Wild Edible and Medicinal Plants # 162 Poplar (part 1)

Tags

Alamo, Eastern Cottonwood, edible poplar, field craft, field medicine, militia supply, Native American culture, Native American foods, native american medicine, natural aspirin, poplar, Populus alba, Populus angustifolia, Populus balsamifera, Populus deltoides, Populus fremontii, Populus grandidentata, Populus heterophylla, Populus nigra, Populus tremuloides, preppers plants, Quaking Aspen, treat anorexia, treat back pains, treat burns, treat colds, treat gout, treat hemorrhoids, treat infected wounds, treat kidney disorders, treat liver problems, treat menstrual cramps, treat urinary infections, treat wounds, treatment for bronchitis, treatment for excessive menstrual bleeding, treatment for fevers, treatment for sinusitis, treatment of arthritis, treatment of rheumatism, Western Cottonwood

Medical disclaimer: always check with a physician before consuming wild plants, and make positive identification in the field using a good source such as Medicinal Plants of the Mountain West.  Michael Moore also has a glossary of medical terms in his books, and maps in later editions. ) 
#162 (part 1)
Common Name: Cottonwood, Alamo, Aspen, Poplar, Quaking Aspen
Latin Name: Populus alba, P. angustifolia, P. balsamifera, P. deltoides, P. fremontii, P. grandidentata, P. heterophylla, P. nigra, P. tremuloides
Family: Salicacea
Range: http://plants.usda.gov/java/profile?symbol=POPUL All of North America, this is the main database for USDA.
http://plants.usda.gov/java/profile?symbol=POAL7 All of the lower 48 states, except Arizona; In Canada; British Columbia, Manitoba to Quebec, New Brunswick and Nova Scotia. (Populus alba)
http://plants.usda.gov/java/profile?symbol=POAN3 All states west of the Rocky Mountains, except Washington, plus South Dakota, Nebraska and Texas; In Canada; Alberta and Saskatchewan. (Populus angustifolia)
http://plants.usda.gov/java/profile?symbol=POBA2 Alaska, all states west of the Rocky Mountains, except Arizona and New Mexico, plus N. and S. Dakota, Minnesota, Iowa, all states north of the Ohio R., Virginia, W. Virginia, Maryland, Delaware, Pennsylvania, New York north to Maine; All of Canada. (Populus balsamifera)
http://plants.usda.gov/java/profile?symbol=PODE3 All states east of the Mississippi, all states west to the Rocky Mountains, plus Montana, Wyoming, Colorado, New Mexico, Arizona and Utah; In Canada; British Columbia to Quebec. (Populus deltoides)
http://plants.usda.gov/java/profile?symbol=POFR2 California, Nevada, Utah, Colorado, Arizona, New Mexico and Texas. (Populus fremontii)
http://plants.usda.gov/java/profile?symbol=POGR4 All states north of the Ohio R., all states north of Pennsylvania/New Jersey, plus Kentucky, Tennessee, W. Virginia, Virginia, N. Carolina, Minnesota, Iowa, Missouri and N. Dakota; In Canada; British Columbia, Manitoba to Quebec, New Brunswick and Nova Scotia. (Populus grandidentata)
http://plants.usda.gov/java/profile?symbol=POHE4 All states east of the Mississippi R. except W. Virginia, Wisconsin, Vermont, New Hampshire and Maine, plus Missouri to Louisiana; In Canada; Ontario. (Populus heterophylla)
http://plants.usda.gov/java/profile?symbol=PONI All of the lower 48 states, except Montana and Idaho; In Canada; British Columbia, Ontario, Quebec and Nova Scotia. (Populus nigra)
http://plants.usda.gov/java/profile?symbol=POTR5 All states in North America, except Kansas, Oklahoma, Kentucky, Tennessee, Louisiana to S. Carolina; In Canada; all except Nunavut. (Populus tremuloides)
Photos : (Click on Latin name after common name )
Warnings: None on Plants For A Future, except Populus temuloides.
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#162 (a)
Common Name: White Poplar (Populus alba)
Appearance and Habitat: Distributed on both sides of the Cascades in Washington; widely distributed throughout North America. Habitat: Disturbed areas often associated with urban and suburban areas, riparian zones. A perennial that was introduced. (1)  Woods and watersides in C. Europe to Asia. Ferequently planted in Britian but not naturalized. A deciduous tree growing to 20 m (65ft) by 12 m (39ft) at a fast rate. It is hardy to zone 3 and is not frost tender. It is in flower in March. (2)
Edible Uses: Leaves – rich in Vitamin C. Inner bark – dried, ground into a powder and added to flour for making bread. A famine food, it is only used when all else fails (3)
Medicinal Uses :The stem bark is anodyne, anti-inflammatory, antiseptic, astringent, diuretic and tonic. The bark contains salicylates, from which the proprietary medicine aspirin is derived. It is used internally in the treatment of rheumatism, arthritis, gout, lower back pains, urinary complaints, digestive and liver disorders, debility, anorexia, also to reduce fevers and relieve the pain of menstrual cramps. Externally, the bark is used to treat chilblains, haemorrhoids, infected wounds and sprains. The bark is harvested from side branches or coppiced trees and dried for later use. The leaves are used in the treatment of caries of teeth and bones. The twigs are depurative.(4)
Foot Notes: (1)http://biology.burke.washington.edu/herbarium/imagecollection.php?Genus=Populus&Species=alba
Foot Notes: (2, 3, 4 )http://www.pfaf.org/user/Plant.aspx?LatinName=Populus+alba
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#162 (b)
Common Name: Narrow Leaf Cottonwood (Populus angustifolia)
Appearance and Habitat: Narrow-leaf cottonwood is a small, deciduous tree, growing 45-60ft, with rather narrow crown and slender twigs. Bark is less deeply furrowed than the broad-leaved cottonwoods. Toothed, yellow-green leaves are narrow and willow-like. Tree with narrow, conical crown of slender, upright branches and with resinous, balsam-scented buds. Discovered in 1805 by Lewis and Clark on their expedition to the Northwest, this is the common cottonwood of the northern Rocky Mountains. It is easily distinguishable from related species by the narrow, short-stalked, willowlike leaves. Its root system makes it suitable for erosion control.(1)Streambanks in dry mountains, foothills and dry plains in western N. America – Alberta to Mexico. A deciduous tree growing to 30 m (98ft 5in) at a fast rate. It is hardy to zone 3.(2)
Edible Uses:Inner bark There are no more details but inner bark is often dried, ground into a powder and then used as a thickener in soups etc or added to cereals when making bread. A ‘honeydew’, produced on the undersides of leaves by aphis, was collected by various native North American Indian tribes and used as a sweetener. The buds have been used as a chewing gum.(3)
Medicinal Uses :A tea made from the inner bark is used in the treatment of scurvy. The bark contains salicin, a glycoside that probably decomposes into salicylic acid (aspirin) in the body. The bark is therefore anodyne, anti-inflammatory and febrifuge. It is used especially in treating rheumatism and fevers, and also to relieve the pain of menstrual cramps. The woolly fruit is moistened and applied to the gums in order to treat infections. A tea made from the fruits is used in the treatment of toothache.(4)
Foot Notes: (1)http://www.wildflower.org/plants/result.php?id_plant=POAN3
Foot Notes: (2, 3, 4 ) http://www.pfaf.org/user/Plant.aspx?LatinName=Populus+angustifolia
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#162 (c)
Common Name: Balsam Poplar (Populus balsamifera)
Appearance and Habitat: A 20-60 ft tree with dark gray, furrowed bark. Trunk is straight and branches are erect and stout. Dark green leaves are shiny on top; silvery or brown underneath. Catkins appear before the leaves emerge. Cottony seeds are blown about by the wind. Large tree with narrow, open crown of upright branches and fragrant, resinous buds with strong balsam odor. The northernmost New World hardwood, Balsam Poplar extends in scattered groves to Alaskas Arctic Slope. Black Cottonwood, once considered a separate species (P. trichocarpa), is now considered a subspecies of Balsam Poplar. It occupies the more southerly portions of the species range in the West. Balm-of-Gilead Poplar, an ornamental with broad, open crown and larger, heart-shaped leaves, is a clone or hybrid of Balsam Poplar. Balm-of-Gilead, derived from the resinous buds, has been used in home remedies.(1)  Deep moist sandy soils of river bottomlands, stream banks, borders of lakes and swamps in northern N. America – Newfoundland to Alaska, south to New England, Iowa and Colorado. A deciduous tree growing to 30 m (98ft) by 8 m (26ft) at a fast rate. It is hardy to zone 2.(2)
Edible Uses:Inner bark. It is best used in spring. Mucilaginous. There are no more details but inner bark is often dried, ground into a powder and then used as a thickener in soups etc or added to cereals when making bread. Catkins – raw or cooked. A bitter flavour.(3)
Medicinal Uses :Balsam poplar has a long history of medicinal use. It was valued by several native North American Indian tribes who used it to treat a variety of complaints, but especially to treat skin problems and lung ailments. In modern herbalism it is valued as an expectorant and antiseptic tonic. The leaf buds are antiscorbutic, antiseptic, diuretic, expectorant, stimulant, tonic. The leaf buds are covered with a resinous sap that has a strong turpentine odour and a bitter taste.They are boiled in order to separate the resin and the resin is then dissolved in alcohol. The resin is a folk remedy, used as a salve and wash for sores, rheumatism, wounds etc. It is made into a tea and used as a wash for sprains, inflammation, muscle pains etc. Internally, the tea is used in the treatment of lung ailments and coughs. The buds can also be put in hot water and used as an inhalant to relieve congested nasal passages. The bark is cathartic and tonic. Although no specific mention has been seen for this species, the bark of most, if not all members of the genus contain salicin, a glycoside that probably decomposes into salicylic acid (aspirin) in the body. The bark is therefore anodyne, anti-inflammatory and febrifuge. It is used especially in treating rheumatism and fevers, and also to relieve the pain of menstrual cramps. A tea made from the inner bark is used as an eye wash and in the treatment of scurvy.(4)
