''Thelesperma megapotamicum'' is a
perennial species of flowering plant in the
aster family known by the common name wild tea and rayless greenthread. It is native to sections of the Americas, including the central United States, where it grows in many types of habitat.
Description
It is a perennial herb producing a slender, branching stem 30 to 60 centimeters tall or more. The leaves are narrow, mostly compound with linear or threadlike segments measuring a few centimeters long. The
inflorescence bears several
flower heads
A pseudanthium (Greek for "false flower"; ) is an inflorescence that resembles a flower. The word is sometimes used for other structures that are neither a true flower nor a true inflorescence. Examples of pseudanthia include flower heads, compos ...
each in a cuplike involucre of
phyllaries with purple-tinged, pointed lobes with white edges. The head contains many yellow or orange disc florets, and sometimes one or more yellow ray florets, although these may be absent.
Human uses
Native American groups such as the
Hopi
The Hopi are a Native American ethnic group who primarily live on the Hopi Reservation in northeastern Arizona, United States. As of the 2010 census, there are 19,338 Hopi in the country. The Hopi Tribe is a sovereign nation within the Unite ...
and
Navajo
The Navajo (; British English: Navaho; nv, Diné or ') are a Native American people of the Southwestern United States.
With more than 399,494 enrolled tribal members , the Navajo Nation is the largest federally recognized tribe in the United ...
use this plant to make
herbal teas, as a medicinal remedy and a yellow
dye
A dye is a colored substance that chemically bonds to the substrate to which it is being applied. This distinguishes dyes from pigments which do not chemically bind to the material they color. Dye is generally applied in an aqueous solution an ...
. The
Hopi
The Hopi are a Native American ethnic group who primarily live on the Hopi Reservation in northeastern Arizona, United States. As of the 2010 census, there are 19,338 Hopi in the country. The Hopi Tribe is a sovereign nation within the Unite ...
name for this plant is . The plant can be boiled whole until the water turns a rusty color and used as a tea. In addition, the Hopi people also add the plant, along with water, into large glass jars and place in the sun to make sun tea.
It is known as in
Apache
The Apache () are a group of culturally related Native American tribes in the Southwestern United States, which include the Chiricahua, Jicarilla, Lipan, Mescalero, Mimbreño, Ndendahe (Bedonkohe or Mogollon and Nednhi or Carrizaleño an ...
.
References
Further reading
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External links
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Jepson Manual TreatmentFlora of North AmericaPhoto gallery
Coreopsideae
Plants used in traditional Native American medicine
Plant dyes
{{Coreopsideae-stub