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| ## common madia {#common-madia .Title-Header}                         |
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| *Madia elegans* D.Don ex Lindl.                                       |
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| Plant Symbol = MAEL                                                   |
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Contributed by: USDA NRCS National Plant Data Center & Rancho Santa Ana
Botanic Garden

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# Uses

*Ethnobotanic*: There are several *Madia* species and several subspecies
of *Madia elegans*. They are each called "tarweed," because of the
intense stickiness of the plant. The tarweeds produce abundant seed, are
agreeably aromatic and oily, and form an important part of the small
seeds used in pinole. Tarweed and other seeds in pinole formed a staple
food in the diet of the Indians of the Pacific Coast. In particular, the
seeds of gumweed (*Madia elegans* ssp. *densifolia* (E. Greene) Keck)
were among the most valued by the Miwok people for pinole. The Hupa,
Cahuilla, Digueño, Chumash, Costanoan, Kawaiisu, and Maidu tribes in
California made pinole from *Madia* species.

Common madia seeds were harvested by women in late summer during a
period of a fortnight. A seed beater and a basket were used to gather
the seeds. Then, the seeds were winnowed and ground very fine in a
bedrock mortar with a stone pestle. Both winnowing and sifting were done
in a flat circular basket plaque. The sifting was done by jiggling the
plaque so that the big fragments separated from the fine meal. The large
fragments were pulverized into

meal and eaten dry. The seeds were kept in storage in every household,
and eaten all year. Common madia roots were also eaten.

When the seeds had matured but the plants were still green, the Hupa
burned the areas where common madia grew. Seeds gathered from the
scorched plants needed no further parching before being crushed into
flour. The Yokuts added common madia seeds to manzanita cider for
flavoring.![](media/image2.jpeg){width="2.21875in" height="2.875in"}

*Wildlife*: The dark seeds (achenes) of tarweeds are used as food by
many birds and small mammals, including mourning doves, quail,
blackbirds, finches, Oregon juncos, California horned larks, western
meadowlarks, American pipits, sparrows, towhees, chipmunks, ground
squirrels, and mice. Cottontail rabbits, ground squirrels, and chipmunks
eat the plants.

# Status

Please consult the PLANTS Web site and your State Department of Natural
Resources for this plant's current status, such as, state noxious status
and wetland indicator values.

# Description

*General*: Sunflower Family (Asteraceae). *Madia elegans* is an annual
herb, 1-2.5 dm tall, and strongly scented. The stems are simple to
branched, often very leafy, softly hairy below, and with sparsely to
densely stalked glandular sticky hairs above. Leaves are 2-10 cm long,
linear, entire to serrate, soft-hairy to bristly, sometimes with glands.
The floral heads are in open, flat-topped cymes with 5-21 yellow ray
flowers and 25-30 yellow or maroon disk flowers with yellow or black
anthers. The 2.5-5 mm fruits are black or dark brown achenes, sometimes
mottled, and compressed or 3-angled.

# Distribution

For current distribution, please consult the Plant Profile page for this
species on the PLANTS Web site. *Madia elegans* occurs in grasslands and
open forest below 3350 m in elevation. It flowers in summer and early
autumn, and grows from northern Oregon through the California Floristic
Province and Great Basin Province south to Baja California.

# Establishment

*Adaptation*: *Madia elegans* ssp. *densifolia* grows on grassy slopes
and valleys at elevations below 1000 m. This subspecies occurs in the
California Floristic Province and Great Basin Province and in Oregon.
This plant flowers in summer and early autumn.

*General*: *Madia* species seeds ripen in late summer, usually in August
in California. After gathering, seeds can be stored in a cool, dry place
for at least a year and still maintain viability. *Madia* species
require well-drained, fairly dry soils with full sun. These annual
species produce prolific seeds, and can be planted directly in the soil
or in seed flats. Plant seeds at the soil surface or plant 1/8\" to ¼\"
in a well-drained soil. Water seedlings as the soil dry to stimulate
growth. It is best to plant seeds in the fall. Fertilization stimulates
growth and seed production.