Foot Notes: (1) http://www.wildflower.org/plants/result.php?id_plant=POBA2
Foot Notes: (2, 3, 4 ) http://www.pfaf.org/user/Plant.aspx?LatinName=Populus+balsamifera
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#162 (d)
Common Name: Eastern Cottonwood, Necklace Poplar (Populus deltoides)
Appearance and Habitat: Eastern cottonwood is a large-canopied tree with upright limbs becoming arching at the tips creating a vase-shape outline. The deciduous tree grows to100 ft. or more with stout branches. Catkins appear before leaf emergence. Large, papery, toothed triangular, medium-green leaves turn yellow in fall. Large tree with a massive trunk often forked into stout branches, and broad, open crown of spreading and slightly drooping branches. Pendulous clusters of flowers without petals in late March and early April. Seeds wind-borne on a tuft of cottony hairs. The common name refers to the abundant cottony seeds; another name, Necklace Poplar, alludes to the resemblance of the long, narrow line of seed capsules to a string of beads. Although short-lived, it is one of the fastest-growing native trees; on favorable sites in the Mississippi Valley, trees average 5 (1.5 m) in height growth annually with as much as 13 (4 m) the first year. Plains Cottonwood (ssp. monilifera [Ait.] Eckenwalder or var. occidentalis Rydb.), a western subspecies or variety, has slightly smaller leaves that are often broader than long and more coarsely toothed.(1)  Rich moist spoils, mainly along riverbanks, bottoms and rich woods. N. America – Quebec to Florida, west to Minnesota and Texas. A deciduous tree growing to 30 m (98ft) by 20 m (65ft) at a fast rate. It is hardy to zone 2. It is in flower from Mar to April, and the seeds ripen from May to June.(2)
Edible Uses:Inner bark. A mucilaginous texture, it is usually harvested in the spring. There are no more details but inner bark is often dried, ground into a powder and then used as a thickener in soups etc or added to cereals when making bread. Seeds. No more details are given but they are very small and would be exceedingly fiddly to collect and use. Sap – used for food. Buds. No more details are given. The leaves are rich in protein and have a greater amino-acid content than wheat, corn, rice and barley. A concentrate made from them is as nourishing as meat, but can be produced faster and more cheaply. Some people believe that this will become a major food source for humans.(3)
Medicinal Uses :The bark contains salicin, a glycoside that probably decomposes into salicylic acid (aspirin) in the body. The bark is therefore anodyne, anti-inflammatory and febrifuge. It is used especially in treating rheumatism and fevers, and also to relieve the pain of menstrual cramps. An infusion of the bark has been used in the treatment of whooping cough and tuberculosis. A decoction of the bark has been used to rid the body of intestinal worms. The bark has been eaten as a treatment for colds. A tea made from the inner bark is used in the treatment of scurvy. The inner bark, combined with black haw bark (Crataegus douglasii) and wild plum bark (Prunus spp) has been used as a female tonic. A poultice of the leaves has been used as a treatment for rheumatism, bruises, sores and boils.(4)
Foot Notes: (1) http://www.wildflower.org/plants/result.php?id_plant=PODE3
Foot Notes: (2, 3, 4 ) http://www.pfaf.org/user/Plant.aspx?LatinName=Populus+deltoides
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#162 (e)
Common Name: Fremont Cottonwood, Western Cottonwood, Gila Cottonwood, Alamo (Populus fremontii)
Appearance and Habitat: A fast-growing riparian tree, Fremonts Cottonwood has been known to grow 30ft in one year. It ultimate height is up to 90 ft. Tree with broad, flattened, open crown of large, widely spreading branches. The crown is broad and open with stout branches. Bark is whitish and roughly cracked. The triangular, deciduous leaves are bright green turning yellow in fall. This species, including varieties, is the common cottonwood at low altitudes along the Rio Grande and Colorado River and in the rest of the Southwest, as well as in California. Fremont Cottonwood grows only on wet soil and is an indicator of permanent water and shade. Easily propagated from cuttings, it is extensively planted in its range along irrigation ditches, and although it grows rapidly, it is short-lived. To this day, Hopi Indians of the Southwest carve cottonwood roots into kachina dolls, the representations of supernatural beings, that have become valuable collectors items. Horses gnaw the sweetish bark of this species; beavers also feed on the bark and build dams with the branches. Greenish clumps of parasitic mistletoes are often scattered on the branches. Fremont Cottonwood is named for its discoverer, General John Charles Fremont (1813-90), politician, soldier, and explorer.(1)Banks of streams and other moist places in south-western N. America – California to Texas. It is hardy to zone 7. It is in flower from Mar to April, and the seeds ripen in April.(2)
Edible Uses:Catkins – raw or cooked. Eaten as a snack. The young green seedpods have been chewed as a gum. Inner bark. There are no more details but inner bark is often dried, ground into a powder and then used as a thickener in soups etc or added to cereals when making bread.(3)
Medicinal Uses :The inner bark was consumed by various native North American Indian tribes in order to prevent scurvy. The bark of most, if not all members of the genus contain salicin, a glycoside that probably decomposes into salicylic acid (aspirin) in the body. The bark is therefore anodyne, anti-inflammatory and febrifuge. It is used especially in treating rheumatism and fevers, and also to relieve the pain of menstrual cramps. An infusion of the bark and leaves has been used to wet a cloth which is then tied around the head as a treatment for headaches. The infusion has also been used as a wash on cuts, bruises, wounds and insect stings. A poultice of the boiled bark and leaves has been used to treat swellings caused by muscle strain.(4)
Foot Notes: (1) http://www.wildflower.org/plants/result.php?id_plant=POFR2
Foot Notes: (2, 3, 4 ) http://www.pfaf.org/user/Plant.aspx?LatinName=Populus+fremontii
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#162 (f)
Common Name: Canadian Aspen, Bigtooth Aspen (Populus grandidentata)
Appearance and Habitat: Big-tooth aspen is a columnar tree 50-75ft. tall. Toothed leaves are cottony white on the lower surface, especially when the tree is young. The slender trunk’s whitish bark, becomes furrowed at base and darker gray with age. Silvery catkins appear before leaves. Deciduous foliage becomes golden-yellow in fall. Easily distinguishable from Quaking Aspen by the large curved teeth of leaf edges, mentioned in both common and scientific names. Like that species, Bigtooth Aspen is a pioneer tree after fires and logging and on abandoned fields, short-lived and replaced by conifers. The foliage, twig buds, and bark are consumed by wildlife.(1)  Rich moist sandy soils near streams and the borders of swamps from sea level to 900 meters in north-eastern N. America – Nova Scotia to Manitoba, south to North Carolina. It is hardy to zone 3. It is in flower in March, and the seeds ripen in April.(2)
Edible Uses:Inner bark – boiled. There are no more details but inner bark is often dried, ground into a powder and then used as a thickener in soups etc or added to cereals when making bread.(3)
Medicinal Uses :The bark of most, if not all members of the genus contain salicin, a glycoside that probably decomposes into salicylic acid (aspirin) in the body. The bark is therefore anodyne, anti-inflammatory, febrifuge and tonic. It is used especially in treating rheumatism and fevers, and also to relieve the pain of menstrual cramps. An infusion of the bark has been used to ease and lessen menstrual flow.(4)
Foot Notes: (1)http://www.wildflower.org/plants/result.php?id_plant=POGR4
Foot Notes: (2, 3, 4 )http://www.pfaf.org/user/Plant.aspx?LatinName=Populus+grandidentata
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#162 (g)
Common Name: Black Cottonwood, Swamp Cottonwood, Swamp Poplar (Populus heterophylla)
Appearance and Habitat: Most recently discovered Canadian tree (April 2003). Found in Bickford Woods south of Sarnia, Ont.(1)Found mainly on heavy waterlogged clay soils on the edges of swamps and bottom lands in eastern N. America – Connecticut to Goergia, west to Louisiana, Ohio, Indiana and Arkansas.(2)
Edible Uses:None(3)
Medicinal Uses :Although no specific mention has been seen for this species, the bark of most, if not all members of the genus contain salicin, a glycoside that probably decomposes into salicylic acid (aspirin) in the body. The bark is therefore anodyne, anti-inflammatory and febrifuge. It is used especially in treating rheumatism and fevers, and also to relieve the pain of menstrual cramps.(4)
Foot Notes: (1)http://www.wildflower.org/plants/result.php?id_plant=POHE4
Foot Notes: (2, 3, 4 )http://www.pfaf.org/user/Plant.aspx?LatinName=Populus+heterophylla
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#162 (h)
Common Name: Black Poplar, Lombardy Poplar (Populus nigra)
Appearance and Habitat: Moist ground in woods and by streams in central and southern Europe, including Britain, Mediterranean temperate Asia to the Himalayas. A deciduous tree growing to 30 m (98ft) by 20 m (65ft) at a fast rate. It is hardy to zone 2. It is in flower in April, and the seeds ripen in June.
