Melochia tomentosa

      

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".

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