and produced into a long, tail-like acumination; receptacle bracts apically 3-cleft, all 3 cusps acute, the lateral ones somewhat lacerate, the longer, lanceolate middle cusps acute, the lateral ones somewhat lacerate, the longer, lanceolate middle cusp hispid almost to its purple, acuminate, tip, about as long as the disc flowers...

   Pseudognaphalium luteoalbum  ( ) ( ) Gnaphalium luteoalbum Asteraceae Annual, stems 1-3 dm. tall, usually with many sterile, leafy branches from base; herbage white-woolly; leaves oblong-spatulate, auriculate and clasping but scarcely decurrent; inflorescence mainly terminal, usually a dense, globose cluster or the clusters forming a congested or open, corymbose panicle; heads 3-3.5 mm. high; involucre greenish to light brownish, woolly only at base, the phyllaries ovate to oblanceolate or lanceolate, hyaline except for the small, central, herbaceous part, which is pubescent but scarcely glandular, the tips or papillate; pappus bristles hairy below, the hairs interlocking and the bristles tending to cohere at base and to fall in groups. Cultivated in fields and along irrigation ditches; introduced from the Old World. This weedy species has become increasingly common in California in recent years. It is not always easily distinguished from the larger Gnaphalium chilense...

   Erigeron canadensis  ( ) ( ) Asteraceae Erect annual; stems simple below, paniculately branched above, 2-20 dm. tall; herbage hispid with scattered hairs or glabrous, usually dark or bright green; leaves linear to lanceolate, sessile or the lower leaves narrowed to a petiole, entire or toothed, 5-10 cm. long; heads 3-4 mm. high in a dense panicle; phyllaries scarious-margined, nearly glabrous; rays inconspicuous, white, toothed. Common weed in waste places, often abundant on floodlands and along streams. Throughout California at low altitudes; to eastern United States. It is not common in wet habitats, but as a wasteland weed it is to be expected on floodlands.  "A Flora of the Marshes of California. Herbert L. Mason".

   Solanum douglasii  ( ) ( ) Solanaceae Bushy perennial, 0.6-2 m. tall, with angled stems; herbage puberulent to subglabrate. the simple antrorse hairs with heavy, conical bases; leaves ovate, 2-10 cm. long, coarsely sinuate-dentate. acute to short-acuminate, cuneate to subtruncate at base, sparsely puberulent; inflorescence several-flowered, the peduncle 1-3 cm. long, remaining erect at maturity, the pedicels slender, 5-12 mm. long; calyx 2-3 mm/ long at anthesis, the lobes lanceolate-oblong; corolla white with greenish basal spots, the lobes lanceolate-oblong, 6-11 mm. long; anthers 2.6-4 mm. long; style well exserted beyond anthers; seeds light yellow, minutely reticulate-pitted. Streamsides, swales in coastal dunes, drying floodlands, dry slopes, and waste places: coastal North Coast Ranges in Mendocino County, South Coast Ranges from San Mateo County south to southern California; Baja California, east and south through Arizona and New Mexico to northern Mexico....

   Stachys ajugoides  ( ) ( ) Lamiaceae Rhizomatous perennial; stems erect, or decumbent at base, 10-60 cm. long; herbage villous to hirsute and somewhat glandular; leaves oblong to oblanceolate, narrower at base. crenate to crenate-serrate, long-petioled to sub-sessile; spikes 8-20 cm. long, dense or interrupted, verticels 6-flowered; calyx 6-8 mm long, the teeth lanceolate to deltoid, cuspidate; corolla white to rose, 10-15 mm. long, the upper lip 4-6 mm. long, the lower lip 5-7 mm. long, the tube 7-0 mm. long, saccate near the base, the hairy ring oblique; filaments pubescent. Wet ground at low altitudes: Central Valley and bordering foothills, Coast Ranges south to Los Angeles County.  "A Flora of the Marshes of California. Herbert L. Mason".

