| Nyssa aquatica L. Water Tupelo USDA NYAQ2 |
Choctaw Dye, Red Burned bark and red oak ash added to water and used as a red dye. Bushnell, Jr., David I., 1909, The Choctaw of Bayou Lacomb, St. Tammany Parish, Louisiana, SI-BAE Bulletin #48, page 14 |
| Oenothera elata ssp. hookeri (Torr. & Gray) W. Dietr. & W.L. Wagner Hooker's Eveningprimrose USDA OEELH2 |
Pomo, Kashaya Dye, Yellow Flowers chewed with gum to make gum yellow. Goodrich, Jennie and Claudia Lawson, 1980, Kashaya Pomo Plants, Los Angeles. American Indian Studies Center, University of California, Los Angeles, page 95 |
| Oplopanax horridus Miq. Devilsclub USDA OPHO |
Hesquiat Dye, Unspecified Bark shavings and berries made into paint and used to color basket materials and other objects. Turner, Nancy J. and Barbara S. Efrat, 1982, Ethnobotany of the Hesquiat Indians of Vancouver Island, Victoria. British Columbia Provincial Museum, page 61 |
| Opuntia engelmannii Salm-Dyck Cactus Apple USDA OPENE |
Keres, Western Food, Cooking Agent Tunas used as a red dye for corn mush. Swank, George R., 1932, The Ethnobotany of the Acoma and Laguna Indians, University of New Mexico, M.A. Thesis, page 56 |
| Opuntia humifusa (Raf.) Raf. Pricklypear USDA OPHUH |
Dakota Dye, Mordant Mucilaginous stem juice used to fix the colors painted on hides or receptacles made from hides. Freshly peeled stems were rubbed over the painted object to fix the color. Gilmore, Melvin R., 1919, Uses of Plants by the Indians of the Missouri River Region, SI-BAE Annual Report #33, page 104 |
| Opuntia humifusa (Raf.) Raf. Pricklypear USDA OPHUH |
Pawnee Dye, Mordant Mucilaginous stem juice used to fix the colors painted on hides or receptacles made from hides. Freshly peeled stems were rubbed over the painted object to fix the color. Gilmore, Melvin R., 1919, Uses of Plants by the Indians of the Missouri River Region, SI-BAE Annual Report #33, page 104 |
| Opuntia polyacantha Haw. Plains Pricklypear USDA OPPOP |
Crow Dye, Mordant Stems peeled and used to fix color on hides. Hart, Jeff, 1992, Montana Native Plants and Early Peoples, Helena. Montana Historical Society Press, page 39 |
| Opuntia polyacantha Haw. Plains Pricklypear USDA OPPOP |
Navajo Dye, Red Dead, ripe fruits used to make a cardinal dye. Elmore, Francis H., 1944, Ethnobotany of the Navajo, Sante Fe, NM. School of American Research, page 65 |
| Opuntia polyacantha Haw. Plains Pricklypear USDA OPPOP |
Navajo Dye, Red Fruit used to dye wool pink. Elmore, Francis H., 1944, Ethnobotany of the Navajo, Sante Fe, NM. School of American Research, page 65 |
| Opuntia polyacantha Haw. Plains Pricklypear USDA OPPOP |
Sioux Dye, Mordant Stems peeled and used to fix color on hides. Hart, Jeff, 1992, Montana Native Plants and Early Peoples, Helena. Montana Historical Society Press, page 39 |
| Orthocarpus luteus Nutt. Yellow Owlclover USDA ORLU2 |
Blackfoot Dye, Red Leaves crushed and pressed firmly into skins, horsehair and feathers as a red dye. Johnston, Alex, 1987, Plants and the Blackfoot, Lethbridge, Alberta. Lethbridge Historical Society, page 53 |
| Orthocarpus luteus Nutt. Yellow Owlclover USDA ORLU2 |
Blackfoot Dye, Red Plant pounded and pressed firmly into the gopher skin as a red dye. McClintock, Walter, 1909, Medizinal- Und Nutzpflanzen Der Schwarzfuss Indianer, Zeitschriff fur Ethnologie 41:273-9, page 276 |
| Orthocarpus luteus Nutt. Yellow Owlclover USDA ORLU2 |
Blackfoot Dye, Red-Brown Whole, blooming plant pressed firmly into skins, horsehair and feathers as a reddish tan dye. Johnston, Alex, 1987, Plants and the Blackfoot, Lethbridge, Alberta. Lethbridge Historical Society, page 53 |
