Flora and Fauna of the Ochethi Sakowin (the "Great Sioux Nation")
The Ochethi Sakowin, the Seven Council Fires (or "Great Sioux Nation") identified the native species of flowers and plants of the Great Plains. The only difference between this guide and another guide about flowers and plants is that this one includes the flower or plant in the language of the ...more ↓
Pȟeží Wakȟáŋ (Holy Grass), Panic Grass, or Heller’s Rosette Grass
Dichanthelium oligosanthes (common names: Heller's rosette grass, fewanther obscuregrass, few-flowered panicgrass) is a frost tolerant perennial wild grass species found primarily in the contiguous United States with specimens also reported in British Columbia and Alberta in Canada, as well as south of the Rio Grande in northern Mexico. It is found most ...more ↓
Pȟeží Skúya (Sweet Grass), or Barnyardgrass
Echinochloa crus-galli is a type of wild grass originating from tropical Asia that was formerly classified as a type of panicum grass. It is commonly known as cockspur (or cockspur grass), barnyard millet, Japanese millet, water grass, common barnyard grass, or simply "barnyard grass" (which may refer to any species of ...more ↓
Ité Awíčhašniyaŋ Hú (The Stalk is Used to Heal the Face), Witch Grass
Panicum capillare, known by the common name witchgrass, is a species of grass. It is native plant to most of North America from the East Coast through all of the West Coast and California. It can be found as an introduced species in Eurasia, and as a weed in gardens and landscaped areas. It grows in many types of habitat.
Pȟeži Blaskáska (Flat Grass), or Switchgrass
Panicum virgatum, commonly known as switchgrass, is a perennial warm season bunchgrass native to North America, where it occurs naturally from 55°N latitude in Canada southwards into the United States and Mexico. Switchgrass is one of the dominant species of the central North American tallgrass prairie and can be found in remnant prairies, in native grass pastures, and ...more ↓
Pȟeží Uŋkčéla (Cactus Grass), Sandbur, or Mat Sandbur
Cenchrus longispinus is a species of grass, also known as spiny burr grass or gentle Annie. Its fruits are clumped into "burrs" with sharp, barbed spines that can penetrate the hides and mouth of grazing animals. They can also become lodged in human clothing, causing some discomfort.
Pȟeží Šašá Ókhihe Tȟaŋkíŋkiŋyaŋ (lit. “Grass Red Joined-to To-be-large”), Saŋtúhu Ókhihetȟuŋ (Red Grass [of some kind] Joined-together), or Big Bluestem
Andropogon gerardi, known commonly as big bluestem, turkeyfoot, tall bluestem, and bluejoint, is a tall grass (family Poaceae) native to much of the Great Plains and prairie regions of central North America and grasslands, savannas and woodlands throughout eastern North America.
Pȟeží Šičámna (Stink Grass), or Prairie Junegrass
Koeleria macrantha is a species of grass known by the common name prairie Junegrass in the United States and crested hair-grass in the UK. It is widespread across much of Eurasia and North America. It occurs in a large number of habitat types, especially prairie.
Pȟeží Wačháŋǧa (Sweetgrass), or Sweet Vernal Grass
Anthoxanthum odoratum, known as sweet vernal grass, is a short-lived perennial grass that is native to acidic grassland in Eurasia. It is grown as a lawn grass and a house plant, due to its sweet scent, and can also be found on unimproved pastures and meadows. The specific epithet odoratum is Latin for 'odorous'.
Pȟéži Ȟčáka (Very Best Grass), or Western Wheatgrass
Pascopyrum is a monotypic genus of grass containing the sole species Pascopyrum smithii, which is known by the common name western wheatgrass, though the common nickname is red-joint wheatgrass, from the red coloration of the nodes. This is a sod-forming rhizomatous perennial grass which is native and common throughout most of North America. It grows in ...more ↓
Pteyáȟota (What the Bison Swallow Hurriedly), or Canada Wild Rye
Elymus canadensis is a species of wild rye known by the common name Canada wild rye. This grass is native to much of North America, being most abundant in the central plains and Great Plains. It grows in a number of ecosystems, including riparian woodlands, many types of forest, lakeside sand dunes, and tallgrass prairie.
