Symphoricarpos orbiculatus, Coralberry, Buckbrush.

Symphoricarpos orbiculatus, Coralberry, Buckbrush, Indian Currant is a member of the Caprifoliaceae and is a common understory shrub which occurs in a variety of habitats, found throughout the Midwestern U.S. and from southern Canada to Mexico. In the Ozarks, the flexible stems are a basket-making material. It often forms thickets on degraded woodlands, as a result of disturbance or grazing. The Dakota and Chippewa applied decoction of the leaves and inner bark to treat sore or inflamed eyes. The charcoal from the wood was a tattooing ink. Most of the information on this plant comes from the writings of ethnologist, Melvin R. Gilmore (1868-1940). The root powder is a styptic and subastringent in the treatment for intermittent fevers in the late eighteenth century.



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