Editing Apache (section)

===Undomesticated plants and other food sources===
[[File:Apache girl with basket.jpg|thumb|upright|Apache girl with basket, 1902]]

The gathering of plants and other food was primarily done by women. The men's job was usually to hunt animals such as deer, buffalo, and small game. However, men helped in certain gathering activities, such as of heavy [[agave]] crowns. Numerous plants were used as both food and medicine and in religious ceremonies. Other plants were used for only their religious or medicinal value.

In May, the Western Apache baked and dried agave crowns pounded into pulp and formed into rectangular cakes. At the end of June and beginning of July, [[saguaro]], [[opuntia|prickly pear]], and [[Cylindropuntia|cholla]] fruits were gathered. In July and August, [[mesquite]] beans, [[Hesperoyucca whipplei|Spanish bayonet]] fruit, and [[Quercus emoryi|Emory oak]] acorns were gathered. In late September, gathering was stopped as attention moved to harvesting cultivated crops. In late fall, [[juniper berries]] and [[Pinyon pine|pinyon]] [[Pine nut|nuts]] were gathered.

The most important plant food for the Chiricahua was the [[Century plant]] (also known as [[Agave parryi|mescal]] or agave). The crowns (the [[tuberous]] base portion) were baked in large underground ovens and sun-dried. The shoots were also eaten. Other plants used by the Chiricahua include: [[Mahonia trifoliolata|agarita]] (or algerita) berries, [[Juniperus deppeana|alligator juniper]] berries, [[Matelea producta|anglepod]] seeds, [[Yucca baccata|banana yucca]] (or datil, broadleaf yucca) fruit, [[chili pepper]]s, [[Prunus virginiana|chokecherries]], [[Cota (plant)|cota]] (used for tea), [[Ribes|currant]]s, [[Sporobolus|dropseed grass]] seeds, [[Quercus gambelii|Gambel oak]] acorns, Gambel oak bark (used for tea), grass seeds (of various varieties), [[Leaf vegetable|greens]] (of various varieties), [[Crataegus|hawthorne]] fruit, [[Chenopodium berlandieri|Lamb's-quarters]] leaves, [[Cheilanthes|lip ferns]] (used for tea), [[Quercus turbinella|live oak]] acorns, [[Robinia neomexicana|locust]] blossoms, locust pods, [[maize]] kernels (used for [[tiswin]]), and mesquite beans.

Also eaten were [[Mulberry|mulberries]], [[Yucca angustissima|narrowleaf yucca]] blossoms, narrowleaf yucca stalks, [[Mammillaria|nipple cactus]] fruit, [[Juniperus monosperma|one-seed juniper]] berries, onions, [[Chenopodium album|pigweed]] seeds, pinyon nuts, [[pitahaya]] fruit, prickly pear fruit, prickly pear juice, raspberries, [[Prosopis pubescens|screwbean]] (or tornillo) fruit, saguaro fruit, [[spurge]] seeds, strawberries, [[Rhus trilobata|sumac]] (''Rhus trilobata'') berries,<ref>{{cite book |first=Daniel E. |last=Moerman |title=Native American Food Plants: An Ethnobotanical Dictionary |publisher=Timber Press |year=2010 |isbn=9781604691894 |page=215}}</ref> [[sunflower seed]]s, [[tule]] [[rootstock]]s, tule shoots, [[Amaranthus albus|pigweed tumbleweed]] seeds, [[Proboscidea (plant)|unicorn plant]] seeds, walnuts, [[Ponderosa Pine|western yellow pine]] inner bark (used as a sweetener), western yellow pine nuts, [[Ipomoea lacunosa|whitestar potatoes]] (''Ipomoea lacunosa''), [[Vitis|wild grapes]], [[Solanum jamesii|wild potato]]es (''Solanum jamesii''), [[Oxalis|wood sorrel]] leaves, and [[yucca]] buds (unknown species). Other items include: honey from ground hives and hives found within agave, [[Dasylirion wheeleri|sotol]], and narrowleaf yucca plants.

The abundant agave (mescal) was also important to the Mescalero,<ref group="note">The name ''Mescalero'' is, in fact, derived from the word ''mescal'', a reference to their use of this plant as food.</ref> who gathered the crowns in late spring after reddish flower stalks appeared. The smaller sotol crowns were also important. The crowns of both plants were baked and dried. Other plants include: acorns, agarita berries, amole<!--no article for amole exists, July 18. 2022--> stalks (roasted and peeled), [[aspen]] inner bark (used as a sweetener), [[Nolina|bear grass]] stalks (roasted and peeled), [[Acer negundo|box elder]] inner bark (used as a sweetener), banana yucca fruit, banana yucca flowers, box elder sap (used as a sweetener), cactus fruits (of various varieties), [[cattail]] rootstocks, chokecherries, currants, [[Sporobolus|dropseed grass]] seeds (used for [[flatbread]]), [[Sambucus nigra|elderberries]], gooseberries (''[[Ribes leptanthum]]'' and ''[[Ribes pinetorum|R. pinetorum]]''), grapes, [[Celtis|hackberries]], hawthorne fruit, and [[hops]] (used as condiment).

They also used [[Monarda|horsemint]] (as a condiment), juniper berries, Lamb's-quarters leaves, locust flowers, locust pods, mesquite pods, mint (as a condiment), mulberries, [[Mentha pulegium|pennyroyal]] (as a condiment), pigweed seeds (for flatbread), pine inner bark (as a sweetener), pinyon pine nuts, prickly pear fruit (dethorned and roasted), [[Portulaca oleracea|purslane]] leaves, raspberries, [[Salvia|sage]] (as a condiment), screwbeans, [[Cyperaceae|sedge]] tubers, [[Capsella bursa-pastoris|shepherd's purse]] leaves, strawberries, sunflower seeds, tumbleweed seeds (for flatbread), [[vetch]] pods, walnuts, [[western white pine]] nuts, western yellow pine nuts, white [[Oenothera|evening primrose]] fruit, [[Cymopterus acaulis|wild celery]] (as a condiment), [[Allium|wild onion]] (as a condiment), wild pea pods, wild potatoes, and wood sorrel leaves.

The Jicarilla used acorns, chokecherries, juniper berries, mesquite beans, pinyon nuts, prickly pear fruit, yucca fruit, and many other kinds of fruits, acorns, greens, nuts, and seed grasses.

The Lipan heavily used agave (mescal) and sotol. Other plants include agarita, blackberries, cattails, devil's claw, elderberries, gooseberries, hackberries, hawthorn, juniper, Lamb's-quarters, locust, mesquite, mulberries, oak, [[Sabal|palmetto]], pecan, pinyon, prickly pears, raspberries, screwbeans, seed grasses, strawberries, sumac, sunflowers, [[Diospyros texana|Texas persimmons]], walnuts, western yellow pine, wild cherries, wild grapes, wild onions, wild plums, wild potatoes, [[Rosa arkansana|wild rose]]s, yucca flowers, and yucca fruit. Other gathered food includes salt obtained from caves and honey.

The Plains Apache gathered chokecherries, blackberries, grapes, [[Pediomelum esculentum|prairie turnip]]s, wild onions, and wild plums, and many other fruits, vegetables, and tuberous roots.

====Ethnobotany====
A list of 198 ethnobotany plant uses for the Chiricahua can be found at http://naeb.brit.org/uses/tribes/11/, which also includes the Mescalero.

A list of 54 ethnobotany plant uses for the uncategorized Apache can also be found here. http://naeb.brit.org/uses/tribes/10/.