Hey Ken,
I learned about a little about a new plant today. I've never seen nor read about Prairie Dock AKA Rosinweed (Silphium terebinthinaceum) before. Probably because we have no prairies locally.
I checked a few of the more likely books but I didn't find much on Prairie Dock specifically. An excerpt from Edible & Medicinal Plants of Canada,- MacKinnon / Kershaw, Lone Pine, 2009, ISBN# 978-1-55105-572-59-6, page 351: Members of the genus Silphium were regularly used medicinally by prairie First Nations but are rarely used today by modern herbalists. It then goes on to talk about Cup Plant (S. perfoliatum) - another species.
The Encyclopedia of Edible Plants of North America, François Couplan, Keats, 1998, ISBN# 0-87983-821-3, page 447 has a brief entry about the genus, but nothing specific on S. terebinthinaceum.
Native American Ethnobotany, David E. Moerman, Timber Press, 1998, ISBN# 0-88192-453-9 page 531 has a few entries of different species of Silphium but not including S. terebinthinaceum.
Judging by the size of the leaf, it could be used as an expedient head cover in the hot sun (much like Burdock (Arctium lappa) which I've used before
)
Anyway, that's about it. If I find anything more, I will post it.
BTW, that bee
a nice picture of Monarda fistulosa - a favourite plant.
Doc
