Doveweed or Croton setigerus hook is a small annual plant that is native to the dry regions of the western United States and northern Mexico. It has been naturalized elsewhere including Australia. Native American communities found several interesting medicinal uses for this small squat plant.
About Dove Weed
This plant grows between four and twelve inches tall and has a variety of leaf sizes. The male flowers are very small and appear in clusters on the end of the branches. The female flowers are often singular and grow out of the axils of the upper branches. The entire plant is covered in dense hairs that appear to be soft, but in actuality, they are quite rough and can irritate the skin if not handled correctly. As a member of the spurge family, it has toxic attributes. Although it is not toxic to humans, ingesting any part of this plant is not recommended.
Practical and Medicinal Uses
A chemical eremone called diterpenes found in the plant is said to stun fish. For this reason, Native Americans such as the Klamath, Mendocino, Mahuna, and Paiute tribes would crush the plants and use them to kill or stun fish in shallow water.
The Concow used a decoction of this plant as a bath to treat chills and fever. They also make a poultice out of fresh bruised leaves and applied it to the chest to treat internal pains. The Pomo and Concow made a decoction of the roots to treat dysentery. The Kawalisu used a decoction of this plant as a wash to treat headaches and also took an infusion to treat heart palpitations.
Did You Know...
If this plant is eaten by livestock, the plants will form an indigestible mass in their gut which can become life-threatening if not removed.
Pollinators including honey bees drink nectar from the female flowers of this plant that are usually hidden beneath the top layer of the leaves. Pollen is an important source of protein for many types of bees and wasps.
Another name for this plant is turkey mullein because they eat the seeds of this plant.
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