No need to apologize, we all gotta get old eventually..
Yeah, I just never thought I would get this old and decrepit.[...]
*Sigh*, Bob, looks like it's time we take you out back to the pasture, ole boy. Maybe Doc too, while we're at it....
Hey, are you calling me dizzy?
Alright, let's give this one a try, I'm sure Doc, PaleoJoe, or someone will nab it quickly.
Distribution and Habitat: This plant is native to the western states (Washington, Oregon, California, Idaho, Nevada, Utah, Arizona) but has spread (well-documented in parts of Australia). Normally found in open, often disturbed, dry areas up to 2,500 ft elevation, but found along the Pacific Coast as well. One might see it as a roadside weed.
Description: The summer annual grows low to the ground, and the leaves are pale green to grayish (sometimes yellowish green) and looks velvety because of the bristly star-shaped hairs that cover them. The plant forms a mat up to 20cm high and 80cm across. The leaves are thick and oval or heart-shaped, up to 6cm long, and usually have three veins from the base. The flowers are small and sprout at the ends or axils of branches; they usually are out in May through October. The fruit is small and oblong, about 4mm in length, and contain gray seeds that are mottled with black or brown. Doves and Turkeys eat the seeds, the reason for the plant’s two common names. Crushing the leaves yields a strong sweet scent and clear liquid.
Uses: Californian Native Americans used this plant as a fish toxin. They would wet and pound the leaves and stems on rocks near the waters edge and mix it into the water; the toxin would stupefy fish. Some sources claim Natives used the plant medicinally. They made poultices of the plant to use as an analgesic or to treat horse wounds, and made decoctions to treat fever and diarrhea.
