plants are considered adventive by the Pillager Ojibwe and neither was
named nor used.
Under the name squaw weed, white men have exploited the Golden Ragwort
as a female regulator, claiming diuretic, pectoral, diaphoretic and
tonic properties. It is also said to be useful in treating gravel and
other urinary affections.
=Indian Cup Plant= (_Silphium perfoliatum_ L.), “asasaˈ weskûk” [square
stem]. According to John White Feather, of the Flambeau Ojibwe, this
root was carried from Iowa and transplanted on the Lac du Flambeau
Ojibwe Reservation. They all accept it as great medicine. A tea is
made from the root for lumbago and some other kinds of rheumatic pains
in the back. John Peper, Pillager Ojibwe, gave it the same Indian
name and said that an old Indian had brought it to Bear Island from
Iowa a hundred years ago, and had planted it in his field, whence it
escaped to the south end of the island. He said they use it for stomach
trouble, and hemorrhage. White men have used the Indian Cup Plant root
for its tonic, diaphoretic and alterative properties. It has also been
used in intermittent fevers, ulcers, liver affections and debility. The
resinous gum collected from the stem has been used by the whites as a
stimulant and antispasmodic.
=Fragrant Golden-rod= (_Solidago graminifolia_ [L.] Salisb.), “wasaˈ
waskwûneˈk” [yellow light]. Besides being of use in hunting medicine,
the flowers in infusion were used by the Flambeau Ojibwe for a pain in
the chest.
Golden-rod leaves and flowers have at times held a rather important
place in materia medica, for their carminative, and antispasmodic
properties. They have also been used as an intestinal astringent.
=Tansy= (_Tanacetum vulgare_ L.) “muckikiˈwît” [medicine]. The Flambeau
Ojibwe have no distinctive name for this plant, claiming it came from
the south and they were told it was good for fevers.
Among white men, it is deemed tonic, emmenagogue and diaphoretic. It
has been used in a cold infusion in convalescence from exhausting
diseases, dyspepsia, hysteria and jaundice.
=Dandelion= (_Taraxacum officinale_ Weber) “wesaˈusakwûnek” [yellow
light].[103] While the Flambeau Ojibwe do not use this plant, the
Pillager Ojibwe give it a name and use the root for a tea for
heartburn. It was found growing at the north end of Bear Island in
Leech Lake, Minnesota.
Among the whites, the virtues of the root are much overrated. The dried
root is steeped in boiling water and is used as a stomachic and tonic,
with slight diuretic and aperient action.
=Cocklebur= (_Xanthium commune_ Britton), “sakatiˈkomûk” [stickers].
Although giving it a name, the Flambeau Ojibwe did not use it. It has
been used by white men in intermittent fevers, also as a diuretic,
diaphoretic and sialagogue.
CORNACEAE (DOGWOOD FAMILY)
=Alternate-leaved Dogwood= (_Cornus alternifolia_ L. f.) “mosoˈmîc”
[moose tree].[104] The Pillager Ojibwe use the inner bark for an
emetic. Although other species of _Cornus_ are officinal with white
men, there is no record of the use of this species.
=Bunchberry= (_Cornus canadensis_ L.) “odeˈ imînîdjiˈ bîk” [strawberry
root, or heart-berry root]. The Bunchberry or Dwarf Cornel somewhat
resembles the Wild Strawberry. The Flambeau Ojibwe make a tea from the
root, which is used to cure babies of colic. There is no record of its
medicinal use by the whites, though it has been eaten by them.
=Panicled Dogwood= (_Cornus paniculata_ L’Her.), “meskwabiˈ mîc” [red
bush]. It is peculiar that the Flambeau Ojibwe would call this a red
bush, for the branches are distinctly gray. Only the fruit stalks
or pedicels are bright red. The bark is used as a tea for flux. An
aggregate of this bark compressed into a stopper shape is forced into
the anus as a treatment for piles. There is no record of its use by the
whites.
CRUCIFERAE (MUSTARD FAMILY)
=Tower Mustard= (_Arabis glabra_ [L.] Bernh.), “misodjidamoˈ anûk”
[black squirrel tail]. Although the Pillager Ojibwe have a name for
this plant, they say it is from the south, and they do not use it.
There is no record of its use by white men.
=Marsh Cress= (_Radicula palustris_ [L.] var. _hispida_ [Desv.]
