Sâiʼtûkam iavik. The leaf of this thorny plant is eaten raw or boiled.
Si’etcu, Cucumis melo Linn. The muskmelon is extensively raised by the Pimas.
Siʼvitcĭlt, Rumex hymenosepalus. The canaigre is cultivated by the whites in the Gila valley for tannin, yet it is eaten by the Pimas. The stem is roasted in the ashes or, recently, stewed with sugar. We have seen the children greedily devouring the raw roots in March. Doctor Palmer states that the roots are used to tan deerskin and also as soap.
So’-oʌot, Sophia pinnata (Walt) Britton. The seeds are parched, ground, and mixed with water to form pinole. The Mexicans of Arizona use the leaves of this plant in preparing a drink. An infusion made from the leaves is also employed as a remedy for sores.
Tâki, Gosypium sp. The cotton plant is no longer raised, but from pre-Spanish days down to the last quarter of a century it was cultivated both for the fiber and the seeds. The latter were pounded up with mesquite beans in the mortar or they were sometimes parched and eaten without grinding.[1]
Tapkʽ. These seeds resemble those of flax in appearance. They are eaten either raw or boiled and are yet extensively used.
Tapkalt. This is one of the varieties of squash that is cultivated by the Pimas at the present time.
Tâʼta âʼnûk, Atriplex nuttallii. The stems of this saltbush are boiled with wheat. They are cut in short lengths and used sometimes as a stuffing for roast rabbit.
Tcia, Salvia columbaria Benth. The seeds when infused in water form a pleasant mucilaginous beverage, very popular with the Pimas.
Tciʼâldi. The fruit of this cactus is brought by the Papagos and traded to the Pimas. It is cooked in the same manner as Opuntia arborescens.
Tciaʌolt, Echinocactus wislizeni. The pulp of the visnaga is considered valuable in lieu of water to those suffering from thirst. It is also eaten after being cut in strips and boiled all day. It is sometimes boiled with mesquite beans, a layer each in the cocking olla. It is occasionally boiled with sugar. It is quite a popular confection among the whites, who, in some places, obtain the raw material from the Papagos.
Tciʼ-itkwatak, Lithospermum sp. The leaves are eaten without preparation.
- ↑ C.D. Poston stated in 1864 that he had recently furnished the Pimas with 500 pounds of cottan seed, though he did not give any reason for doing so. It is fair to presume that the Pimas had sufficient seed from the plant that they had raised from time immemorial.
