MEKACHAA ___________ The Tongva people consider that mekachaa has useful medicinal purposes. They
use the root to cure stomachaches and toothaches. For
toothaches, the root of the plant is mashed up and applied directly to the
painful area. The Tongva use the sap to cure headaches and sore throats.
They apply scrapings from the roots directly to the umbilical
cord of newborn babies to stop the bleeding and heal the navel. They
also use the root of mekachaa to induce sleep. Mekachaa has many other useful properties. It is a
food source and if the leaves are gathered before the plant flowers, they
can be cooked and eaten. The flowers can also be eaten after
thoroughly washing them. The pollen from the flowers can be collected and used in facial cosmetics. A decoction of the flowers can be applied to hair to kill lice. Finally, both leaves and flowers can be boiled to make strong sedatives, and other parts of the plant can be used to make hallucinogens. For this reason, the Tongva are very careful and precise when using mekachaa. |
CALIFORNIA POPPY Eschscholtzia californica
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