Robinson), “wabîgwûn” [yellow flower]. The Flambeau Ojibwe name for
Marsh Cress is not very distinctive although it does have yellowish
flowers. They have no use for the plant as it came in from the south,
according to them. Neither have white men.
=Tansy-mustard= (_Sisymbrium canescens_ Nutt.) The Pillager Ojibwe do
not know this plant, which they consider to be adventive from the south
and do not use it. Aside from the fact that the seeds have a volatile
oil similar to mustard seed, the whites do not use it.
CUCURBITACEAE (GOURD FAMILY)
=Squash= (_Cucurbita maxima_ Duchesne.) “ogwîssiˈmaun oˈwasokwûneˈk”
[threads like hair; yellow light]. The Flambeau Ojibwe used the seed
tea as a diuretic. There is no distinctive medicinal use of squash
among the whites.
=Wild Balsam-apple= (_Echinocystis lobata_ [Michx.] T. & G.) “nîgîtîniˈ
gûnûk” or “mîtcigiˈ mênûk” [man in the ground], shown in plate 69,
fig. 1. The Flambeau Ojibwe use the root tea as a bitter medicine for
stomach troubles and as a tonic. The root is certainly bitter enough.
On the west coast, the root has been employed by white men as a simple
bitter.
CYPERACEAE (SEDGE FAMILY)
=Hare’s Tail= (_Eriophorum callitrix_ Cham.) “bîweeˈ ckînûk” [fuzz of
fruit]. The Flambeau Ojibwe use the matted fuzz as a hemostatic. Under
the name “mesadiˈ wackons” [little catkins from popple], the Pillager
Ojibwe refer to it, but none of them knew any use for it. There has
been a limited use of its tannic properties as an astringent by white
men.
EQUISETACEAE (HORSETAIL FAMILY)
=Field Horsetail= (_Equisetum arvense_ L.) “gîjiˈ bînûsk,” [duck
round].[105] The Pillager Ojibwe use the whole plant to make a tea
to cure the dropsy. The plant has been used indefinitely chiefly in
domestic practice by the whites.
=Wood Horsetail= (_Equisetum sylvaticum_ L.), “sibaˈ mûckûn”. The
Pillager Ojibwe use the whole plant to make a tea to cure kidney
trouble and dropsy. It has not been much used by the whites, except as
a domestic remedy for gravel.
ERICACEAE (HEATH FAMILY)
=Bog Rosemary= (_Andromeda glaucophylla_ Link.), “bîneˈ mîkci”
[swamp partridge berry]. The plant was found on the Flambeau Ojibwe
Reservation, but was not used medicinally. Among the whites, it is
credited with poisonous properties.
=Prince’s Pine= (_Chimaphila umbellata_ [L.] Nutt.), “gaˈ gîgeˈbûg”
[everlasting leaf].[106] The Flambeau Ojibwe pronounce the name of
Prince’s Pine nearly the same as the Menomini Indians, and use it
for the same purposes, namely a tea for treating stomach troubles.
_Chimaphila_ is official with white men as a tonic and diuretic. It
stimulates the mucous membrane of the genito-urinary tract, and has
been used in renal dropsy, scrofulous conditions, chronic ulcers and
skin lesions. It is employed both internally and as an embrocation.
=Wintergreen= (_Gaultheria procumbens_ L.), “wînîsiˈ bûgûd”, [dirty
leaves], shown in plate 75, fig. 2. The Flambeau Ojibwe use the leaves
to brew a tea to cure rheumatism and “to make one feel good.” The
white man discovered the properties of this plant from the Indians,
and originally wintergreen was the chief source of methyl salicylate.
Aspirin is synthetically the same thing. Birch twigs were later used
as a source and finally it was made from coal tar dye. Like other
volatile oils, methyl salicylate was used as an antiseptic, analgesic,
carminative and flavoring agent. It was added to liniments for rubbing
muscular rheumatism, and similar complaints. Overdoses of the pure oil
on the skin produce drowsiness, congestion and delirium.
=Cranberry= (_Vaccinium oxycoccus_ L.) “mûckiˈ mînagaˈ wûnj” [swamp
berry bush]. A tea for a person who is slightly ill with nausea. White
men have used the bitter, astringent leaves in diarrhea and diabetes
and for purifying the blood.
=Blueberry= (_Vaccinium pennsylvanicum_ Lam.), “minûgaˈ wûnj” [berry
bush]. The Flambeau Ojibwe use the leaves of this common blueberry for
a medicinal tea as a blood purifier. White men have employed it in the
same manner.