Yus’íŋs’iŋ Ité (Tickles [Their] Face), Ité Ašníyaŋpi (Heals [Their] Face), or Foxtail Barley
Hordeum jubatum, with common names foxtail barley, bobtail barley, squirreltail barley, and intermediate barley, is a perennial plant species in the grass family Poaceae. It occurs wild mainly in northern North America and adjacent northeastern Siberia. However, as it escaped often from gardens it can be found worldwide in areas with temperate to warm ...more ↓
Psíŋ ("Wild Rice"), or Indian Ricegrass
Oryzopsis hymenoides (Synonym: Stipa hymenoides, common names: Indian ricegrass and sand rice grass) is a perennial cool-season bunchgrass with very narrow, rolled leaf blades. It is native to western North America east of the Cascades from British Columbia and Alberta south to southern California, northeastern Mexico, and Texas. In the wild, it typically ...more ↓
Pȟeží Suksúta (Tough Grass), or Salt Grass
Distichlis spicata is a species of grass known by several common names, including seashore saltgrass, inland saltgrass, and desert saltgrass. This grass is native to the Americas, where it is widespread. It can be found on other continents as well, where it is naturalized. It is extremely salt tolerant.
Pȟeží Iwíčhakȟoyaka (Grass They Wear for Adornment), Pȟeží Hiŋkpíla (Short Grass), Sipȟáwičhakaše (Makes Them Stumble), or Buffalo Grass
Bouteloua dactyloides, commonly known as buffalograss or buffalo grass, is a North American prairie grass native to Canada, Mexico, and the United States. It is a shortgrass found mainly on the High Plains and is co-dominant with blue grama (B. gracilis) over most of the shortgrass prairie.
Pȟeží Okhížata (Branched Grass), or Blue Grama
Bouteloua gracilis (blue grama) is a long-lived, warm-season (C4) perennial grass, native to North America.
Pȟeží Okhížata (Branched Grass), or Hairy Grama
Bouteloua hirsuta, commonly known as hairy grama, is a perennial short prairie grass that is native throughout much of North America, including the Great Plains and Canadian Prairies region, as well as Mexico and Guatemala.
Mní Pȟeží (Water Grass), or American Slough Grass
Beckmannia syzigachne, the American sloughgrass, or slough grass, is an annual or short-lived perennial bunchgrass in the Poaceae (grass) family found in shallow marshes or sloughs....
Pȟeží Tȟakȟáŋ Kazá (lit. “Grass Sinew Shredded”), Red Three-Awn, or Wiregrass
Aristida purpurea is a species of grass native to North America which is known by the common name purple three-awn. This grass is fairly widespread and can be found across the western two thirds of the United States, much of southern Canada and parts of northern Mexico. It is most abundant on the plains.
The Lakhota saw that when bison or other animals consumed ...more ↓
Makȟá Čhaŋnákpa (lit. “Earth Tree-ear”), or Lady's Slipper
Cypripedium acaule is a member of the orchid genus Cypripedium. Members of this genus are commonly referred to as lady's slipper orchids. First described in 1789 by Scottish botanist William Aiton, C. acaule is commonly referred to as the pink lady's slipper, stemless lady's-slipper, or moccasin flower. The pink lady's slipper is the provincial ...more ↓
Yapízapi Iyéčheča (Looks Like the Kind of Leaf or Grass They would use to make a Squeaking Sound), or Common Starlily
Leucocrinum montanum, commonly known as the sand lily, common starlily or mountain lily, is the only species in the monotypic genus Leucocrinum, placed in the family Asparagaceae, and subfamily Agavoideae. It is native to the western United States, primarily in the Rocky Mountains and the Great Basin.
Yapízapi Hú (They Produce Squeaking Sounds by Blowing on its Stem), False Solomon's Seal
Maianthemum racemosum (treacleberry, feathery false lily of the valley, false Solomon's seal, Solomon's plume or false spikenard; syn. Smilacina racemosa, Vagnera racemosa) is a species of flowering plant native to North America. It is a common, widespread plant known from every US state except Hawaii, and from every Canadian ...more ↓
Zuzéča Tȟawóte Hú (Snake Eats the Stem), Tȟaŋkíŋyaŋ Héčha (It is Large), or Solomon’s Seal
Polygonatum biflorum (smooth Solomon's-seal, great Solomon's-seal, Solomon's seal). The plant is said to possess scars on the rhizome that resemble the ancient Hebrew seal of King Solomon. This is a species of the genus Polygonatum native to eastern and central North America. It is often confused with Solomon's plume which has upright flowers.