  Trianthema portulacastrum  ( ) ( ) Aizoaceae Decumbent, succulent annual herb, branching much as in Cypselea, leaves opposite, simple, petioled, the blades orbicular-ovate, the opposing members of a pair unequal in size; flowers solitary, sessile, inconspicuous, borne under the axillary sheath at every node; sepals lanceolate, mucronate; petals none; stamens 5 or 6; ovary 2-celled or with 1 cell aborted; capsule several-seeded, circumscissile, the thickened, often bilobed, crestlike apical part containing a single embedded seed falling with the capsule valve. Weed along irrigation ditches: Imperial Valley; to Texas and Florida, Baja California and the West Indies.  "A Flora of the Marshes of California. Herbert L. Mason". This hot-weather ephemeral is common and wide-spread in the region. Food preparation:   The seeds were ground and cooked as a gruel. "People of the Desert and Sea, Ethnobotany of the Seri Indians. Richard Stephen Felger and Mary Beck Moser."

  Suaeda nigra  ( ) ( ) Suaeda torreyana, Suaeda fruticosa Chenopodiaceae Suaeda torreyana: plants green, essentially glabrous or sometimes puberulent or sparsely pubescent above, much-branched, erect or ascending. 3-10 dm. tall; twigs and branches usually slender, the internodes usually conspicuous; leaves 2-3 cm. long, linear, very evidently flat, those of the inflorescence becoming reduced to 1-3 times as long as the flower cluster; flowers 1-5 in a cluster in the leaf axils, the clusters separated by the slender, often wiry, internode; calyx deeply cleft, the lobes rounded on back; seeds black, minutely tuberculate. Alkaline floodlands: east of the Sierra Nevada, also Colorado River area and Imperial Valley; north to eastern Oregon, east to Utah and New Mexico. The plants most obviously pubescent have been segregated as Sueda ramosissimma , but intergradations seem to make clear definition difficult between S. ramosissima and S. torreyana .  "A Flora of the Marshes of...

  Salicornia pacifica  ( ) ( ) Amaranthaceae Suffruticose perennial, erect, decumbent, or prostate, usually from a horizontal rhizome, occasionally rooting along the decumbent or prostrate branches, or the individual plant solitary and erect; joints constricted at nodes, 2-5 mm. thick; leaves reduced to a perfoliate collar with opposite cusps, these often obscure, glabrous, glaucous or green; spikers 1-10 cm. long, terminating the ultimate branches, the joints 1.5-2.5 mm. long, usually wider than long, the middle flower of each triad only slightly higher than the lateral ones; sepals 4 or 3, fuses or sometimes those of lateral flowers nearly free; stamens 2, not simultaneous in anthesis; seeds covered with white stiff, appressed hairs, falling free from calyx on dehiscence or adhering to it and falling with it. Salt marshes along the coast: from Baja California to British Columbia, and sparingly in wet saline or alkaline floodlands in the interior. Specimens from the interior ...

  Nitrophila occidentalis  ( ) ( ) Amaranthaceae Low, perennial, rhizomatous, glabrous herb; leaves sessile, fleshy, linear, pungent, 1-3 cm. long, reduced upward, opposite; flowers axillary, perfect sepats 5 to 7, imbricate, carinate; petals none; stamens 5, united at base into a thin yellowish disc; style longer than the subglobose ovary; stigmas 2; achene beaked by the persistent style, included within the connivent sepals, the pericarp membranous. Moist alkaline soils: Central Valley, and east of the Sierra Nevada; south to Baja California.  "A Flora of the Marshes of California. Herbert L. Mason".

  Juncus torreyi  ( ) ( ) Juncaceae Stems stout, 2-6 dm. tall, arising singly from tuber-like thickenings on slender rootstocks; leaves terete, the blades more or less abruptly divergent from the stem, 2-5 mm. thick, auricled; inflorescence terminal with 1 to many many-flowered heads forming a condensed panicle, the entire cluster subtended by a long-pointed sheath; perianth segments light brown, lanceolate-subulate, 4-5 mm. long, the outer segments longer than the inner ones; stamens 6, about 1/2 as long as the perianth; capsule subulate, golden brown, as long as the perianth; seeds reticulate. Wet places at elevations below 5,000 feet: almost throughout coastal and desert southern California, Modoc County; east to Atlantic.  "A Flora of the Marshes of California. Herbert L. Mason".