Edible Uses: Inner bark – dried, ground then added to flour and used for making bread etc. A famine food, used when all else fails.
Medicinal Uses : The leaf buds are covered with a resinous sap that has a strong turpentine odour and a bitter taste. They also contain salicin, a glycoside that probably decomposes into salicylic acid (aspirin) in the body. The buds are antiscorbutic, antiseptic, balsamic, diaphoretic, diuretic, expectorant, febrifuge, salve, stimulant, tonic and vulnerary. They are taken internally in the treatment of bronchitis and upper respiratory tract infections, stomach and kidney disorders. They should not be prescribed to patients who are sensitive to aspirin. Externally, the buds are used to treat colds, sinusitis, arthritis, rheumatism, muscular pain and dry skin conditions. They can be put in hot water and used as an inhalant to relieve congested nasal passages. The buds are harvested in the spring before they open and are dried for later use. The stem bark is anodyne, anti-inflammatory, antiseptic, astringent, diuretic and tonic. The bark contains salicylates, from which the proprietary medicine aspirin is derived. It is used internally in the treatment of rheumatism, arthritis, gout, lower back pains, urinary complaints, digestive and liver disorders, debility, anorexia, also to reduce fevers and relieve the pain of menstrual cramps. Externally, the bark is used to treat chilblains, haemorrhoids, infected wounds and sprains. The bark is harvested from side branches or coppiced trees and dried for later use.
http://www.pfaf.org/user/Plant.aspx?LatinName=Populus+nigra
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#162 (i)
Common Name: Quaking Aspen, American Aspen, (Populus tremuloides)
Native American Name: Sinnabe(Shoshone)(1)
Appearance and Habitat: A 35-50 ft. deciduous tree, quaking aspen is pyramidal when young, usually developing a long trunk and narrow, rounded crown at maturity. Its small, nearly round, shiny leaves have a flattened petiole which allows them to quiver in the slightest breeze. Smooth, whitish-green bark becomes furrowed at the trunk’s base with age. Silvery catkins appear before leaves. Fall color is bright yellow. The names refer to the leaves, which in the slightest breeze tremble on their flattened leafstalks. The soft smooth bark is sometimes marked by bear claws. A pioneer tree after fires and logging and on abandoned fields, it is short-lived and replaced by conifers. Sometimes planted as an ornamental. Principal uses of the wood include pulpwood, boxes, furniture parts, matches, excelsior, and particle-board. The twigs and foliage are browsed by deer, elk, and moose, also by sheep and goats. Beavers, rabbits, and other mammals eat the bark, foliage, and buds, and grouse and quail feed on the winter buds.(2)  A pioneer species of old fields logged or burnt land, it is found in a range of soils from shallow, rocky or clay soils to rich sandy ones. It grows best in rich porous soils with plenty of lime. N. America – Alaska to Newfoundland, south to Mexico.(3)
Warnings: Possible toxic effects due to salicylates (e.g. heartburn, tinnitus). Avoid with ulcers, stomach or peptic ulcers.(4)
Edible Uses:Inner bark – raw or cooked. It can be dried, ground into a powder and used as a flour. This is normally mixed with other flours for making bread etc and can also be used as a thickener in soups. It is best used in the spring. Sap – can be tapped and used as a drink. It has also been used as a flavouring with wild strawberries. Catkins – raw or cooked. Bitter.(5)  The inner bark of cottonwoods and aspens was used for man and horses in hard times. Some Indians preferred it because of its sweetness.(6)
Medicinal Uses :American aspen has a long history of herbal use. It was widely employed medicinally by many native North American Indian tribes who valued it especially for its antiseptic and analgesic qualities, using it in the treatment of wounds, skin complaints and respiratory disorders. It is used for the same purposes in modern herbalism. The stem bark is anodyne, anti-inflammatory, antiseptic, astringent, diaphoretic, diuretic, febrifuge, nervine and stimulant. The bark contains salicylates, from which the proprietary medicine aspirin is derived. It is used internally in the treatment of rheumatism, arthritis, gout, lower back pains, urinary complaints, digestive and liver disorders, debility, anorexia, also to reduce fevers and relieve the pain of menstrual cramps. Externally, the bark is used to treat chilblains, haemorrhoids, infected wounds and sprains. The bark is harvested from side branches or coppiced trees and dried for later use. An infusion of the inner bark is considered to be a remedy for coughs and an appetite stimulant, it is also used in the treatment of stomach pains, urinary ailments, VD, worms, colds and fevers. The root is poulticed and applied to cuts and wounds. A tea from the root bark is used as a treatment for excessive menstrual bleeding. The leaf buds are used as a salve for colds, coughs and irritated nostrils. The German Commission E Monographs, a therapeutic guide to herbal medicine, approve Populus tremuloides American Aspen for haemorrhoids, wounds & burns.(7)
Foot Notes: (1, 6) Indian Uses of Native Plants by Edith Van Murphy, page 17, Publisher: Meyerbooks, Copyright 1990, ISBN 0-96638-15-4
Foot Notes: (2) http://www.wildflower.org/plants/result.php?id_plant=POTR5
Foot Notes: ( 3, 4, 5, 7 )http://www.pfaf.org/user/Plant.aspx?LatinName=Populus+tremuloides

Reproduced, in part, (as well as previous postings under this title) in accordance with Section 107 of title 17 of the Copyright Law of the United States relating to fair-use and is for the purposes of criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, and research.

Wild Edible and Medicinal Plants 147 Onion/Garlic/Leeks (part 2)

Tags

Allium drummondii, Allium fistulosum, Allium geyeri, Allium kunthii, Allium macropetalum, Allium oleraceum, Allium sativum, Allium schoenoprasum, anticancer activity, Desert Onion, field craft, Geyer's Onion, Kunth's Onion, Largeflower Onion, militia supply, Native American foods, natural antiseptic, Plains Onion, Prairie Onion, prepper plants, treat amoebic dysentery, treat arteriosclerosis, treat cancer, treat glucose metabolism in diabetics, treat high cholesterol, treat hypertension, treat lead poisoning, treat wounds, treatment for amoebic dysentery, treatment for lowering cholesterol, treatment for wounds, Welsh Onion, wild chives

Medical disclaimer: always check with a physician before consuming wild plants, and make positive identification in the field using a good source such as Medicinal Plants of the Mountain West.  Michael Moore also has a glossary of medical terms in his books, and maps in later editions. ) 
#147 (Part 2)
Common Name: Onion/Garlic/Leeks
Latin Name: Allium drummondii, A. fistulosum, A. geyeri, A. kunthii, A. macropetalum, A. oleraceum, A. sativum, A. schoenoprasum 
Family: Liliaceae
Range: http://plants.usda.gov/java/profile?symbol=ALLIU All States, except Hawaii, all of Canada, except Nunavut; this is the main database for USDA.
http://plants.usda.gov/java/profile?symbol=ALDR South Dakota, Nebraska, Kansas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, New Mexico and Texas. (Allium drummondii)
http://plants.usda.gov/java/profile?symbol=ALFI4 Alaska, Illinois and Vermont; In Canada; Northwest Territories. (Allium fistulosum)
http://plants.usda.gov/java/profile?symbol=ALGE All States west of the Rocky Mountains, except California, plus South Dakota and Texas; In Canada; British Columbia to Saskatchewan. (Allium geyeri)
http://plants.usda.gov/java/profile?symbol=ALKU Arizona, New Mexico and Texas. (Allium kunthii)
http://plants.usda.gov/java/profile?symbol=ALMA4 Utah, Colorado, New Mexico, Arizona and Texas. (Allium macropetalum)
http://plants.usda.gov/java/profile?symbol=ALOL Kentucky, Virginia, Pennsylvania, New York and Massachusetts; In Canada; Ontario. (Allium oleraceum)
http://plants.usda.gov/java/profile?symbol=ALSA2 All States east of the Mississippi R., except Florida, North Carolina, New Jersey, Connecticut, Rhode Island, New Hampshire and Maine; plus Missouri, Arkansas, Louisiana, Oklahoma, Kansas, Nebraska, Colorado and California; In Canada; Manitoba and Ontario. (Allium sativum)
http://plants.usda.gov/java/profile?symbol=ALSC All States north of the Ohio R., plus all States north of Pennsylvania and New Jersey, plus Virginia, Maryland, Missouri, Minnesota, Alaska, Montana, Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Colorado, Wyoming, Utah and Nevada; In Canada; All Provinces except Nunavut. (Allium schoenoprasum)
Photos: (Click on Latin Name after Common Name.)
