18. Rhus trilobata “Basket Bush” Tsameesh
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Food: The berries were eaten raw or ground into a “meal” for soup. Medicinal: Rhus trilobata produces berries that were used for smallpox and sores. Leaves were also used for colds. A decoction of the leaves was taken as a diuretic. Basketry: Sumac stems and Tsameesh were a main source of basketry material. Spiritual: The berries were used to make ceremonial body paint. Utensils: Seed beaters used in the gathering of seeds were made from the stems of Sumac. A diffusely branched shrub. R. trilobata blossoms March to April. It is found in canyons and washes of interior valleys below 3500 feet; Coastal Sage Scrub, Chaparral, Southern Oak Woodlands. |