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- Slipper Plant (Euphorbia antisyphilitica)
Common name: Slipper Plant, Lady's Slipper Scientific name: Euphorbia antisyphilitica Description: This plant is an succulent that blooms in the fall. The plant grows as masses of clumped stems capped with yellow to orange-red flowers when in bloom. - Yerba Mansa (Anemopsis californica)
Common name: Yerba Mansa, Lizard tail Scientific name: Anemopsis californica Description: A perennial plant with semi-lanceolate leaves and white-topped spikes. The plant has a musty or spice smell, and the entire plant turns red in the fall. Dye: Brown. Other uses: Widely used for a variety of medicinal purposes. - Wolfberry (Lycium spp.)
Common names: Wolfberry, Boxthorn Scientific name: Lycium spp. Description: A medium-sized woody shrub with small, grouped thick narrow leaves, small white to light purple flowered, and bright orange-red berries. Uses: The berries may be dried and eaten as a snack or processed into sauces and/or jams. - Night-blooming Cereus (Peniocereus greggii)
Common names: Dutchmans' Pipe; Arizona Queen-of-the-Night Scientific name: Peniocereus greggii Description: The night-blooming cereus is a perennial succulent with gray-brown stems and waxy white fragrant flowers that bloom at night in the summer months, with each individual flower lasting only the single night of its bloom. The plant also produces an oblong red-orange fruit and has a fleshy root. Uses: Previously used for a variety of medicinal purposes, predominantly for control of diabetes. The fruits and roots were also used as food, as were the flowers and young stalks. - Hopbush (Dodonea viscosa)
Common name: Hopbush Scientific name: Dodonea viscosa Uses: The fruit has been used as a substitute for hops in the brewing of beer. The Seri use it as an external remedy for aches. - Mexican Blue Oak (Quercus oblongifolia)
Common name: Blue Oak Scientific name: Quercus oblongifolia Uses: Acorns (nuts) widely eaten as food by Acoma, Apache, Cocopah, Gosiute, Havasupai, Hualapai, Laguna, Mohave, Navajo, Papago, Pima, Southern Paiute, Tewa, Uintah Ute, Yavapai, and Yuma. Variously used for making tools/tool parts (digging sticks, handles, etc.), ceremonial/ritual purposes, and as a tannin (Apache). Sap may also be used as chewing gum or as an adhesive (Navajo). - Dried Bottle Gourds (Lagenaria siceraria)
Common name: Calabash; Bottle Gourd; Long Melon; Opo Squash Scientific name: Lagenaria siceraria Description: Bottle gourds grow in a variety of shapes and sizes. The leaves are large and broad, flowers are white to yellow, and the mature gourds are typically shades of green. Uses: Often carved into bowls/cups,dippers,spoons, or masks - by Acoma, Apache, Cochiti, Havasupai, Hopi, Keres, Mohave, Navajo, Papago, Pima, and Yuma). Predominantly used as a container or utensil, however, also used for ceremonial/ritual purposes (as a trumpet and/or rattle). - Fourwing Saltbush (Atriplex canescens)
Common names: Saltbush, chamisa Scientific name: Atriplex canescens Description: Common Southwest shrub with golden flowers in the summer and early fall, followed by winged seeds in late fall and winter. Dye: Bright yellow from the flowers and twigs. Other uses: in baking and as medicine. - Saguaro Ribs
Subject: The woody ribs of the Saguaro were used as fencing and house construction material. - Desert Honeysuckle (Anisicanthus thurberi)
Common names: Desert Honeysuckle Scientific name: Anisicanthus thurberi Description: A woody shrub with oval somewhat hairy leaves and bright orange-red tubular flowers with petals that curl back from the center, exposing long similarly colored stamens and a white pistil. - Pincushion Cactus (Mammillaria microcarpa)
Common name: Pincushion Cactus, Mammillaria, Nipple Cactus, Fishhook Cactus Scientific name: Mammillaria microcarpa Description: Very small barrel-like cactus with showy pink flowers, short white spines, and long curved reddish-brown spines. Uses: Among the Papago and Pima, used as a water supplement (when opened and chewed). The red cactus fruit may be rubbed on arrowshafts as coloring/dye. - Jojoba (Simmondsia chinensis)
Common name: Jojoba, Coffeeberry, Goat Nut, Deer Nut, Pignut, Wild Hazel, Quinine Nut, Gray Box Bush Scientific name: Simmondsia chinensis The name "jojoba" originated with the Tohono O'odham people (Papago), who treated burns with an antioxidant salve made from a paste of the jojoba nut. - Sotol (Dasylirion wheeleri)
Common name: Sotol Scientific name: Dasylirion wheeleri Uses: Until a few decades ago, the Tohono O’odham (Papago) wove beautiful sleeping mats by plaiting together sotol leaves after removing marginal teeth. - Velvet Mesquite (Prosopis velutina)
Common names: Mesquite Scientific name: Prosopis velutina Description: A common desert tree with catkin-like clusters of greenish-yellow flowers from April to June. The flowers are followed by long sweet-smelling bean pods. Dye: Black from the sap. Weaving: The shredded inner bark woven into baskets. Other uses: Food such as 'pinole' meal-cakes and tea. - Desert Mistletoe (Phoradendron californicum)
Common name: Desert Mistletoe Scientific name: Phoradendron californicum Description: A parasitic shrub that grows in ironwood, mesquite, palo verde, and acacia. The stems appear segmented because of the scale-like leaves. This shrub produces tiny fragrant flowers and small white berries with red seeds. The Pima, Seri, and Tohono O’odham (Papago) eat the berries (from mistletoe growing on specific tree species). May also be used for medicinal purposes - the Seri prepare a medicinal tea from the stems.