EUPHORBIACEAE (SPURGE FAMILY)
=Flowering Spurge= (_Euphorbia corollata_ L.), “cabosîˈ kûn” [milky
bitter root]. The Flambeau Ojibwe use the root for a physic. A half
inch of the root is pounded and steeped in a cup of water, which is
drunk before eating. The resinous, milky juice of the root has been
employed by eclectic practitioners as an emetic, but its use has been
practically abandoned because of its irritant and uncertain qualities.
FAGACEAE (BEECH FAMILY)
=Bur Oak= (_Quercus macrocarpa_ Michx.), “mîtîgoˈ mîc” [wooden tree],
shown in plate 64, fig. 1. The bark is an astringent medicine to the
Pillager Ojibwe. They also use it to bandage a broken foot or leg.
All oaks are noted among the whites for their astringent properties.
Eclectic practitioners used it for gargles in cases of inflammation of
the tonsils and pharynx. It was also used in treating leucorrhea and
piles.
=Red Oak= (_Quercus rubra_ L.), “mîtîgoˈ mîc”, [wooden tree], shown
in plate 64, fig. 2. The bark,—“mîtîgoˈ mîc wenaˈ gêk”. The bark is a
medicine for heart troubles and bronchial affections among the Flambeau
Ojibwe. Its use by white men was approximately the same as Bur Oak.
FUMARIACEAE (FUMITORY FAMILY)
=Golden Corydalis= (_Corydalis aurea_ Willd.), “tîpotîeˈ kwason,”
[looks like pants]. The Pillager Ojibwe place the root on coals and
inhale the smoke for clearing the head and reviving the patient. There
is no record of its use by white men.
FUNGI
The Ojibwe have evidently had disastrous experiences with mushrooms in
the past and do not use them as a food. The children often gather the
common brackets (_Fomes applanatus_) and draw pictures on them, using
them as toys.
=Giant Puffball= (_Calvatia craniiformis_ Schw.) shown in plate 61,
fig. 2, “oskweˈtûk”. This is kept on hand in the mature stage. The
inner part has an organized mass of threads and does not break down
entirely into spores as do the smaller puffballs. The substance is
snuffed up the nose to stop nose bleed.
The Ojibwe also made use of an unidentified fungus matte material,
found in the windshake spaces of down timber. This is the matted
vegetating mycelium of some timber fungus, such as _Fomes_, _Trametes_,
_Polyporus_ or _Pholiota_. This made a good tinder for use in the fire
base block, and when the fire stick was rapidly twirled against this
material, it caught fire and was blown into a blaze that became the
basis of their fire. In all medicine lodge ceremonials, the fire was
kindled in this manner and thus deemed a sacred fire. Things cooked
over this fire were ceremonial, and the calumet or pipe used in the
ceremonies was always lighted from a coal of the sacred fire.
GERANIACEAE (GERANIUM FAMILY)
=Wild Geranium= (_Geranium maculatum_ L.), “oˈ sawaskwîniˈ s” [yellow
light].[107] The Pillager Ojibwe use the astringent root for the
treatment of flux, and also for healing a sore mouth. Eclectic
practitioners have also used it as a mild internal astringent, useful
for infants and people who have a delicate stomach, because it is not
irritating. It is valuable in serious diarrheas. It has also been used
by white men for rectal and vaginal injections to tone up weak muscles.
GRAMINEAE (GRASS FAMILY)
=Rattlesnake Grass= (_Glyceria canadensis_ [Michx.] Trin.), “anagoneˈ
wûck” [fern]. The Flambeau Ojibwe use the roots of this as a female
remedy, but it is difficult to understand why they call it a fern.
There is no record of its use by white men.
HYDROPHYLLACEAE (WATERLEAF FAMILY)
=Virginia Waterleaf= (_Hydrophyllum virginianum_ L.),[108] “neˈ
bîneankweˈ ûk” according to the Pillager Ojibwe White Cloud on Bear
Island, Leech Lake, Minnesota, but “anîmûcîdeˈ bîgons” [dog feet
medicine], according to John Peper, of the same island. It furnishes a
root that may be used to keep flux in check. He states that it is good
for man, woman or child. It was used for the same purpose among the
Meskwaki Indians, but there is no record of its use by whites.