| Orthocarpus luteus Nutt. Yellow Owlclover USDA ORLU2 |
Great Basin Indian Dye, Yellow Whole plant used to make a yellow dye. Nickerson, Gifford S., 1966, Some Data on Plains and Great Basin Indian Uses of Certain Native Plants, Tebiwa 9(1):45-51, page 50 |
| Osmorhiza occidentalis (Nutt. ex Torr. & Gray) Torr. Western Sweetroot USDA OSOC |
Blackfoot Dye, Unspecified Stems mixed with ochre and applied to robes. Hellson, John C., 1974, Ethnobotany of the Blackfoot Indians, Ottawa. National Museums of Canada. Mercury Series, page 115 |
| Oxalis corniculata L. Creeping Woodsorrel USDA OXCO |
Menominee Dye, Yellow Boiled whole plant used as a yellow dye. Smith, Huron H., 1923, Ethnobotany of the Menomini Indians, Bulletin of the Public Museum of the City of Milwaukee 4:1-174, page 78 |
| Oxalis montana Raf. Mountain Woodsorrel USDA OXMO |
Menominee Dye, Yellow Boiled whole plant used as a yellow dye. Smith, Huron H., 1923, Ethnobotany of the Menomini Indians, Bulletin of the Public Museum of the City of Milwaukee 4:1-174, page 78 |
| Oxalis stricta L. Common Yellow Oxalis USDA OXST |
Menominee Dye, Yellow Boiled whole plant used as a yellow dye. Smith, Huron H., 1923, Ethnobotany of the Menomini Indians, Bulletin of the Public Museum of the City of Milwaukee 4:1-174, page 78 |
| Oxalis stricta L. Common Yellow Oxalis USDA OXST |
Meskwaki Dye, Orange Whole plant boiled to obtain an orange dye. Smith, Huron H., 1928, Ethnobotany of the Meskwaki Indians, Bulletin of the Public Museum of the City of Milwaukee 4:175-326, page 271 |
| Palafoxia arida B.L. Turner & Morris Desert Palafox USDA PAARA2 |
Cahuilla Dye, Yellow Used as a yellow dye. Bean, Lowell John and Katherine Siva Saubel, 1972, Temalpakh (From the Earth); Cahuilla Indian Knowledge and Usage of Plants, Banning, CA. Malki Museum Press, page 98 |
| Parthenocissus quinquefolia (L.) Planch. Virginia Creeper USDA PAQU2 |
Kiowa Dye, Pink Fruits used as pink paint for skin and feathers worn in war dance. Vestal, Paul A. and Richard Evans Schultes, 1939, The Economic Botany of the Kiowa Indians, Cambridge MA. Botanical Museum of Harvard University, page 41 |
| Parthenocissus quinquefolia (L.) Planch. Virginia Creeper USDA PAQU2 |
Kiowa Dye, Pink Fruits used as pink paint for skin and feathers worn in war dance. Vestal, Paul A. and Richard Evans Schultes, 1939, The Economic Botany of the Kiowa Indians, Cambridge MA. Botanical Museum of Harvard University, page 41 |
| Parthenocissus quinquefolia (L.) Planch. Virginia Creeper USDA PAQU2 |
Kiowa Dye, Pink Fruits used as pink paint for skin and feathers worn in war dance. Vestal, Paul A. and Richard Evans Schultes, 1939, The Economic Botany of the Kiowa Indians, Cambridge MA. Botanical Museum of Harvard University, page 41 |
| Pectis angustifolia Torr. Narrowleaf Pectis USDA PEANA |
Hopi Dye, Unspecified Used to make an inferior dye. Whiting, Alfred F., 1939, Ethnobotany of the Hopi, Museum of Northern Arizona Bulletin #15, page 97 |
| Penstemon confertus Dougl. ex Lindl. Yellow Penstemon USDA PECO6 |
Okanagan-Colville Dye, Blue Flowers boiled and rubbed on arrows and other items to give them a blue, indelible coloring. Turner, Nancy J., R. Bouchard and Dorothy I.D. Kennedy, 1980, Ethnobotany of the Okanagan-Colville Indians of British Columbia and Washington, Victoria. British Columbia Provincial Museum, page 139 |
| Penstemon fruticosus (Pursh) Greene Bush Penstemon USDA PEFRF4 |
Thompson Dye, Unspecified Plant used in making a dye for basket designs. Turner, Nancy J., Laurence C. Thompson and M. Terry Thompson et al., 1990, Thompson Ethnobotany: Knowledge and Usage of Plants by the Thompson Indians of British Columbia, Victoria. Royal British Columbia Museum, page 286 |