Warnings: Unless PFAF has some warnings, besides “don’t feed large quantities to dogs” I won’t list their warnings. See part 1 on PFAF warnings.
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#147(j)
Common Name: Drummond’s Onion, Prairie Onion (Allium drummondii )
Appearance and Habitat: Bulbs 1–5, without basal bulbels, ovoid, outer coats enclosing 1 or more bulbs, brown, reticulate, cells fine-meshed, mostly closed in proximal 1/2 of bulb, fibrous; inner coats whitish or brownish, cells intricately contorted, walls usually not sinuous. Leaves persistent, green at anthesis, 2–5, sheathing; blade solid, flat, channeled, 10–30 cm × 1–3(–5) mm, margins entire. Scape persistent, solitary, erect, terete, 10–30 cm × 1–3 mm. Umbel persistent, erect, compact to ± loose, usually 10–25-flowered, hemispheric-globose, rarely replaced by bulbils; spathe bracts persistent, 2–3, 1-veined, ovate, ± equal, apex acuminate. Flowers campanulate to ± stellate, 6–9 mm; tepals spreading, white, pink, or red, rarely greenish yellow, ovate to lanceolate, ± equal, becoming papery and rigid in fruit, margins entire, apex obtuse or acute, midribs somewhat thickened; stamens included; anthers yellow; pollen light yellow; ovary crestless; style linear, equaling stamens; stigma capitate, unlobed or obscurely lobed; pedicel 5–20 mm. Seed coat shining; cells each usually with minute, central papilla. Flowering Mar–Jun. Plains, hills, and prairies, particularly in limestone soils; 0–1600 m; Ark., Kans., Neb., N.Mex., Okla., Tex.; Mexico.(1)  Sandy or gravelly, often on limestone soils on dry prairies and hills in N. America -Texas to New Mexico, north to Nebraska. A bulb growing to 0.3 m. (1ft). It is hardy to zone 7. It is in flower from Apr to June.(2)
Edible Uses:Bulb – raw or cooked. Used mainly as a condiment, the bulb is also eaten as a vegetable. The bulb is rather small, up to 25mm tall and 15mm in diameter. Leaves – raw or cooked. Flowers – raw. Used as a garnish on salads.(3)
Medicinal Uses :Although no specific mention of medicinal uses has been seen for this species, members of this genus are in general very healthy additions to the diet. They contain sulphur compounds (which give them their onion flavour) and when added to the diet on a regular basis they help reduce blood cholesterol levels, act as a tonic to the digestive system and also tonify the circulatory system.(4)
Foot Notes: (1)http://www.efloras.org/florataxon.aspx?flora_id=1&taxon_id=242101355
Foot Notes: (2, 3, 4)http://www.pfaf.org/user/Plant.aspx?LatinName=Allium+drummondii
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#147(k)
Common Name: Welsh Onion (Allium fistulosum )
Appearance and Habitat: Bulbs 2–12+, borne on short rhizome, cylindric, 2–5 × 1–2.5 cm; outer coats enclosing 1 or more bulbs, white to light brown, membranous, without reticulation; inner coats white, cells obscure, quadrate. Leaves persistent, 2–6, sheathing lower 1/4–1/3 of scape; blade terete, fistulose, 10–40 cm × 10–25 mm. Scape persistent, solitary, erect, fistulose, inflated in middle, tapering to umbel, (12–)15–70 cm × 8–25 mm. Umbel persistent, erect, compact, 50–100-flowered, globose to ovoid, bulbils unknown; spathe bracts persistent, 1–2, 1–3-veined, ovate, ± equal, apex acute. Flowers narrowly campanulate to urceolate, 6–9 mm; tepals erect, yellowish white, withering in fruit, margins entire, apex acute, outer lanceolate, inner narrowly ovate, unequal; stamens long-exserted; anthers white to yellow; pollen white; ovary crestless; style linear, equaling stamens; stigma capitate, obscurely 3-lobed; pedicel 10–30 mm. Seed coat shining; cells 4–6-angled, ± rectangular. Allium fistulosum is cultivated in Europe and Asia. It is reported to have escaped in Alaska and is established near the north end of Great Slave Lake. The species is to be expected elsewhere in Canada and the northern United States.(1)Cultivated for over 1000 years, it is unknown in the wild. Original habitat is obscure. A bulb growing to 0.6 m (2ft) by 0.2 m (0ft 8in). It is not frost tender. It is in flower in July.(2)
Edible Uses:Bulb – raw or cooked. A strong onion flavour, it can be used in salads, as a cooked vegetable or as a flavouring in cooked foods. The bulbs are rather small, usually 10 – 25mm in diameter though they can be up to 45mm, and are sometimes used as spring onions. A nutritional analysis is available. Leaves – raw or cooked. They have a mild onion flavour and can be added to salads or cooked as a vegetable. The leaves are often available all through the winter if the weather is not too severe. They contain about 1.4% protein, 0.3% fat, 4.6% carbohydrate, 0.8% ash, some vitamin B1 and moderate levels of vitamin C. Flowers – raw. A pleasant onion flavour, but they are rather on the dry side.(3)
Medicinal Uses :The bulb contains an essential oil that is rich in sulphur compounds. It is antibacterial, antiseptic, diaphoretic, diuretic, galactogogue, stomachic, vermifuge and vulnerary. It is used in the treatment of colds and abdominal coldness and fullness. A tea made from the roots is a children’s sedative. Use of the bulb in the diet impedes internal parasites. Externally, the bulb can be made into a poultice to drain pus from sores, boils and abscesses.(4)
Foot Notes: (1)http://www.efloras.org/florataxon.aspx?flora_id=1&taxon_id=200027477
Foot Notes: (2, 3, 4)http://www.pfaf.org/user/Plant.aspx?LatinName=Allium+fistulosum
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#147(l)
Common Name: Geyer’s Onion (Allium geyeri)
Appearance and Habitat: Bulbs 2–10+, not rhizomatous, ovoid or more elongate, 1–2.5 × 0.8–2 cm; outer coats enclosing 1 or more bulbs, gray or brown, reticulate, cells rather coarse-meshed, open, fibrous; inner coats whitish, cells vertically elongate and regular or obscure. Leaves persistent, usually green at anthesis, usually 3–5, sheathing less than 1/4 scape; blade solid, ± straight, flat, channeled, (6–)12–30 cm × 1–3(–5) mm, margins entire or denticulate. Scape persistent, solitary, erect, terete or somewhat 2-angled, 10–50 cm × 1–3 mm. Umbel persistent, erect, compact, 10–25-flowered, hemispheric to globose, not producing bulbils, or 0–5-flowered, largely replaced by ovoid, acuminate bulbils; spathe bracts persistent, 2–3, mostly 1-veined, ovate to lanceolate, ± equal, apex acuminate, beakless. Flowers urceolate-campanulate, (4–)6–8(–10) mm; tepals erect or spreading, pink to white, ovate to lanceolate, ± equal, not withering in fruit and permanently investing fruit, or withering if fruit not produced, midribs papillose, becoming callous-keeled, margins often obscurely toothed, apex obtuse to acuminate; stamens included; anthers yellow; pollen yellow; ovary when present, inconspicuously crested; processes 6, central, low, distinct or connate in pairs across septa, ± erect, rounded, margins entire, becoming variously developed or obsolete in fruit; style linear, ± equaling stamens; stigma capitate, unlobed or obscurely lobed; pedicel becoming rigid and stiffly spreading in fruit, 8–13 mm. Seed coat shining; cells each with minute, central papilla.(1)Low meadows and by streams in the Rocky Mountains in Western N. America – Washington, Texas, Oregon, New Mexico and Nevada. A bulb growing to 0.5 m (1ft 8in).  It is hardy to zone 7 and is not frost tender. It is in flower from Apr to May.(2)
Edible Uses:Bulb – raw or cooked. Used mainly as an onion-flavouring in soups etc, though they were also occasionally eaten raw. The bulbs are eaten by the Navajo Indians. The bulbs are up to 25mm long and 20mm in diameter. Leaves – raw or cooked. Flowers – raw. Used as a garnish on salads.(3)
Medicinal Uses :Although no specific mention of medicinal uses has been seen for this species, members of this genus are in general very healthy additions to the diet. They contain sulphur compounds (which give them their onion flavour) and when added to the diet on a regular basis they help reduce blood cholesterol levels, act as a tonic to the digestive system and also tonify the circulatory system.  (4)
Foot Notes: (1)http://www.efloras.org/florataxon.aspx?flora_id=1&taxon_id=242101360
Foot Notes: (2, 3, 4)http://www.pfaf.org/user/Plant.aspx?LatinName=Allium+geyeri
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#147(m)
Common Name: Kunth’s Onion (Allium kunthii )