IRIDACEAE (IRIS FAMILY)
=Blue Flag= (_Iris versicolor_ L.), “naˈ bûkûck”.[109] The Flambeau
Ojibwe use a half inch of the root boiled in water as a quick physic.
Under the name “caboˈsîkûn” [milk root], the Pillager Ojibwe use a
little piece of the root in boiling water, drinking a tablespoonful and
a half as an emetic and physic.
Blue Flag root has been accounted one of the most valuable remedies by
the eclectic practitioner. It is alterative, cathartic, sialagogue,
vermifuge and diuretic. It has been used in scrofula and syphilis,
chronic hepatic, renal and splenitic affections.
LABIATAE (MINT FAMILY)
=Wild Mint= (_Mentha arvensis_ L. var. _canadensis_ [L.] Briquet),
“nameˈ wûckons” [little sturgeon plant].[110] Among the Flambeau Ojibwe
a tea is brewed from the entire plant, to be taken as a blood remedy.
It is also used by them in the sweat bath, “akûskati”. John Peper,
Pillager Ojibwe, made an especial trip to find this on the lake shore
but calls it “andegoˈ bîgons” [little crow leaf] and says that they use
it as a tea to break fevers. This species of mint was rarely used by
white men for carminative, stimulant and anodyne affects.
=Wild Bergamot= (_Monarda fistulosa_ L.), “wecaˈ wûs wackwîˈ nek”
[yellow light].[111] The Flambeau Ojibwe gather and dry the whole
plant, boiling it in a vessel to obtain the volatile oil to inhale to
cure catarrh and bronchial affections. In some sections, the whites use
it as a domestic antiperiodic and diaphoretic.
=Catnip= (_Nepeta cataria_ L.) “tciˈ nameˈ wûck” [big sturgeon
plant].[112] The Flambeau Ojibwe brew a tea of catnip leaves for
a blood purifier. The mint water obtained by steeping the herb
in lukewarm water is used to bathe a patient, to raise the body
temperature. The plant is employed by the whites as an emmenagogue and
antispasmodic. It has been used as a carminative to allay flatulent
colic in infants, and is supposed to be useful in allaying hysteria.
=Heal-all= (_Prunella vulgaris_ L.), “basiˈ bûgûk” [partridge leaf].
The root is used by the Flambeau Ojibwe in combination with others
for a female remedy. It has been used by eclectic practitioners as a
pungent and bitter tonic and antispasmodic. It has vermifuge properties
and is slightly diuretic. It has also been used for obstructions of the
liver, cramps and fits.
=Marsh Skullcap= (_Scutellaria galericulata_ L.), “tcatcabonûˈ ksîk”
[refers to the way the stem comes up through the leaves]. The Flambeau
Ojibwe use this for medicine, having something to do with heart
trouble, but we could get no definite information upon it. There is
no record of its use by white men, although a similar species, _S.
lateriflora_ has been used as a nervine, tonic and antispasmodic in
chorea, convulsions, fits, delirium tremens and all nervous affections.
LEGUMINOSAE (PULSE FAMILY)
=Creamy Vetchling= (_Lathyrus ochroleucus_ Hook.) “bûgwaˈ dj ûk pîniˈ k
mîneˈ bûg” [unusual potato, berry, leaf]. John Peper, Pillager Ojibwe,
said that the foliage was fed to a pony to make him lively for a race.
The Flambeau Ojibwe call it “basiˈ bûgûk” [partridge leaf], in common
with several other plants, and say that the Creamy Vetch is used for
stomach trouble. By the white men, it is considered one of the loco
weeds, bad for horses.
=Marsh Vetchling= (_Lathyrus palustris_ L.), “bebejîgogaˈnji mackiˈ
ki” [horse medicine]. The Pillager Ojibwe feed this to a pony that is
sick and claim it will make him fat. There is no record of its use as
medicine by white men.
=White Sweet Clover= (_Melilotus alba_ Desr.). The Flambeau Ojibwe
claim that this plant is adventive and so they do not use it. There is
no record of its use as medicine by white men.
LICHENS
=Reindeer Moss= (_Cladonia rangiferina_ [L.] Hoffm.) “asaˈ gûniñkˈ”
[moss].
The Ojibwe boil this moss and use the water to wash a new born baby.
They declare it is the same as if you were putting salt into the water.
So far as is known, it has never been utilized as a medicine by the
white man.