  Schoenoplectus californicus  (California bulrush) ( ) Scirpus californicus Cyperaceae Perennial sedge with stout, subterete to triangular culms to 4 m. tall; leaves reduced to basal sheaths; involucral leaf solitary, erect, shorter than inflorescence; inflorescence loosely umbellate; spikelets narrow, acute, 5-10 mm long; scales ovate, reddish brown; bristles 2-4 dark red, or sometimes pale red, broad and ciliate or plumose, not barbed; style bifid; achene lenticular, 2 mm. long. Common in marshes along coast from San Diego County to Napa County; Central Valley, occasional in the Mojave Desert (Lancaster, Needles). This species is similar in aspect to Scirpus acutus. It can be distinguished, however, not only by the characters given in the key, but also by its subterete to triangular culms (most noticeable in the upper parts); in S. acutus the culms are terete throughout their length. Also, the spikelets of   S. californicus are smaller, and the scales are more con...

  Schoenoplectus americanus  (Three-square bulrush) ( ) Scirpus americanus Cyperaceae Perennial with horizontal rhizomes; culms erect or arched, sharply triangular, stiff and slender, 0.3-1.1 m. tall; leaf blades to 18 cm. long, keeled, convolute, narrow, 2-3 mm. wide; involucral leaf solitary. 3-10 cm. long; inflorescence a capitate cluster of 1-7 spikelets oblong, acuminate, 8-12 mm. long; scales pale brown to chocolate brown, cleft at apex, short-awned; bristles 2-6, downwardly barbed, unequal in length, from slightly longer than only 1/2 as long as the achene; style 2- or 3-cleft; achene lenticular, or obtusely trigonous, mucronate, 3 mm. long. Widely distributed in wet ground: along coast from Ventura county to Del Norte County, occasional in San Bernardino County and Imperial County; Inyo, Mono, Lassen, and Modoc counties; San Joaquin Valley; occasional in Sacramento Valley.  "A Flora of the Marshes of California. Herbert L. Mason". Scirpus olneyi Perennial sedge wi...

  Eleocharis geniculata  ( ) ( ) Cyperaceae Annual with fibrous roots and caespitose culms; culms subfiliform, striate, 5-25 cm. tall, or sometimes 40 cm. tall; basal leaf sheaths loose, obliquely truncate, with an attenuate tooth; spikelets ovoid, obtuse, much thicker than the culm, many-flowered; scales ovate, obtuse, pale brown with a scarious margin; bristles 6-8, as long as achene; stamens 2 or 3; style bifid; achene depressed, constricted at base, apiculate, spongy, whitish. Marshes and watercourses in southern California: San Bernardino, Riverside, and Imperial counties, widespread.  "A Flora of the Marshes of California. Herbert L. Mason".

  Phragmites australis  (common reed) ( ) Phragmites communis Poaceae Perennial; culms robust, erect, 2-4 m. tall, with stout, creeping rhizomes, these sometimes on the surface forming leafy stolons as much as 9 m. long; blades broad, flat, 2-6 dm. long, the rachilla clothed with long, silky hairs as long as or shorter than the florets, disarticulating above the glumes and at the base of each joint between the florets; lowest floret staminate or neuter; glumes lanceolate, acute, unequal in size, the first glume about 1/2 a long as the upper glume, the second one shorter than the florets; lemmas narrow, long-acuminate, glabrous, 3-nerved, the florets successively smaller; palea much shorter than the lemma. In fresh-water marshes, on banks of streams, and along irrigation ditches: well established in wet places in the Colorado and Mojave deserts, less common and at scattered localities along the coast from San Diego County to Del Norte County, in the delta region, also east of t...

  Distichlis spicata  (Saltgrass) ( ) Gramineae Culms 1-4 dm. tall, erect or in coastal plants sometimes prostrate and strongly stoloniferous; blades numerous, spreading or sometimes closely ascending or erect, either as long as or longer than or sometimes shorter than the spikes; spikes green, drying straw brown, or in coastal plants often purplish-tinged, 1-6 cm. long, ovate to oblong; spikelets mostly 1-2 cm. long, the pistillate spikelets often congested and more or less closely imbricate, the staminate ones usually less congested and more or less closely imbricate, the individual spikelets more easily distinguished; the first glume 2-3 mm. long, the second 3-4 mm. long, lemmas 3-6 mm. long, the pistillate lemmas more coriaceous and closely imbricate than the staminate ones, sometimes with a broad hyaline margin; palea 3-5 mm. long, rather soft, narrowly or broadly winged below, often with hyaline margins, the keels minutely serrate or serrate-ciliate to near the base, les...