| Penstemon pruinosus Dougl. ex Lindl. Chilean Beardtongue USDA PEPR3 |
Okanagan-Colville Dye, Blue Flowers boiled and rubbed on arrows and other items to give them a blue, indelible coloring. Turner, Nancy J., R. Bouchard and Dorothy I.D. Kennedy, 1980, Ethnobotany of the Okanagan-Colville Indians of British Columbia and Washington, Victoria. British Columbia Provincial Museum, page 139 |
| Petradoria pumila (Nutt.) Greene Grassy Rockgoldenrod USDA PEPUP |
Navajo Dye, Yellow Flowering tops mixed with wild rhubarb and used as a yellow dye. Elmore, Francis H., 1944, Ethnobotany of the Navajo, Sante Fe, NM. School of American Research, page 89 |
| Phlox hoodii Richards. Spiny Phlox USDA PHHOH |
Blackfoot Dye, Yellow Plant used to make a yellow dye. Hellson, John C., 1974, Ethnobotany of the Blackfoot Indians, Ottawa. National Museums of Canada. Mercury Series, page 116 |
| Phoradendron sp. Mistletoe |
Cahuilla Dye, Black Leaves used to dye basket weeds permanently black. Bean, Lowell John and Katherine Siva Saubel, 1972, Temalpakh (From the Earth); Cahuilla Indian Knowledge and Usage of Plants, Banning, CA. Malki Museum Press, page 101 |
| Phragmites australis (Cav.) Trin. ex Steud. Common Reed USDA PHAU7 |
Thompson Other, Decorations Whitish culms valued for the use in decoration of coiled split cedar root baskets. The culms were harvested while still green and soft, warmed over the coals of a fire and broken at the nodes. They were then split open, flattened and used together with dyed and undyed bitter cherry bark to create patterns on coiled cedar root baskets. Turner, Nancy J., Laurence C. Thompson and M. Terry Thompson et al., 1990, Thompson Ethnobotany: Knowledge and Usage of Plants by the Thompson Indians of British Columbia, Victoria. Royal British Columbia Museum, page 142 |
| Phragmites australis (Cav.) Trin. ex Steud. Common Reed USDA PHAU7 |
Thompson Other, Jewelry Reed cut in different lengths, dyed and used interspersed with seed beads for necklaces. Steedman, E.V., 1928, The Ethnobotany of the Thompson Indians of British Columbia, SI-BAE Annual Report #45:441-522, page 497 |
| Physocarpus capitatus (Pursh) Kuntze Pacific Ninebark USDA PHCA11 |
Hesquiat Dye, Brown Bark soaked with cedar bark to darken the cedar. Turner, Nancy J. and Barbara S. Efrat, 1982, Ethnobotany of the Hesquiat Indians of Vancouver Island, Victoria. British Columbia Provincial Museum, page 73 |
| Phytolacca americana L. American Pokeweed USDA PHAMA3 |
Mahuna Dye, Unspecified Berries used to make dyes and inks. Romero, John Bruno, 1954, The Botanical Lore of the California Indians, New York. Vantage Press, Inc., page 65 |
| Picea glauca (Moench) Voss White Spruce USDA PIGL |
Cree, Woodlands Dye, Yellow-Brown Rotten wood used as a yellow brown dye for white goods. Leighton, Anna L., 1985, Wild Plant Use by the Woods Cree (Nihithawak) of East-Central Saskatchewan, Ottawa. National Museums of Canada. Mercury Series, page 48 |
| Picea glauca (Moench) Voss White Spruce USDA PIGL |
Tanana, Upper Fiber, Basketry Roots used to sew birchbark baskets. Spruce roots were dug by hand or with an axe, preferably from a tree that was not crowded by other trees. The roots of a tree growing in an open place were less likely to be entangled with the roots of other trees and were therefore easier to dig. Spruce roots in moist ground where moss grows were also easier to gather than those found in dry soil. Before using spruce roots, the Upper Tanana peeled the bark off by hand or with a knife. After peeling them, they sometimes dyed them by boiling berries and soaking the roots in the juice. Spruce roots could be dried for future use but must be soaked in water to make them pliable before being used. They could be dug anytime during the year when the ground was not frozen. Kari, Priscilla Russe, 1985, Upper Tanana Ethnobotany, Anchorage. Alaska Historical Commission, page 2 |