LILIACEAE (LILY FAMILY)
=Northern Clintonia= (_Clintonia borealis_ [Ait.] Raf.), “gînoseˈ
wibûg” [muskellunge leaf].[113] The Flambeau Ojibwe use the root tea
as a remedy to help parturition. John Peper, Pillager Ojibwe called
it “adotaˈgons” [little bell] and said that the dogs use it to poison
their teeth so that they can kill their prey. Should they bite a
person, then it would be necessary to procure the same root and put it
on the bite to draw out the poison. This curious superstition was also
encountered in another tribe,—the Menomini. There is no record of its
medicinal use by white men.
=Canada Mayflower= (_Maianthemum canadense_ Desf.), “agoñgosiˈ mînûn”
[chipmunk berries], shown in plate 71, fig. 1. The Flambeau Ojibwe
recognize that this is somewhat different from Spikenard (_Smilacina
racemosa_), but give it the same name and uses, namely to keep the
kidneys open during pregnancy, to cure sore throat and headaches. It is
also used to make smoke for inhaling. The Pillager Ojibwe do not know
or use it.
=Small Solomon’s Seal= (_Polygonatum biflorum_ [Walt.] Ell.)
“nanîbîteˈodeˈkîn”, [grows in a row], shown in plate 72, fig. 2. The
Pillager Ojibwe use the root as a physic and it is also cooked to yield
a tea to treat a cough. White men have used it as a substitute for
_Convallaria_ for the same purposes, namely the treatment of dropsy.
=False Spikenard= (_Smilacina racemosa_ [L.] Desf.), “agoñgoˈ sîmînûn”
[chipmunk berries], shown in plate 71, fig. 2. The Flambeau Ojibwe
use this root in combination with Spreading Dogbane (_Apocynum
androsaemifolium_) to keep the kidneys open during pregnancy, to cure
sore throat and headache. It is also used as a reviver, “abaˈbûsûn”.
Convallarin is the important constituent of Spikenard and it is classed
the same as Solomon’s Seal and Canada Mayflower.
=Star-flowered Solomon’s Seal= (_Smilacina stellata_ [L.] Desf.) The
Pillager Ojibwe have no name nor use for this root.
=Carrion-flower= (_Smilax herbacea_ L.), “gîneˈ bîgomînagaˈwûnj” [snake
berry bush], shown in plate 73, fig. 2. The root of this plant was used
in lung troubles according to the Pillager Ojibwe. It has been used by
eclectic practitioners as an alterative.
=Twisted Stalk= (_Streptopus roseus_ Michx.), “nanibîteˈ odeˈ kîn”,
[grows in a row], shown in plate 72, fig. 1. This plant is called by
the same name as _Polygonatum biflorum_ among the Pillager Ojibwe,
but this particular one is always referred to as the squaw, while
_Polygonatum_ has always been called the man. It is used for a physic
or to make tea for a cough. There is no record of its medicinal use by
white men.
=Large Flowered Bellwort= (_Uvularia grandiflora_ Sm.), “wesawabiˈ
kwonêk” [yellow light][114], the name applied to the plant, but the
root is called “wabûckadjiˈ bîk” [white root]. The Pillager Ojibwe use
the root for stomach trouble. The trouble is described as a pain in the
solar plexus, which may mean pleurisy. It has been used by eclectic
practitioners for erysipelas, ulcerated mouth, etc.
LYCOPODIACEAE (CLUB MOSS FAMILY)
=Ground Pine= (_Lycopodium complanatum_ L.), “gîjiˈk gandoˈ gûng”
[cedar-like]. The dried leaves are used by the Flambeau Ojibwe as a
“nokweˈsîkûn” or reviver. _Lycopodium_ spores are used by the white man
as a surgical dusting powder.
=Ground Pine= (_Lycopodium obscurum_ L. var. dendroideum [Michx.] D.
C. Eaton) “cigonaˈ gan” [evergreen], shown in plate 61, fig. 1. The
Flambeau Ojibwe use this plant in combination with Bush Honeysuckle
roots (_Diervilla lonicera_) as a diuretic. The spores are the only
part used by the white man for medicine. They are an antiseptic dusting
powder.
MENISPERMACEAE (MOONSEED FAMILY)
=Canada Moonseed= (_Menispermum canadense_ L.), “bîmaˈ kwît waˈ
bîgons” [twisted pod or stick]. White Cloud, Pillager Ojibwe of Bear
Island, did not know the use of this root, but assured the writer that
other Ojibwe knew it and used it. Moonseed root is used by eclectic
practitioners as a tonic and alterative, and has been employed as a
substitute for Sarsaparilla.
