Tag Archives: Native Americans

Narrowleaf Puccoon – Page 10 .. The 100 Day Project (2026)

May 25, 2026

Narrowleaf Puccoon (Lithospermum incisum)

Etymology

Lithospermum, the genus named by Linnaeus in 1753, is Greek for stone (“Lithos”) and seed (“sperma”), referring to the hard nutlets. And “incisum,” the Latin species name referring to the incised, fringed edges of the trumpet flowers, was named by Lehman (a German botanist) in 1818 from a specimen collected “near the rapids of the Ohio” by Andre Michaux (a French botanist and explorer) in 1802.

Puccoon evolved from “poughkone,” a word the Virginia Algonquian language used for plants whose roots yield a red or yellow pigment. The roots of Narrowleaf Puccoon were historically used as dyes ranging from purple to red to yellow.

A Two-Flower Strategy

Very showy and quite lovely, the sunshine yellow trumpet-shaped flowers of Narrowleaf Puccoon are hard to miss. They often cluster at the ends of 12-20” long stems where the floral tube is ringed by five frilly petal lobes. The flowers depend on pollinators like butterflies for cross-pollination which adds genetic diversity to the few seeds they produce. Botanically speaking, these traditional, open flowers with exposed reproductive parts are referred to as Chasmogamous.  

Then later in the season, the Narrowleaf Puccoon produces small, petal-less flowers that remain tightly closed. These highly fertile, self-pollinating flowers account for almost all of the plant’s seed production. Botanists refer to this type of closed, often inconspicuous flower as Cleistogamous.

An immature nutlet

The“Stone Seed” Fruit

Because Narrowleaf Puccoon only produces the occasional fruit from its showy flowers, it takes a bit of searching around the plant’s lower leaf axils to locate a tiny group of up to four hard “stone seed” nutlets. Beginning growth inside the self-fertile, closed (Cleistogamous) flowers that are present late in the season, each egg-shaped nutlet, pitted across the surface, ripens to a shiny white.

Plant Propagation

Seed Germination – To grow Narrowleaf Puccoon from seed, nutlets should be collected in late summer.  Soak them overnight in hot water then plant immediately. Because seed germination is sporadic and often disappointing, selecting a desirable location for planting is important.  The plant grows best in very sandy, well drained soils found in the dry/open areas within our pinyon/juniper woodlands (though they do grow in soils with some loam or clay).  

Shiny white nutlets with Penny for size
Photo edited from a post by
A Wandering Botanist

Root Cutting – A more successful method may be to take a 2-inch cutting of the taproot in the fall. Dip the cutting in a root stimulant and plant in a desirable location. 

Suggestions for root stimulants

  • Powdered Hormones: Highly cost-effective, have a long shelf life and easy to use. After you moisten the root cutting, just dip it directly into the powder (e.g., Garden Safe TakeRoot) and plant.
  • Natural/DIY Options: Raw aloe vera gel and crushed, uncoated aspirin both contain natural growth-promoting enzymes. You can also use diluted willow bark extract, which is naturally rich in rooting hormones.

Plant Care – Narrowleaf Puccoon requires full sun and very little water, making it a good plant for xeric gardens or included with other native plants to establish a wildflower meadow.

Photo taken early May 2026 along the Entranosa access road

Medicinal Properties and a Cautionary Note 

The Navajo chewed the root of Narrowleaf Puccoon for coughs and colds. They, and the Zuni rubbed the plant’s finely powdered leaves, root and stem on the body to treat paralyzed limbs. An infusion of the root was used for stomach aches and kidney problems. The plant was eaten as an oral contraceptive, and a cold infusion of the pulverized root and seed was used as an eyewash.

Although Narrowleaf Puccoon does have medicinal properties, it contains potentially toxic alkaloids. Self-treatment involving this plant is strongly discouraged.

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If you’ve seen Narrowleaf Puccoon, did you find their highly fertile, tightly closed flowers and/or the shiny white nutlets? Have you tried growing the plant from seed or root cuttings, and were you successful?

As always, thanks for stopping by!

Happy Memorial Day!

References

backyardnature.net

iNaturalist.org

minnesotawildflowers.info

openprairie.sdstate.edu

swcoloradowildflowers.com

visitsfbg.org

wildflower.org

Dark Jerusalem Cricket – Page 5 .. The 100 Day Project (2026)

April 5, 2026

Dark Jerusalem Cricket (Ammopelmatus fuscus)

Last month (mid-March), while looking everywhere for signs of spring (something green and growing), I dared to peek under a flat rock and gasped with surprise! Instead of uncovering a tiny flower bud was a gigantic “creepy-crawly” bug! Yikes! After quickly dropping the rock back on his head I realized my run-away imagination had gotten the better of me. 

So gathering my courage, I took another look. There, hiding under that rock was a “cuddly” Jerusalem cricket trying his best to be invisible (while avoiding the bright sunlight). 