# Management

*Traditional Resource Management*: Resource management of common madia
includes the following:

-   Seeds were distributed during the process of gathering seeds through
    seed beating.

-   Burning occurred during September-October after seeds ripened and
    were harvested. Grassland species were burned for plant improvement
    by the tribes throughout California.

-   Seeds were planted from wild plants. A Diegueño woman reported her
    people always cleared a small spot near their dwelling to plant
    seeds of plants with greens, seeds, and roots.

-   Ownership of seed-gathering grounds promoted long term care and
    sustainable harvest practices.

# Cultivars, Improved and Selected Materials (and area of origin)

This species is available from selected native plant nurseries within
its range. Contact your local Natural Resources Conservation Service
(formerly Soil Conservation Service) office for more information. Look
in the phone book under "United States Government." The Natural
Resources Conservation Service will be listed under the subheading
"Department of Agriculture."

# References

Abrams, L. & R.S. Ferris 1960. *Illustrated flora of the Pacific
states*. 4 Vols. Stanford University Press, Palo Alto, California.

Anderson, K. 1993. *Native Californians as ancient and contemporary
cultivators*. IN T.C. Blackburn and K. Anderson (eds.) Before the
wilderness. Environmental management by Native Californians. pp.
151-174. Ballena Press.

Barrett, S.A. &E.W. Gifford 1933. *Miwok material culture Indian life of
the Yosemite region*. Yosemite Association, Yosemite National Park,
California. 388 pp.

Barrows, D.P. 1977. *Ethno-botany of the Coahuilla Indians*. Malki
Museum Press. Morongo Indian Reservation, Banning, California. 82 pp.

Bean, L.J. &H.W. Lawton 1993. *Some explanations for the rise of
cultural Complexity in native California with comments on
proto-agriculture and agriculture*. IN: T.C. Blackburn &K. Anderson
(eds.) *Before the wilderness. Environmental management by Native
Californians*. pp. 27-54. Ballena Press.

Hartmann, H.T., D.E. Kester, & T. Davies, Jr. 1990. *Plant propagation
principles and practices*. Prentice Hall, Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey.
647 pp.

Hickman, J. C. (ed.) 1993. *The Jepson manual. Higher plants of
California*. University of California Press. 1400 pp.

Martin, A.C., H.S. Zim, &A.L. Nelson 1951. *American wildlife and
plants. A guide to wildlife food habits*. Dover Publications, Inc., New
York. 500 pp.

Mayer, K.E. &W.F. Laudenslayer Jr. (eds.) 1988. *A guide to wildlife
habitats of California*. USDA Forest Service, California Department of
Fish and Game, and PG&E.

Murphy, E.V.A. 1959. *Indian uses of native plants*. Mendocino County
Historical Society. 81 pp.

Strike, S.S. 1994. *Ethnobotany of the California Indians. Volume 2.
Aboriginal uses of California\'s indigenous plants*. Koeltz Scientific
Books, USA/Germany. 220 pp.

Timbrook, J., J.R. Johnson, &D.D. Earle 1993. *Vegetation burning by the
Chumash*. IN: T.C. Blackburn and K. Anderson (eds*.)* Before the
Wilderness. Environmental Management by Native Californians. pp.
117-150. Ballena Press.

# Prepared By

*Michelle Stevens*

formerly USDA, NRCS, National Plant Data Center

###### *Bart O'Brien*

Director of Horticulture, Rancho Santa Ana Botanic Garden, Claremont,
California

# Species Coordinator

#### *M. Kat Anderson*

USDA, NRCS, National Plant Data Center

c/o Plant Sciences Department, University of California, Davis,
California

Edited: 05dec00 jsp; 21may03 ahv; 060802 jsp

For more information about this and other plants, please contact your
local NRCS field office or Conservation District, and visit the PLANTS
Web site\<[http://plants.usda.gov](http://plants.usda.gov/)\> or the
Plant Materials Program Web site
\<[http://Plant-Materials.nrcs.usda.gov](http://Plant-Materials.nrcs.usda.gov/)\>

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