Appearance and Habitat: Bulbs 1–4+, rhizomes, if present, secondary, inconspicuous, 2 cm or less including renewal bulb, ± thick, terminated by new bulb, parent bulbs disappearing by anthesis except for still-functional roots and bulb coat, not basally clustered, ovoid, 1–2 × 0.8–1.5 cm; outer coats enclosing renewal bulbs or not, grayish or brownish, with or without obscure, delicate, cellular markings, sometimes striate, membranous, cells elongate, in regular vertical rows, without fibers; inner bulb coats whitish or pinkish, cells obscure, ± quadrate or rectangular and vertically elongate. Leaves persistent, green at anthesis, 2–5, basally sheathing, sheaths not extended much above soil surface; blade solid, flat, channeled, 10–21 cm × 1–3 mm, margins and veins sometimes denticulate. Scape persistent, solitary, occasionally 2 or more produced successively from single bulb, erect, solid, terete, 15–30 cm × 1–3 mm. Umbel persistent, erect, loose, 5–20-flowered, conic, bulbils unknown; spathe bracts persistent, 2, 3–5-veined, lanceolate, apex acuminate. Flowers stellate to campanulate, 4–8 mm; tepals ± spreading, white or pale pink (particularly on midribs), lanceolate, ± equal, becoming papery and withering in fruit, margins entire, apex acute to acuminate; stamens included; anthers yellow or purple; pollen yellow; ovary crestless; style linear, equaling stamens; stigma capitate, unlobed; pedicel unequal, 10–20 mm. Seed coat dull; cells ± smooth. 2n = 14. Flowering Jul–Sep. Dry, rocky hills and mountains, usually in limestone soils; 700–3000 m; Ariz., N.Mex., Tex.; Mexico.(1)  Dry, rocky hills and mountains, usually in limestone soils at elevations for 700 – 3000 meters in Southwestern N. America – Texas, New Mexico and Mexico. A bulb growing to 0.4 m (1ft 4in). It is hardy to zone 7. It is in flower from Jul to September.(2)
Edible Uses:Bulb – raw or cooked. Used as a flavouring. The small bulbs are usually less than 2cm in diameter. Leaves – raw or cooked. Flowers – raw. Used as a garnish on salads.(3)
Medicinal Uses :Although no specific mention of medicinal uses has been seen for this species, members of this genus are in general very healthy additions to the diet. They contain sulphur compounds (which give them their onion flavour) and when added to the diet on a regular basis they help reduce blood cholesterol levels, act as a tonic to the digestive system and also tonify the circulatory system.  (4)
Foot Notes: (1)http://www.efloras.org/florataxon.aspx?flora_id=1&taxon_id=242101368
Foot Notes: (2, 3, 4)http://www.pfaf.org/user/Plant.aspx?LatinName=Allium+kunthii
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#147(n)
Common Name: Largeflower Onion, Desert Onion, (Allium macropetalum )
Appearance and Habitat: Large-petal or desert onion is a low, desert species with narrowly linear leaves and pink-striped, six-petaled flowers in a cluster at the top of a separate stem.(1)Desert plains and hills at elevations from 300 to 2500 meters in South-western N. America – Colorado, Utah, Arizona, Texas and New Mexico. A bulb growing to 0.3 m (1ft). It is hardy to zone 5.(2)
Edible Uses:Bulb – raw or cooked. They can be dried and stored for winter use. The North American Indians would singe the bulb to reduce the strong flavour and then eat it immediately or dry it for later use. Leaves – raw or cooked. Flowers – raw. Used as a garnish on salads.  (3)
Medicinal Uses :Although no specific mention of medicinal uses has been seen for this species, members of this genus are in general very healthy additions to the diet. They contain sulphur compounds (which give them their onion flavour) and when added to the diet on a regular basis they help reduce blood cholesterol levels, act as a tonic to the digestive system and also tonify the circulatory system.(4)
Foot Notes: (1) http://www.wildflower.org/plants/result.php?id_plant=ALMA4
Foot Notes: (2, 3, 4) http://www.pfaf.org/user/Plant.aspx?LatinName=Allium+macropetalum
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#147(o)
Common Name: Field Garlic (Allium oleraceum )
Appearance and Habitat: Bulbs 1 or more, not attached to rhizome, ovoid, 1.2–2 × 1–1.5 cm; outer coats enclosing bulbs, brown to grayish brown, fibrous, fibers close, ± parallel; inner coats white to light brown, not cellular. Leaves withering from tip by anthesis, 2–4, sheathing proximal 1/2+ scape; blade fistulose proximally, solid distally, terete, linear to filiform, prominently ribbed proximally, channeled distally, 1.5–2.5 cm × 0.5–5 mm, margins and veins usually scabrid with minute teeth, apex acute. Scape persistent, solitary, erect, terete, 25–100 cm × 4–8 mm. Umbel persistent, erect, compact to ± loose, 0–40-flowered, subglobose, with few to many bulbils or with bulbils only; spathe bracts persistent, 2, 4–9-veined, lanceolate, unequal, apex acuminate into beak, beak long, slender, to 20 cm, ± equaling or longer than base. Flowers usually aborting before capsules mature, if present, campanulate, 6–8 mm; tepals erect, whitish or pinkish to purple, outer narrowly obovate, inner ± elliptic, unequal, margins entire, apex obtuse; stamens included; anthers yellow to reddish; pollen yellow; ovary crestless; style linear, equaling stamens; stigma capitate, unlobed; pedicel 15–60 mm. Seed coat unknown; capsules only rarely produced. Flowering late Jul–Aug. Roadsides and other disturbed ground; introduced; Europe. Allium oleraceum is reported from New England, where it is sometimes found on roadsides and other disturbed ground. It persists and is spread easily by the bulbils.(1)  Dry gassy places, waysides etc. Most of Europe, including Britain, east to the Caucasus. A bulb growing to 0.6 m (2ft) by 0.1 m (0ft 4in). It is hardy to zone 5 and is not frost tender. It is in flower from Jul to August, and the seeds ripen from Aug to September.(2)
Edible Uses:Bulb – raw or cooked. Used as a garlic flavouring in soups etc. The bulbs are 10 – 20mm in diameter. Leaves – raw or cooked. The young leaves are used as a garlic flavouring in soups and stews, but are inferior to that species. Flowers – raw. Used as a garnish on salads. Used mainly as a flavouring in soups and stews. Bulbils – raw or cooked.(3)
Medicinal Uses :Although no specific mention of medicinal uses has been seen for this species, members of this genus are in general very healthy additions to the diet. They contain sulphur compounds (which give them their onion flavour) and when added to the diet on a regular basis they help reduce blood cholesterol levels, act as a tonic to the digestive system and also tonify the circulatory system.(4)
Foot Notes: (1)http://www.efloras.org/florataxon.aspx?flora_id=1&taxon_id=242101382
Foot Notes: (2, 3, 4)http://www.pfaf.org/user/Plant.aspx?LatinName=Allium+oleraceum
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#147(p)
Common Name: Cultivated Garlic (Allium sativum )
Appearance and Habitat: Not known in a truly wild situtation. Original habitat is obscure, possibly C. Asia. An occasional garden escape in Britain. A bulb growing to 0.6 m (2ft) by 0.2 m (0ft 8in). It is hardy to zone 8 and is not frost tender.
Warnings: Avoid with anticlotting medication. Breastfeeding may worsen baby’s colic. Avoid several weeks prior to surgery.
Edible Uses: Bulb – raw or cooked. Widely used, especially in southern Europe, as a flavouring in a wide range of foods, both raw and cooked. Garlic is a wonderfully nutritious and health giving addition to the diet, but it has a very strong flavour and so is mainly used in very small quantities as a flavouring in salads and cooked foods. A nutritional analysis is available. The bulbs can be up to 6cm in diameter. Leaves – raw or cooked. Chopped and used in salads, they are rather milder than the bulbs. The Chinese often cultivate garlic especially for the leaves, these can be produced in the middle of winter in mild winters. The flowering stems are used as a flavouring and are sometimes sold in Chinese shops. The sprouted seed is added to salads
Medicinal Uses : Garlic has a very long folk history of use in a wide range of ailments, particularly ailments such as ringworm, Candida and vaginitis where its fungicidal, antiseptic, tonic and parasiticidal properties have proved of benefit. The plant produces inhibitory effects on gram-negative germs of the typhoid-paratyphoid-enteritis group, indeed it possesses outstanding germicidal properties and can keep amoebic dysentery at bay. It is also said to have anticancer activity. It has also been shown that garlic aids detoxification of chronic lead poisoning. Daily use of garlic in the diet has been shown to have a very beneficial effect on the body, especially the blood system and the heart. For example, demographic studies suggest that garlic is responsible for the low incidence of arteriosclerosis in areas of Italy and Spain where consumption of the bulb is heavy. Recent research has also indicated that garlic reduces glucose metabolism in diabetics, slows the development of arteriosclerosis and lowers the risk of further heart attacks in myocardial infarct patients. Externally, the expressed juice is an excellent antiseptic for treating wounds. The fresh bulb is much more effective medicinally than stored bulbs, extended storage greatly reduces the anti-bacterial action. The bulb is said to be anthelmintic, antiasthmatic, anticholesterolemic, antiseptic, antispasmodic, cholagogue, diaphoretic, diuretic, expectorant, febrifuge, stimulant, stings, stomachic, tonic, vasodilator. The German Commission E Monographs, a therapeutic guide to herbal medicine, approve Allium sativum for arteriosclerosis, hypertension, high cholesterol levels.