| Picea glauca (Moench) Voss White Spruce USDA PIGL |
Tanana, Upper Fiber, Canoe Material Roots used for the bow of a canoe. Spruce roots were dug by hand or with an axe, preferably from a tree that was not crowded by other trees. The roots of a tree growing in an open place were less likely to be entangled with the roots of other trees and were therefore easier to dig. Spruce roots in moist ground where moss grows were also easier to gather than those found in dry soil. Before using spruce roots, the Upper Tanana peeled the bark off by hand or with a knife. After peeling them, they sometimes dyed them by boiling berries and soaking the roots in the juice. Spruce roots could be dried for future use but must be soaked in water to make them pliable before being used. They could be dug anytime during the year when the ground was not frozen. Kari, Priscilla Russe, 1985, Upper Tanana Ethnobotany, Anchorage. Alaska Historical Commission, page 2 |
| Picea glauca (Moench) Voss White Spruce USDA PIGL |
Tanana, Upper Fiber, Cordage Split or whole roots used to make line. Spruce roots were dug by hand or with an axe, preferably from a tree that was not crowded by other trees. The roots of a tree growing in an open place were less likely to be entangled with the roots of other trees and were therefore easier to dig. Spruce roots in moist ground where moss grows were also easier to gather than those found in dry soil. Before using spruce roots, the Upper Tanana peeled the bark off by hand or with a knife. After peeling them, they sometimes dyed them by boiling berries and soaking the roots in the juice. Spruce roots could be dried for future use but must be soaked in water to make them pliable before being used. They could be dug anytime during the year when the ground was not frozen. Kari, Priscilla Russe, 1985, Upper Tanana Ethnobotany, Anchorage. Alaska Historical Commission, page 2 |
| Picea glauca (Moench) Voss White Spruce USDA PIGL |
Tanana, Upper Other, Containers Roots woven into waterproof containers. Spruce roots were dug by hand or with an axe, preferably from a tree that was not crowded by other trees. The roots of a tree growing in an open place were less likely to be entangled with the roots of other trees and were therefore easier to dig. Spruce roots in moist ground where moss grows were also easier to gather than those found in dry soil. Before using spruce roots, the Upper Tanana peeled the bark off by hand or with a knife. After peeling them, they sometimes dyed them by boiling berries and soaking the roots in the juice. Spruce roots could be dried for future use but must be soaked in water to make them pliable before being used. They could be dug anytime during the year when the ground was not frozen. Kari, Priscilla Russe, 1985, Upper Tanana Ethnobotany, Anchorage. Alaska Historical Commission, page 2 |
| Picea glauca (Moench) Voss White Spruce USDA PIGL |
