Evening Primrose

Description

Evening primrose is a biennial native forb that grows nearly 1 foot long. It flowers during the summer to early autumn. It has radical leaves and ovate upper leaves. The evening primrose grows erect with branched stems and oblong. The "name evening primrose" was given to this plant because the flowers bloom in the evening and have the light-yellow color of the English primrose or cowslip.

Native American names

The Lakota's called the evening primrose"canhlo'gan hu'nla" which means rattle weed. The Potawatomi called it "owea'wanakuk" which means sticky root and they also called it "ap-aks-ibokn" which means wide leaves.

Location and Habitat

The evening primrose can be found in eastern "North America".The evening primrose grows near the senior citizen complex on the Omaha Indian reservation. Its habitat's are fields, roadsides, pastures, weedy flood plains, and where there is a lot of sunshine. I expected to find the evening primrose near shaded areas and near water is plenty.

Uses

The forest Potawatomi's used the seeds of the evening primrose as an unspecified medicine. The Flambeau Ojibwas used the whole plant to heal bruises. The Omahas made a poultice from some part of the four-point evening primrose. The Blackfeet pounded the root of the alkali lily and applied it wet to swellings and sores to reduce inflammation. The kayenta Navahos applied the ground alkali lily to correct a prolapsed uterus. They also made a powder from the flowers to relieve soreness caused by chafing. The Europeans made primrose-flower tea that was supposed to be astringent and mildly sedative. The Europeans used the tea to calm nervousness, reduce gastrointestinal toxicity, and help with disorders of the lungs, such as spasmodic asthma, and spasmodic coughing. The Kiowa¢â¡Ás used evening primrose as a decoration.

By: Janet Hallowell

This Page was last update: Thursday, December 13, 2007 at 10:30:31 AM
This page was originally posted: 11/30/07; 10:19:28 AM.
Copyright 2008 Plants of the Omaha Indian Reservation

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