http://www.pfaf.org/user/Plant.aspx?LatinName=Allium+sativum
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#147(q)
Common Name: Wild Chives (Allium schoenoprasum )
Appearance and Habitat: Across southern Canada and northern United States; in Washington, along the Wenatchee and Columbia Rivers. Habitat: Wet meadows, rocky or gravelly streambanks and lake shores. Scapose perennials from elongate, clustered bulbs, inner coats whitish or pinkish, outer coats grayish or brownish, minutely striate. Leaves usually 2, terete, hollow, 1-7 mm. thick, partially sheathing and shorter than the scape; scape 2-5 dm. tall, rather stout, terete. Flowers: Umbel several- to many-flowered, pedicels slender, shorter than the tepals; tepals 8-12 mm. long, elliptic to lanceolate, pointed, the tips recurved, pale to deep lilac or white; stamens 6, over the length of the tepals. Blooms April to August.(1)  Rocky pastures and damp meadows, preferring calcareous soils. Most of Europe, including Britain, east to the Himalayas and Japan. A bulb growing to 0.3 m (1ft) by 0.3 m (1ft in). It is hardy to zone 5 and is not frost tender. It is in leaf 12-Feb It is in flower from Jun to July, and the seeds ripen from Jul to August.(2)
Edible Uses:Leaves – raw, cooked or dried for later use. The leaves have a mild onion flavour and are an excellent addition to mixed salads, they can also be used as a flavouring in soups etc. The leaves are often available from late winter and can continue to produce leaves until early the following winter, especially if they are in a warm, sheltered position. A good source of sulphur and iron. A nutritional analysis is available. The bulbs are rather small, and rarely exceed 10mm in diameter. They can be harvested with the leaves still attached and be used as spring onions. They have a pleasant mild onion flavour. The flowers can be used as a garnish in salads etc. The flowers of this species are rather dry and less desirable than the flowers of many other species.(3)
Medicinal Uses :The whole plant has a beneficial effect on the digestive system and the blood circulation. It improves the appetite, is digestive, hypotensive and tonic. It has similar properties to garlic (A. sativum), but in a much milder form, and it is rarely used medicinally.(4)
Foot Notes: (1)http://biology.burke.washington.edu/herbarium/imagecollection.php?Genus=Allium&Species=schoenoprasum
Foot Notes: (2, 3, 4) http://www.pfaf.org/user/Plant.aspx?LatinName=Allium+schoenoprasum
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Reproduced, in part, (as well as previous postings under this title) in accordance with Section 107 of title 17 of the Copyright Law of the United States relating to fair-use and is for the purposes of criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, and research.

Wild Edible and Medicinal Plants 147 – Onions/Leeks/Garlic (part 1)

Tags

Allium acuminatum, Allium ampeloprasum, Allium bisceptrum, Allium bolanderi, Allium brevistylum, Allium canadense, Allium cepa, Allium cernuum, Allium douglasii, Bolander's Onion, Douglas' Onion, edible herbs, edible plants, field craft, Garden Onion, home remedies, leek poutice for bites and stings, Meadow Garlic, militia supply, Native American culture, Native American foods, Nodding Onion, preppers plants, prevent scurvy, reduce cholesterol levels, Shortstyle Onion, tapertip onion, treat arteriosclerosis, treat bronchitis, treat candida, treat carbuncles, treat colds, treat earache, treat pleurisy pains, treat respiratory ailments, treat ringworm, treat scurvy, treat vaginitis, treatment for carbuncles, treatment for croup, treatment for scurvy, treatment for worms, treatment of kidney stones, Twincrest Onion, Wild Leek

Medical disclaimer: always check with a physician before consuming wild plants, and make positive identification in the field using a good source such as Medicinal Plants of the Mountain West.  Michael Moore also has a glossary of medical terms in his books, and maps in later editions. ) 
#147 (part 1)
Common Name: Onion, Leeks and Garlic
Latin Name: Allium acuminatum , A. ampeloprasum, A. bisceptrum, A. bolanderi , A. brevistylum, A. canadense, A. cepa, A. cernuum, A. douglasii 
Family: Liliaceae
Range: http://plants.usda.gov/java/profile?symbol=ALLIU This is the main database. All States except Hawaii, all of Canada except Nunavut.
http://plants.usda.gov/java/profile?symbol=ALAC4 All States west of the Rocky Mountains; In Canada; British Columbia. (Allium acuminatum)
http://plants.usda.gov/java/profile?symbol=ALAM All States east of the Mississippi R. and south of the Ohio R. except W. Virginia and Florida, plus Illinois, Ohio, New York, Arkansas, Louisiana, Oklahoma, Texas and California. (Allium ampeloprasum)
http://plants.usda.gov/java/profile?symbol=ALBI2 Oregon, Idaho, California, Nevada, Utah, Arizona and New Mexico. (Allium bisceptrum)
http://plants.usda.gov/java/profile?symbol=ALBO Oregon and California. (Allium bolanderi)
http://plants.usda.gov/java/profile?symbol=ALBR2 Montana, Idaho, Wyoming, Utah and Colorado. (Allium brevistylum)
http://plants.usda.gov/java/profile?symbol=ALCA3 All States east of the Mississippi R. and along the west bank, plus N. Dakota through Texas and Montana; In Canada; Ontario, Quebec and New Brunswick. (Allium canadense)
http://plants.usda.gov/java/profile?symbol=ALCE All States north of the Ohio R. plus Pennsylvania and New York north to Maine (except Rhode Island), Kentucky, N. and S. Carolina, Mississippi, Louisiana, Arkansas, Missouri, Kansas, Texas, Montana, Oregon and California. (Allium cepa)
http://plants.usda.gov/java/profile?symbol=ALCE2 All States east of the Mississippi R., except Florida, New Jersey and states north of New York, all States along the west bank of the Mississippi R. except Louisiana, plus S. Dakota, Nebraska, Texas and all states west of the Rocky Mountains except Nevada and California; In Canada; British Columbia to Saskatchewan and Ontario. (Allium cernuum)
http://plants.usda.gov/java/profile?symbol=ALDO Washington, Oregon and Idaho.(Allium douglasii)
Photos: (Click on Latin Name after Common Name.)
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#147(a)
Common Name: Tapertip Onion, Hooker’s Onion (Allium acuminatum)
Native American Name: Aukipi satsi nikim (Blackfoot), Bostick (Washoe) Gunk (Shoshone)(1)
Appearance and Habitat: An umbel of pink or deep pink flowers grows at the top of a leafless stalk. Plant has a strong onion odor. One of the most common of the many western Wild Onions, all of which have edible bulbs, though some are extremely potent or unpalatable. In the early days of the West, Indians saved at least one exploration party from scurvy by alerting the ill explorers to the curative properties of Wild Onion. (2)  Amongst dry sunny rocks on hills and plains in Western N. America – Washington to N. California. A bulb growing to 0.3 m (1ft) by 0.1 m (0ft 4in). It is hardy to zone 6. It is in flower from May to June.  (3)
Warnings: Although no individual reports regarding this species have been seen, there have been cases of poisoning caused by the consumption, in large quantities and by some mammals of certain members of this genus. Dogs seem to be particularly susceptible.  (4)
Edible Uses:Bulb – raw or cooked. Eaten in spring and early summer. A strong flavour. The bulb is 10 – 15mm wide. Leaves – raw or cooked. Used as a relish. Flowers – raw. Used as a garnish on salads. The seed heads can be placed in hot ashes for a few minutes, then the seeds extracted and eaten. (5)  These grow along streams in the mountains.  They are gathered in May and June and eaten as they are found, both the onions and leaves are eaten after washing in water.  (6)
Medicinal Uses :Although no specific mention of medicinal uses has been seen for this species, members of this genus are in general very healthy additions to the diet. They contain sulphur compounds (which give them their onion flavour) and when added to the diet on a regular basis they help reduce blood cholesterol levels, act as a tonic to the digestive system and also tonify the circulatory system.  (7)
Foot Notes: (1, 6) Indian Uses of Native Plants by Edith Van Murphy, page 33, 68, Publisher: Meyerbooks, Copyright 1990, ISBN 0-96638-15-4
Foot Notes: (2) http://www.wildflower.org/plants/result.php?id_plant=ALAC4
Foot Notes: ( 3, 4, 5, 7 ) http://www.pfaf.org/user/Plant.aspx?LatinName=Allium+acuminatum
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#147(b)
Common Name: Wild Leek, Broadleaf Wild Leek (Allium ampeloprasum)
Appearance and Habitat: It forms a thick, fleshy structure like a large green onion plant without a bulb. It is attractive in appearance with its silvery base and green top. The leaves of some varieties are blue-green, while others are yellow-green. The leaves are flat, in contrast to the round ones of the onion, and are arranged in a fan-like manner. The thick leaf bases and slightly developed bulb are eaten as a cooked vegetable or raw with or without attached leaves. The green leaves may be eaten and have a pungent odor and acrid taste.(1)  Rocky places near the coast in S.W. England and Wales, S. Europe to W. Asia. A bulb growing to 1.8 m (6ft) by 0.1 m (0ft 4in). It is hardy to zone 6 and is not frost tender. It is in leaf 8-Oct It is in flower from Jul to August, and the seeds ripen in August.(2)
Warnings: Although no individual reports regarding this species have been seen, there have been cases of poisoning caused by the consumption, in large quantities and by some mammals of certain members of this genus. Dogs seem to be particularly susceptible. (3)
Edible Uses:Bulb – raw or cooked. The small bulbs can vary considerably in size from 2 – 6cm, they have a fairly strong leek to garlic flavour and are nice as a flavouring in cooked foods. The bulbs of selected cultivars are very large with a mild garlic flavour. Leaves – raw or cooked. A pleasant mild to strong garlic flavour, they are available from late autumn to the spring though they can become rather tough and fibrous as they get older. Flowers – raw. A similar flavour to the leaves but they have a somewhat dry texture and are best used as a flavouring in cooked foods. The bulbils have a mild garlic flavour and make a nice flavouring in salads and cooked foods. Although produced abundantly, they are quite fiddly to use because they are small. They can also be pickled.  (4)
Medicinal Uses :This species has the same medicinal virtues as garlic, but in a much milder and less effective form. These virtues are as follows:- Garlic has a very long folk history of use in a wide range of ailments, particularly ailments such as ringworm, Candida and vaginitis where its fungicidal, antiseptic, tonic and parasiticidal properties have proved of benefit. It is also said to have anticancer activity. Daily use of garlic in the diet has been shown to have a very beneficial effect on the body, especially the blood system and the heart. For example, demographic studies suggest that garlic is responsible for the low incidence of arteriosclerosis in areas of Italy and Spain where consumption of the bulb is heavy. The bulb is said to be anthelmintic, antiasthmatic, anticholesterolemic, antiseptic, antispasmodic, cholagogue, diaphoretic, diuretic, expectorant, febrifuge, stimulant, stomachic, tonic, vasodilator. The crushed bulb may be applied as a poultice to ease the pain of bites, stings etc.   (5)
Foot Notes: (1) http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/mv087
Foot Notes: (2, 3, 4, 5 ) http://www.pfaf.org/user/Plant.aspx?LatinName=Allium+ampeloprasum
(Growing Tip: If you grow Leeks in your garden, you can get longer white bulbs if you do what I do. Start them in a trench that is 6″ inches deep, as the plants grow, slowly fill it in to become a mounded row.)