Pšiŋšíčamna (lit. "Onion-smells-bad"), or Prairie Onion
Allium stellatum (autumn onion, prairie onion) is a North American species of wild onion native to central Canada and the central United States from Ontario and Saskatchewan south to Tennessee and Texas.
Pšiŋtȟáŋka (Big Onion), or Gunnison’s Mariposa Lily
Calochortus gunnisonii (Gunnison's mariposa lily) is a North American species of flowering plant in the lily family. It is native to the western United States, primarily in the Rocky Mountains and Black Hills: Arizona, New Mexico, Utah, Colorado, Wyoming, Montana, South Dakota, northwestern Nebraska (Sioux County) and eastern Idaho (Fremont County).
Pšiŋtȟáŋka (Big Onion), or Sego lily
Calochortus nuttallii — known as sego lily — is a bulbous perennial which is endemic to the Western United States.
Mnaȟčáȟča (Very Fragrant Flower), Wild Lily, or Wood Lily
Lilium philadelphicum, also known as the wood lily, Philadelphia lily, prairie lily or western red lily, is a perennial species of lily native to North America.
Čhaŋȟlóǧaŋ Makȟátȟola Pȟežúta (Blue Earth Hollow-stalk Medicine), wahíŋheya iphíye (Mole Makes-full), Leopard Lily, or Spotted Fritillary
Fritillaria atropurpurea is a species of fritillary known by several common names, including spotted fritillary, purple fritillary, spotted mountainbells, and spotted missionbells.
Hiŋháŋ Tȟaháŋpe (Owl Moccasin), Pšitóla Hú (Bulb Stem), Arrowhead, or Broadleaf Arrowhead
Sagittaria latifolia is a plant found in shallow wetlands and is sometimes known as broadleaf arrowhead, duck-potato, Indian potato, or wapato. This plant produces edible tubers that were extensively used by the Indigenous peoples of the Americas.
Wakíŋyaŋla Paȟlí Hú (lit. "Little-Thunder Sticks-in-the-ground Limb"), or Northern Water Plantain
Alisma triviale, the northern water plantain, is a perennial semi-aquatic or aquatic plant in the water-plantain family (Alismataceae) that is native to Canada (including the Northwest Territories), the United States (including Alaska), and Northern Mexico.
Siŋkpétȟawote (lit. “Muskrat’s Food”), or Sweet-Flag
Acorus calamus (also called sweet flag or calamus, among many common names) is a tall perennial wetland monocot of the Acoraceae family, in the genus Acorus.
Čhaŋnákpa Ská (White Tree Ears), or Oyster Mushroom
Pleurotus ostreatus, the oyster mushroom, is a common edible mushroom. It was first cultivated in Germany as a subsistence measure during World War I and is now grown commercially around the world for food. It is related to the similarly cultivated king oyster mushroom. Oyster mushrooms can also be used industrially for mycoremediation purposes.
Hokší Čhekpá (A Child’s Naval), or Purple-Spored Puffball
Calvatia cyathiformis, or purple-spored puffball, is a large edible saprobic species of Calvatia. This terrestrial puffball has purplish or purple-brown spores, which distinguish it from other large Lycoperdales. It is found mostly in prairie or grasslands of North America, Australia, and probably elsewhere.
Hokší Čhekpá (A Child’s Naval), Tumbling Puffball, or Lead-grey Puffball
Bovista plumbea, also referred to as the paltry puffball, is a small puffball mushroom commonly found in Western Europe and California, white when young and greyish in age. Easily confused with immature Bovista dermoxantha, it is attached to the substrate by a tuft of mycelium.
Nasúla Iyéčheča (Looks like a Little Head), or Yellow Morel
Morchella esculenta, (commonly known as common morel, morel, yellow morel, true morel, morel mushroom, and sponge morel) is a species of fungus in the Morchellaceae family of the Ascomycota. It is one of the most readily recognized of all the edible mushrooms and highly sought after. Each fruit body begins as a tightly compressed, ...more ↓
Zintkála Ipátȟapi (Bird Quillwork), Saxicolous Lichen, or Shield Lichen
The Parmeliaceae is a large and diverse family of Lecanoromycetes. With over 2000 species in roughly 87 genera, it is regarded as the largest family of lichen forming fungi. The most speciose genera in the family are the well-known groups: Xanthoparmelia (800+ species), Usnea (500+ species), Parmotrema (350+ species), and Hypotrachyna (190+ species).