MYRICACEAE (BAYBERRY FAMILY)
=Sweet Fern= (_Myrica asplenifolia_ L.), “gibaimeˈ nûnaˈgwûs”
[coverer]. Sweet fern is called “a coverer,” because it is used to line
the blueberry pails and cover the berries to keep them from spoiling.
The word is almost the same as that used by the Menomini and means the
same. The Flambeau Ojibwe consider the leaves too strong for a beverage
tea, but make a medicinal tea to cure the flux and cramps in the
stomach. The white man uses Sweet Fern as a stimulant and astringent;
sometimes using it to relieve colic and check diarrhea. It has also
been used in a fomentation to relieve rheumatic pains.
NYCTAGINACEAE (FOUR-O’CLOCK FAMILY)
=Heart-leaved Umbrella-wort= (_Oxybaphus nyctagineus_ [Michx.] Sweet)
“gokoˈ coadjiˈ bîk” (pig root). The Pillager Ojibwe say that the pig is
fond of the roots of this plant because they are large and succulent,
hence call it “pig root”. The root is used by them to reduce sprains
and swellings. There is no record of its use among the whites.
NYMPHAEACEAE (WATER LILY FAMILY)
=Sweet White Water Lily= (_Castalia odorata_ [Ait.] Woodville &
Wood.), “odîteˈabûg waˈ bîgwûn” [flat heart leaf, white flower]. The
Flambeau Ojibwe use the root as a cough medicine for those who have
tuberculosis. The roots have been used by white men in the treatment of
diarrhea, dysentery and leucorrhea.
=Yellow Water Lily= (_Nymphaea advena_ Ait.), “ogaˈ da mûn” [standing
on legs]. The Flambeau Ojibwe word is a bit different in spelling but
means the same as the Menomini word for this plant. The Ojibwe call the
leaves, “odîteˈabûg” [flat heart leaf]. The root is the only medicinal
part and is grated to make a poultice for sores. Other ingredients such
as Skunk Cabbage root are added to this poultice. The Ojibwe gather
goodly quantities of the large underwater stems; which we are prone to
call roots, dry them and reduce them to powder. The powder alone is
supposed to heal cuts and swellings. The roots have been used by white
men in the treatment of diarrhea, dysentery and leucorrhea.
OLEACEAE (OLIVE FAMILY)
=Red Ash= (_Fraxinus pennsylvanica_ Marsh), “aˈ gîmaˈk” [snow-shoe
wood]. The Pillager Ojibwe use the inner bark in combination with
other things for a tonic. The inner bark is official with white men as
a bitter tonic and astringent. It is also said to be valuable as an
antiperiodic.
ONAGRACEAE (EVENING PRIMROSE FAMILY)
=Great Willow-herb= (_Epilobium angustifolium_ L.), “oˈ ca cadjiˈ
bîkes” [slippery or soap root], shown in plate 69, fig. 2. The Flambeau
Ojibwe say that the outer rind of this root lathers in water and they
pound it to make a poultice. This is used to draw out inflammation from
a boil or a carbuncle. With white men, it is a demulcent, tonic and
astringent. It has been used internally for its tonic effect on mucous
surfaces and its value in intestinal disorders.
=Evening Primrose= (_Oenothera biennis_ L.) While the Flambeau Ojibwe
have no Indian name for this, still they use the whole plant soaked
in warm water to make a poultice to heal bruises. Because of its
antispasmodic properties, the white man has used it internally in the
treatment of whooping cough, hiccough and spasmodic asthma.
OPHIOGLOSSACEAE (ADDER’S TONGUE FAMILY)
=Virginia Grape Fern= (_Botrychium virginianum_ [L.] Sw.), “gîckênsîneˈ
namûkûk” [man, squaw and baby], shown in plate 66, fig. 2. John Peper,
Pillager Ojibwe, hunted a long time for this plant around Leech Lake,
Minnesota, because his mother said it was good for lung trouble and
consumption. He called attention to the fact that one always finds two
stems together in the proper plant to use, which he described as the
man and squaw, with the little one or fruiting frond, in the center.
There is no record of its use by white men.
ORCHIDACEAE (ORCHIS FAMILY)