Latin name: Sorbus americana Marsh. Syn.: Pyrus americana (Marsh.) DC.
Botanical family: Rosaceae
Growth habit: Tree
Vernacular name(s): American mountain ash, round wood, bear berries (Eng.)
sorbier d'Amérique, cormier (Fr.)
maskominanatik, esniywachiywa (htik Cree)
mina'kwimus, wik's (Malecite)
ah-o-je-mahg (Chippewa)
makoomiinaan (Ojibway)
maskominanatuk (Atikamekw)
mashkumenan, mashkuminânakashî (Innu)
Emetic [Algonquians: 63]. Mixed with Populus tremuloides in a tea used to treat constipation [Innu: 72]. Mixed with Picea mariana, Picea glauca, Gaultheria procumbens, Sambucus nigra, and wine in a tea used to fortify blood [Algonquin: 68].
Leaves :Dried and chewed for throat pain [Montagnais 71].
Bark :Steeped in hot water and given to babies to drink for general disorders and especially for cholera. Decoction drunk to treat general pains in the body and considered good for the bones [Cree 13]. , also drunk to stimulate appetite and to purify the blood [Algonquians 63]. Burned and applied to boil as a poultice. Steeped and given to mothers after childbirth, also used as a tonic [Malecite 65]. Boiled and used to make a plaster applied to the lower back of pregnant women to facilitate childbirth [Atikamekw 73]. Boiled and used as a paste to be applied locally on painful body parts, on arthritis or rheumatism. Ground, boiled and the decoction taken for cough. Tea used for heart problems or tootache [Montagnais 71]. Tea used to treat arthritis and muscular pain [Cree 96].
Roots and bark :Medicinal [Ojibwa 86].
Inner bark :Placed in a hot wet towel and applied to swells as a compress [Montagnais 71].
Inner bark and buds :Tea used to cure weariness and depression [Atikamekw 73]. , given for cold, or combined with Acorus calamus and used as a tonic [Algonquin 69].
Roots :Infusion drunk for colic [Algonquians 63]. Extracts used to stimulate appetite [Algonquin 68]. Tea drunk to treat sore throat, cold and cough [Cree 96].
Stem :Medicinal [Ojibway 89]. Chewed and also boiled to make a decoction drunk to treat cold, cough, rheumatism, hemorrhaging, headache, heart trouble, sore chest, kidney pain, or to facilitate labor during childbirth [Dene 13; Innu 72]. Boiled and the steam inhaled for headache and sore chest [Dene 13].