Cota: A Pleasing Semidesert Tea for Thrival Situations
Thelesperma megapotamicum
One day, thousands of years ago, a human wandered the arid southern plains of what is now known as the Americas. It was a hot day. In the side of the eye, a skeletal plant traced a jointed shadow like artwork across the scorched dirt.
What is this?
Its yellow flowers appeared to float above the earth. They were blots of curly sunshine. The traveler got closer to the plant and noticed its fragrance and beauty. Still… closer and closer… the traveler noticed more. Somehow, it occurred to the traveler to steep this plant in boiling water and taste the tisane.
As a direct result of one act of presence—countless millennia ago— a pleasing drink exists. Because of the experimental and risky act or acts of an ancient person, who’s name is lost in time, we are communicating right now. You don’t have to be tripping on acid in giant redwood tree for this to sincerely impress you.
What we are discussing is esoteric knowledge; this is privileged information! This plant is a native to the Americas and can deal with all of the harsh temperature swings and punishment dealt in our semidesert areas. We are not , however, talking survival food this time. We are talking about “thrival!” We are talking small pleasures to be accepted with gratitude in a time of leisure that can be enjoyed with or without your timepiece and monocle.
So, whether you are getting cozy by a campfire, are communing nakedly with the Universe in the top bows of a giant tree, suffering from tuberculosis, or considering an herbal tea garden for your semidesert landscape… the pleasure is all yours.
Today it is my honor to introduce you to the hidden, comforting, and beautifully flavored world of Thelesperma megapotamicum:
Cota!
Family — Asteraceae
Family Characteristics — Plants in the Asteraceae family have composite flowers, meaning, what appears to be one flower will be composed of hundreds of smaller flowers.
Binomial Synonyms— Bidens gracilis Torr., Bidens leyboldii Phil. , Bidens megapotamica Spreng., Bidens paradoxa Don ex Hook. & Am., Cosmidium gracile (Torr.) Torr. & A. Gray, Isostigma megapotamicum (Spreng.) Sherff, Tagetes flosculosa Spreng., Thelesperma gracile (Torr.) A. Gray, Thelesperma scabiosoides Less.
Colloquial Aliases — Cota, Greenthread, Hopi Tea, Navajo Tea, Rayless Greenthread, Slender Beggar's Ticks, Slender Bur Marigold, Slender Pitchforks, Zuni Tea. (SPANISH) manzanilla silvestre {meaning: Wild Chamomile}, Té de Cota Té de los Navajoses {meaning: Navajo tea}, Té indio {meaning: Indian tea}, Té pampa {meaning: Tea of the Pampas (grassland biome in South America)}, Té silvestre {Meaning: Wild Tea}. (NAVAJO) Tc'ilkoxvvéhih {meaning: plant/coffee}, Téeh {derived from the Spanish, Té, meaning: tea}, Woots'in'azee' {meaning: a plant used to treat the gums}.
Binomial Etymology — Thele- is derived from the Greek word, θηλή (pronounced thilí), meaning, “a nipple.” -sperma is derived from the Greek term, σπόρος (pronounced spóros) meaning “seed.” [1] Mega- is derived from a Greek term, perhaps Μεγάλο (pronounced megálo), meaning “large,” and -potamicum is derived from a Greek term, perhaps Ποτάμι (pronounced potámi), meaning “river.” [2] How these groupings of words— nipple seed/ big river—relate to this plant remains a mystery.
Image uploaded under Creative Commons licensure from https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Thelesperma_megapotamicum_habitus.jpg
Description
Thelesperma megapotamicum is a spindly and perennial subshrub with cauline leaves (meaning, the leaves grow directly from the stems). The composite inflorescences are composed of only disk flowers (no ray flowers) housed in green/brown calyx-like bractlets.
Habitat
Tolerant of both sandy and clay soils, Cota is often found in disturbed soils of the midwest and southern United States and down through Mexico and South America [7]. It can be found amongst desert scrub, juniper scrublands, and pine forests [7].
Image retrieved from our USDA website.
Culinary Uses
The historical record indicate that the APACHE, HOPI, KERES, NAVAJO, and TEWA are on record as having used this plant as a beverage [3].
Cota tisane smells like a mixture of fenugreek, vanilla, and wicker furniture. The taste of it is delightful and haunts with nostalgia.
Ethnobotany
The NAVAJO, in particular, were fond of this tea as a medicine to treat the teeth and gums [4]. The NAVAJO term for Cota, Woots'in'azee', translates to “tooth-flesh medicine” [4]. It is plausible to consider gingivitis as a possible ailment this tea could have addressed. The Navajo also considered the tea to be a stimulant, and used the roots to create an orange-yellow dye [3][4].
The HOPI used the flowers to create a reddish brown dye [3]. Yucca fibers were boiled in a strong decoction of Cota to yield this dye in basket-making.
The KERES prescribed Cota tea as a medicine for children suffering with tuberculosis [5].
SEINet Portal Network. 2020. http//:swbiodiversity.org/seinet/index.php. Accessed on February 23
Literature
“For hours, she worked over Chloe, frantic to bring her raging temperature down. But as Chloe’s condition worsened, Amity knew with almost dead certainty that the poison in the woman’s blood was affecting her vital organs, and likely had been for some time, but Chloe had pushed so hard to stay on her feet. Lord don’t let it be too late. As Amity exchanged the blanket covering Chloe with one freshly wet, the old one would be hot in her fingers. Desperate, she tried to get Chloe to take more of the Greenthread tea, but she could not swallow and it spilled down her chin. Chloe coughed and pushed the cup away.”
Videos
Below, at the 6 minute mark, Ms Camilla Trujillo finds and prepares some Cota tea.