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#147(c)
Common Name: Palmer’s Onion, Twincrest Onion, Two Stemmed Onion (Allium biceptrum)
Appearance and Habitat: Bulbs 1–7+, commonly producing either cluster of stalked, basal bulbels or filiform rhizomes to 1 dm, terminated by bulbels, rhizomes generally lost when specimens are collected, ovoid, 1–2 × 0.6–1.8 cm; outer coats enclosing 1 or more bulbs, light brown to gray, membranous, obscurely cellular-reticulate, cells rectangular, walls minutely sinuous, vertical, varying to irregular, all sinuous, without fibers; inner coats white to pink, cells obscure, quadrate. Leaves persistent, green at anthesis, 2–5, basally sheathing, sheaths not extending much above soil surface; blade solid, flat, broadly channeled, 8–30 cm × 1–13 mm, margins entire. Scape persistent, solitary or clustered 1–3, erect, solid, terete, 10–30(–40) cm × 1–5 mm. Umbel persistent, erect, loose, 15–40-flowered, globose, bulbils unknown; spathe bracts persistent, 2, 3–4-veined, ovate to lanceolate, ± equal, apex acuminate. Flowers stellate, 7–10 mm; tepals spreading, lilac to white, lanceolate, ± equal, becoming papery in fruit, not carinate, margins entire, apex acuminate, not involute; stamens included; anthers purple; pollen yellow; ovary conspicuously crested; processes 6, central, distinct, flattened, triangular, margins papillose-denticulate; style included, linear, ± equaling stamens; stigma capitate, unlobed; pedicel 10–20 mm, often becoming flexuous and deflexed in fruit. Seed coat shining; cells each with minute, central papilla. 2n = 14, 28. Flowering May–Jul. Meadows and aspen groves, less commonly on open slopes in mountains; 1100–3000 m; Ariz., Calif., Idaho, Nev., N.Mex., Oreg., Utah.(1)Meadows and aspen groves, occasionally on open slopes. Western N. America – Oregon to California. A bulb growing to 0.3 m (1ft). It is hardy to zone 8. It is in flower from Jul to August.(2) 
Warnings: Although no individual reports regarding this species have been seen, there have been cases of poisoning caused by the consumption, in large quantities and by some mammals of certain members of this genus. Dogs seem to be particularly susceptible.(3)  (I’m going to leave of PFAF warning, unless it changes.)
Edible Uses:Bulb – raw or cooked. They were usually harvested in spring or early summer. The bulbs are 10 – 15mm wide. Leaves – raw or cooked. Used as a relish. Flowers – raw. Used as a garnish on salads. The seed heads can be placed in hot ashes for a few minutes, then the seeds extracted and eaten.(4)
Medicinal Uses :The plant juice has been used as an appetite restorer. Although no other specific mention of medicinal uses has been seen for this species, members of this genus are in general very healthy additions to the diet. They contain sulphur compounds (which give them their onion flavour) and when added to the diet on a regular basis they help reduce blood cholesterol levels, act as a tonic to the digestive system and also tonify the circulatory system.(5)
Foot Notes: (1) http://www.efloras.org/florataxon.aspx?flora_id=1&taxon_id=242101335
Foot Notes: (2, 3, 4, 5 ) http://www.pfaf.org/user/Plant.aspx?LatinName=Allium+bisceptrum
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#147(d)
Common Name: Bolander’s Onion (Allium bolanderi)
Appearance and Habitat: Bulbs 1–6+, not basally clustered, replaced annually by new bulbs borne terminally on rhizomes; rhizomes 1–3, inconspicuous, slender, less than 2 cm including renewal bulb; parent bulbs disappearing by anthesis except for still-functional roots and bulb coat, oblique-ovoid to ± oblong, 0.7–1.4 × 0.5–1.2 cm; outer coats not enclosing bulbs, brown to gray-brown, ± obscurely reticulate, membranous, reticulum delicate, cells transversely elongate, V-shaped or ± wavy, forming obscure herringbone pattern, without fibers; inner coats white, cells obscure, quadrate to ± rectangular, often contorted. Leaves persistent, withering from tip at anthesis, 2–3, basally sheathing, sheaths not extending much above soil surface; blade solid, subterete to ± channeled, 9–30 cm × 1–2 mm, margins entire. Scape persistent, solitary, erect, solid, terete, 10–35 cm × 1–3 mm. Umbel persistent, erect, compact to loose, 10–20-flowered, hemispheric, bulbils unknown; spathe bracts persistent, 2, 4–6-veined, lanceolate to lance-ovate, ± equal, apex acuminate. Flowers conic to campanulate, 7–14 mm; tepals erect, reddish purple, rarely white, narrowly lanceolate to lance-ovate, ± equal, becoming rigid and carinate in fruit, margins finely denticulate (inner tepal more prominently so), apex acute to obtuse, becoming involute at tip and appearing acuminate; stamens included; anthers yellow; pollen yellow; ovary crested; processes 3, central, 2-lobed, minute, margins entire; style linear, equaling stamens; stigma capitate, obscurely 3-lobed, scarcely thickened; pedicel 10–20 mm. Seed coat dull; cells minutely roughened.(1)  Heavy soils and openings in brush and woods below 900 meters in South western N. America – California. A bulb growing to 0.2 m (0ft 8in).