Tanana, Upper Other, Hunting & Fishing Item Roots woven into dip nets. Spruce roots were dug by hand or with an axe, preferably from a tree that was not crowded by other trees. The roots of a tree growing in an open place were less likely to be entangled with the roots of other trees and were therefore easier to dig. Spruce roots in moist ground where moss grows were also easier to gather than those found in dry soil. Before using spruce roots, the Upper Tanana peeled the bark off by hand or with a knife. After peeling them, they sometimes dyed them by boiling berries and soaking the roots in the juice. Spruce roots could be dried for future use but must be soaked in water to make them pliable before being used. They could be dug anytime during the year when the ground was not frozen. Kari, Priscilla Russe, 1985, Upper Tanana Ethnobotany, Anchorage. Alaska Historical Commission, page 2 |
| Pinus edulis Engelm. Twoneedle Pinyon USDA PIED |
Hopi Dye, Unspecified Gum used in the preparation of certain dyes. Colton, Harold S., 1974, Hopi History And Ethnobotany, IN D. A. Horr (ed.) Hopi Indians. Garland: New York., page 347 |
| Pinus edulis Engelm. Twoneedle Pinyon USDA PIED |
Hopi Dye, Unspecified Gum used to prepare certain dyes. Whiting, Alfred F., 1939, Ethnobotany of the Hopi, Museum of Northern Arizona Bulletin #15, page 63 |
| Pinus edulis Engelm. Twoneedle Pinyon USDA PIED |
Jemez Dye, Red Gum from old and new trees used as a red paint for jars and bowls. Cook, Sarah Louise, 1930, The Ethnobotany of Jemez Indians., University of New Mexico, M.A. Thesis, page 26 |
| Pinus edulis Engelm. Twoneedle Pinyon USDA PIED |
Navajo Dye, Black Gum used to make black dye. A black dye was made from pinyon gum, the leaves and twigs of sumac and a native yellow ocher. The sumac leaves were put in water and allowed to boil until the mixture became strong. While this was boiling, the ocher was powdered and roasted. Pinyon gum was then added to the ocher and the whole roasted again. As roasting proceeded, the gum melted and finally the mixture was reduced to a black powder. This was cooled and thrown into the sumac mixture, forming a rich blue-black fluid which was essentially an ink. When this process was finished the wool was put in and allowed to boil until it was dyed the right shade. This same dye was also used to color leather and buckskin. Elmore, Francis H., 1944, Ethnobotany of the Navajo, Sante Fe, NM. School of American Research, page 21 |
| Pinus edulis Engelm. Twoneedle Pinyon USDA PIED |
Navajo, Ramah Dye, Black Resin used as an ingredient of black dye for wool or basketry. Vestal, Paul A., 1952, The Ethnobotany of the Ramah Navaho, Papers of the Peabody Museum of American Archaeology and Ethnology 40(4):1-94, page 12 |
| Pinus edulis Engelm. Twoneedle Pinyon USDA PIED |
Tewa Dye, Unspecified Gum used in the preparation of certain dyes. Colton, Harold S., 1974, Hopi History And Ethnobotany, IN D. A. Horr (ed.) Hopi Indians. Garland: New York., page 347 |
| Pinus monophylla Torr. & Fr‚m. Singleleaf Pinyon USDA PIMOM2 |
Hopi Dye, Unspecified Gum used to prepare certain dyes. Whiting, Alfred F., 1939, Ethnobotany of the Hopi, Museum of Northern Arizona Bulletin #15, page 63 |
| Pinus ponderosa P.& C. Lawson Ponderosa Pine USDA PIPOP |
Cheyenne Dye, Blue Roots used to make a blue dye. Hart, Jeffrey A., 1981, The Ethnobotany of the Northern Cheyenne Indians of Montana, Journal of Ethnopharmacology 4:1-55, page 6 |
| Pinus ponderosa P.& C. Lawson Ponderosa Pine USDA PIPOP |
Cheyenne Dye, Unspecified Used to make a dye. Hart, Jeffrey A., 1981, The Ethnobotany of the Northern Cheyenne Indians of Montana, Journal of Ethnopharmacology 4:1-55, page 46 |
| Plagiobothrys arizonicus (Gray) Greene ex Gray Arizona Popcornflower USDA PLAR |
Diegueno Dye, Red Red coating on outside leaves and lower stems used as a red pigment to paint the body and face. Hedges, Ken, 1986, Santa Ysabel Ethnobotany, San Diego Museum of Man Ethnic Technology Notes, No. 20, page 30 |