Fabaceae
Canadian milkvetch
Astragalus canadensis L.
Indigenous Names: šuŋkówašakala, Mahkha’ nowas
Traditional Food Use
Lakota
They are an excellent snack food and Astragalus groundplum pté tȟawóte, the taste resembles raw green beans, but slightly sweeter.
Medicinal Documentation
Lakota
is used to treat the spitting up of blood The fruits of the groundplum resemble small plums, but are very firm and no larger than a ping-pong ball.
Cheyenne
Ground leaf and stem sprinkled on skin in cases of poison ivy or watery poison ivy rash.
Botanical Reference
Parts Documented: fruit_or_berry, leaves, stems
Distribution: Moist prairies, stream banks, open wooded hillsides; foothills to montane. It is found frequently growing in sandy soil conditions. Found from the Yukon into Colorado