This wasn’t my first Jerusalem cricket, but seeing this guy prompted me to learn more about this curious insect……

Firstly, Jerusalem crickets are neither true crickets nor are they native to Jerusalem

  • Taxonomists agree, “Jerusalem crickets are in a very different family than true crickets. This includes a bunch of flightless varieties, and some with wings, found in Africa. The Jerusalem crickets are wingless and are found in the Americas.”
  • “The origins of the name, “Jerusalem” cricket isn’t certain, but it’s thought that it comes either as a reference to the skull-shaped head (they’re also known as skull crickets), which is associated with skull hill in Jerusalem; or, comes from a watered-down swear word from the ‘40s and ‘50s. Around this time, in the US, both “Jerusalem” and “Cricket” were expletives, associated with being startled.”

Next, some Jerusalem Cricket Mating Characteristics

  • Similar to true crickets, each species of “sings” a different song during mating. They actually sing by drumming and they drum by beating their butts on the ground.
  • Once a larger female has successfully mated with a smaller male, and before she lays eggs, females usually eat the males!
  • She lays her egg masses in holes in the soil. After hatching, over the next 1-2 years, nymphs undergo several molts (as many as 10) until they reach sexual maturity which lasts for only 2-6 months.
  • Adults can reach up to 2 to 3 inches in length. Females are often larger in size; males have longer hind legs.

Third, Jerusalem Cricket Habitats and Out-of-Sight Living Quarters

  • They are “well-adapted to living in sandy soils, but can be found in sand dunes, chaparrals, grasslands, woodlands, and forests.”
  • Being nocturnal, they spend a majority of their lives underground. 
  • They hide underneath organic matter and other debris like rocks, wood. With their powerful mandibles, spiny legs and specially adapted feet, they also dig underground burrows for comfortable living quarters.

And Almost Lastly …. the Cultural Significance of Jerusalem Crickets

  • Of great importance to Native Americans as food, many tribes in southwestern U.S. also considered Jerusalem crickets as a powerful cultural symbol. Its striking appearance leads some to think the cricket brings mortality, as depicted in the folklore of the Chumash people of southern California. 
  • The Hopi, who settled in Arizona, portrays this cricket as a spirit being (a Kachina) named Sösööpa who races. As a result, it’s often carved into their Katsina dolls as a yellow humanlike character with black beady eyes, a black-and-white plaid skirt, and antennae made from sand grass, depicting traits of the cricket.
  • The Navajo associated the Yucca plant with the insect; you had to eat the plant as a cure of the cricket’s painful bite. This myth possibly gave rise to the misconception that their bite is venomous. 

It’s Greek to Me!  (Entomologically Speaking) 

Learning the meaning of a scientific name assigned to a species not only helps me remember uncommon words and how they’re pronounced, but often describes aspects of a species’ characteristics that may help differentiate it from another similar-looking species. Learning about these complex names falls into a study called entomology.   

Ammopelmatus fuscus, the scientific name for the Dark Jerusalem Cricket, is quite a mouthful. Curious about the meanings (in plain English) of these two strange words, I learned the name originates from Greek and Latin roots meaning “dark sand-sole” or “dark sand-burrower,” obviously referring to their sandy habitats, dark color, and burrowing behavior. But to learn how the common name with the word “sole” ties to one of the cricket’s characteristics, my dive continued. Here’s the entomology breakdown:

  • Genus Ammopelmatus
    • Ammos (Greek) means “sand,” referring to the cricket’s specialized adaptation to arid, sandy environments.
    • pelma (Greek) means “sole of the foot,” highlighting the specialized leg structures the cricket uses for burrowing.
    • tus (Greek) is a common word meaning either “them” or “their.” In this case, “tus” ties the first two parts together into “their sand sole.”
  • Species fuscus (Latin) means “dark,” “dusky,” or “brown,” describing the cricket’s color.
Here’s the underside of my Dark Jerusalem Cricket. The leg spines really show well as does the strong mandible. A scary fascinating view!

After learning more about the Dark Jerusalem Cricket, maybe next time I discover one, I won’t jump so high?! Do you think?

Have you seen a Jerusalem cricket hiding out in your yard? If so, what was your reaction?

Hope you enjoyed this post! Thanks for stopping by!

References

inaturalist.org/taxa

bugguide.net/node/view/154

factanimal.com/jerusalem-cricket/

  • Eaton, Eric R.; Kenn Kaufman (2007). Kaufman Field Guide to Insects of North America. New York: Houghton Mifflin. p. 84. 
  • Milne, Lorus Milne, Lorus and Milne, Margery (1980) The Audubon Society Field Guide to North American Insects & Spiders. Alfred A. Knopf, Inc, pp. 437. 
  • Stoffolano JG, Wright B (2005). “So so opa —Jerusalem Cricket: An Important Insect in the Hopi Katsina Pantheon.”American Entomologist. 51 (3): 174–179. doi:10.1093/ae/51.3.174