Thelesperma megapotamicum is a perennial species of flowering plant in the aster family known by the common name wild tea[1] and rayless greenthread. It is native to sections of the Americas, including the central United States, where it grows in many types of habitat.
| Thelesperma megapotamicum | |
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Scientific classification 
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| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Eudicots |
| Clade: | Asterids |
| Order: | Asterales |
| Family: | Asteraceae |
| Genus: | Thelesperma |
| Species: | T. megapotamicum
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| Binomial name | |
| Thelesperma megapotamicum | |
| Synonyms | |
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Description edit
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 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 edit
Native American groups such as the Hopi and Navajo use this plant to make herbal teas, as a medicinal remedy and a yellow dye.[2] The Hopi name for this plant is hohoysi. 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.[3]
It is known as izeets'ósé in Apache.
References edit
- ^ USDA, NRCS (n.d.). "Thelesperma megapotamicum". The PLANTS Database (plants.usda.gov). Greensboro, North Carolina: National Plant Data Team. Retrieved 9 December 2015.
- ^ "BRIT - Native American Ethnobotany Database". naeb.brit.org.
- ^ Healthy Hopi recipes and native edible plants. Hopi Tribe of Arizona, Office of Community Health Services. September 1, 2008. OCLC 610218338 – via Open WorldCat.
Further reading edit
- Tso, Zoncho. "Medicinal Plants of the Southwest Thelesperma megapotamicum". New Mexico State University. Archived from the original on 9 May 2008. Retrieved 26 February 2014.
- Yazzie, Shalene. "Thelesperma megapotamicum (Spreng.) Kuntze". Northern Arizona University. Retrieved 11 March 2014.
- Dharmananda, Subhuti. "GREENTHREAD: NAVAJO-HOPI TEA". Institute for Traditional Medicine. Retrieved 11 March 2014.
External links edit
Media related to Thelesperma megapotamicum at Wikimedia Commons
Data related to Thelesperma megapotamicum at Wikispecies
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