It is hardy to zone 7. It is in flower from Jul to August.(2)
Edible Uses:Bulb – raw or cooked. The bulb is 10 – 25mm wide. Leaves – raw or cooked. Flowers – raw. Used as a garnish on salads.(3)
Medicinal Uses :Although no specific mention of medicinal uses has been seen for this species, members of this genus are in general very healthy additions to the diet. They contain sulphur compounds (which give them their onion flavour) and when added to the diet on a regular basis they help reduce blood cholesterol levels, act as a tonic to the digestive system and also tonify the circulatory system.(4)
Foot Notes: (1)http://www.efloras.org/florataxon.aspx?flora_id=1&taxon_id=242101336
Foot Notes: (2, 3, 4 )http://www.pfaf.org/user/Plant.aspx?LatinName=Allium+bolanderi
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#147(e)
Common Name: Shortstyle Onion (Allium brevistylum)
Appearance and Habitat: Bulbs 2–4, terminating thick, iris-like rhizome, elongate, 2–3 × 0.6–1 cm; outer coats enclosing single bulb, grayish or brownish, membranous, minutely striate, cells in parallel vertical rows, narrow, elongate, not fibrous-reticulate, fibers persistent, parallel, few, coarse; inner coats whitish, cells narrowly vertically elongate. Leaves persistent, green at anthesis, 2–5, basally sheathing, sheaths not extending much above soil level; blade solid, flat, 10–40 cm × 2–8 mm, margins entire. Scape persistent, solitary, erect, solid, flattened and narrowly winged distally, 20–60 cm × 1.5–4 mm. Umbel persistent, erect, loose, 7–20-flowered, subhemispheric, bulbils unknown; spathe bracts persistent, 2, 3–5-veined, ovate, ± equal, apex acute. Flowers narrowly urceolate, 10–13 mm; tepals erect, pink, lanceolate, ± equal, withering in fruit, margins entire, apex acuminate, midribs somewhat thickened; stamens included, ca. 1/2 as long as tepals; anthers yellow; pollen light yellow; ovary crestless; style linear, equaling stamens; stigma capitate, distinctly 3-lobed; pedicel 8–35 mm, elongating and becoming stout and curved in fruit. Seed coat dull or shining; cells each with minute, central papilla, or obscurely and minutely roughened. 2n = 14. Flowering Jun–Aug. Swampy meadows and along streams, rarely on wooded slopes; 2200–3400 m; Colo., Idaho, Mont., N.Mex., Utah, Wyo.(1)  Swampy meadows and stream sides at mediium to high elevations in Western N. America – Rocky Mountains from Montana and Idaho to Utah and Colorado. A bulb growing to 0.5 m (1ft 8in). It is hardy to zone 2. It is in flower from Jul to August.(2)
Edible Uses:Bulb – raw or cooked. The plant has thick iris-like rhizomes. The bulb is up to 3cm long and 1cm wide. Leaves – raw or cooked. The young and succulent leaves are relished by many animals. Flowers – raw. Used as a garnish on salads.(3)
Medicinal Uses :A poultice of the ground root and stems, or an infusion of them, is used as a wash for carbuncles. Although no other specific mention of medicinal uses has been seen for this species, members of this genus are in general very healthy additions to the diet. They contain sulphur compounds (which give them their onion flavour) and when added to the diet on a regular basis they help reduce blood cholesterol levels, act as a tonic to the digestive system and also tonify the circulatory system.(4)
Foot Notes: (1)http://www.efloras.org/florataxon.aspx?flora_id=1&taxon_id=242101338
Foot Notes: (2, 3, 4 )http://www.pfaf.org/user/Plant.aspx?LatinName=Allium+brevistylum
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#147(f)
Common Name: Meadow Garlic, Canadian Garlic (Allium canadense)
Appearance and Habitat: Meadow garlic or wild garlic’s sparse cluster of grass-like leaves and its 8-12 in. flowering stalk grow from a bulb. From between narrow, grass-like leaves, which originate near its base, rises a stem topped by a dome-like cluster of star-shaped, pink or whitish flowers; plant has strong, onion-like odor. This antive perennial has a brown, fibrous skin on an edible bulb that tastes like onion. (1)  Sandy soils in low woods, thickets and meadows in N. America – New Brunswick to Minnesota, south to Florida and Colorado. A bulb growing to 0.5 m (1ft 8in) by 0.2 m (0ft 8in). It is hardy to zone 4 and is not frost tender. It is in flower from May to June.(2)
Edible Uses:Bulb – raw or cooked. It can be used as a vegetable, or as a flavouring in soups and stews, and can also be pickled. The bulb is up to 30mm in diameter, it is crisp, mild and with a pleasant flavour. Used as a leek substitute according to one report, it is a garlic substitute according to others. Leaves – raw or cooked. A delicious mild flavour, they are available from early spring until the autumn. They make a very acceptable salad and can also be used as a greens or as a flavouring in cooked foods. Flowers – raw. A little bit stronger flavour than the leaves, especially as the seeds begin to form, they can be used as a flavouring and garnish on salads. Some forms of this species produce bulbils. These top-setting bulbils make a fine onion flavoured pickle. They are said to have a superior flavour to other pickled onions.(3)
Medicinal Uses :The plant is antiasthmatic, carminative, cathartic, diuretic, expectorant and stimulant. A tincture is used to prevent worms and colic in children, and also as a remedy for croup. Although no other specific mention of medicinal uses has been seen for this species, members of this genus are in general very healthy additions to the diet. They contain sulphur compounds (which give them their onion flavour) and when added to the diet on a regular basis they help reduce blood cholesterol levels, act as a tonic to the digestive system and also tonify the circulatory system.  (4)
Foot Notes: (1)http://www.wildflower.org/plants/result.php?id_plant=ALCA3
Foot Notes: (2, 3, 4 )http://www.pfaf.org/user/Plant.aspx?LatinName=Allium+canadense
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#147(g)
Common Name: Garden Onion (Allium cepa)
Appearance and Habitat: Bulbs 1–3, not rhizomatous, mostly depressed-globose, varying in size from cultivar to cultivar, 5–8 × 3–10 cm; outer coats enclosing 1 or more bulbs, yellowish brown, red, or white, membranous, without reticulation; inner coats white to pink, cells obscure to quadrate. Leaves persistent, 4–10, sheathing proximal 1/6–1/4 scape; blade fistulose, usually ± semicircular in cross section, 10–50 cm × 4–20 mm. Scape persistent, solitary, erect, fistulose, inflated below middle, 30–100 cm × 3–20 mm. Umbel persistent, erect, compact, to 500-flowered, globose, bulbils occasionally found; spathe bracts caducous, 2–3, 3–4-veined, ovate, ± equal, apex acute to acuminate. Flowers stellate to campanulate to urceolate, 3–7 mm; tepals erect to ± spreading, white to pink with greenish midveins, withering in fruit, margins entire, apex obtuse or acute, outer ovate, inner oblong; stamens exserted; anthers white; pollen white; ovary crestless; style linear, ± equaling stamens; stigma capitate, unlobed; pedicel 10–50 mm. Seed coat not known. Flowering Jun–Aug. Disturbed sites adjacent to areas where cultivated; 0–500 m; Ark., Calif., Kans., La., Mont., Oreg., Tex., Wash.; cultivated in Europe, Asia. (1)Not known in the wild. W. Asia – Iran may be the source. An evergreen bulb growing to 0.6 m (2ft). It is hardy to zone 5 and is not frost tender. It is in flower from Jun to July.(2)
Warnings: Although no individual reports regarding this species have been seen, there have been cases of poisoning caused by the consumption, in large quantities and by some mammals of certain members of this genus. Dogs seem to be particularly susceptible. Hand eczema may occur with frequent handling. May interfere with drug control of blood sugar.(3)
Edible Uses:Bulb – raw or cooked. A very versatile food, the bulb can be 10cm or more in diameter and is widely used in most countries of the world. Eaten raw, it can be sliced up and used in salads, sandwich fillings etc, it can be baked or boiled as a vegetable in its own right and is also commonly used as a flavouring in soups, stews and many other cooked dishes. Some cultivars have been selected for their smaller and often hotter bulbs and these are used for making pickles. Leaves – raw or cooked. There are some cultivars, the spring onions, that have been selected for their leaves and are used in salads whilst still young and actively growing – the bulb is much smaller than in other cultivars and is usually eaten with the leaves. By successional sowing, they can be available at any time of the year. Flowers – raw. Used as a garnish on salads. The flowers are somewhat dry and are less pleasant than many other species. The seeds are sprouted and eaten. They have a delicious onion flavour.  (4)
Medicinal Uses :Although rarely used specifically as a medicinal herb, the onion has a wide range of beneficial actions on the body and when eaten (especially raw) on a regular basis will promote the general health of the body. The bulb is anthelmintic, anti-inflammatory, antiseptic, antispasmodic, carminative, diuretic, expectorant, febrifuge, hypoglycaemic, hypotensive, lithontripic, stomachic and tonic. When used regularly in the diet it offsets tendencies towards angina, arteriosclerosis and heart attack. It is also useful in preventing oral infection and tooth decay. Baked onions can be used as a poultice to remove pus from sores. Fresh onion juice is a very useful first aid treatment for bee and wasp stings, bites, grazes or fungal skin complaints. When warmed the juice can be dropped into the ear to treat earache. It also aids the formation of scar tissue on wounds, thus speeding up the healing process, and has been used as a cosmetic to remove freckles. Bulbs of red cultivars are harvested when mature in the summer and used to make a homeopathic remedy. This is used particularly in the treatment of people whose symptoms include running eyes and nose. The German Commission E Monographs, a therapeutic guide to herbal medicine, approve Allium cepa Onion for appetite loss, arteriosclerosis, dyspeptic complaints, fevers & colds, cough/bronchitis, hypertension, tendency to infection, inflammation of mouth and pharynx, common cold. (5)
Foot Notes: (1)http://www.efloras.org/florataxon.aspx?flora_id=1&taxon_id=200027457
Foot Notes:(2, 3, 4, 5 )http://www.pfaf.org/user/Plant.aspx?LatinName=Allium+cepa
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#147(h)
Common Name: Nodding Onion (Allium cernuum)
Appearance and Habitat: Soft, grasslike leaves and a 1-2 ft., leafless flowering stalk rise from a bulb. The stem bends so that the pink flowers, borne in a cluster at the top, nod toward the ground. An umbel of many pink or white flowers at the tip of a long, erect, leafless stalk, bent like a shepherd’s crook; a basal cluster of several long, narrow leaves. All parts of the perennial have a mild, oniony scent. This plant is closely related to the Autumn Wild Onion (A. stellatum) but differs in its unique nodding flower cluster and earlier flowering. One of the rarer Carolinian species because of its restricted habitat. It is principally found on Lake Erie islands, the southern most land in Canada. It is edible and has medicinal uses similar to garlic. (Lamb/Rhynard). Eaten sparingly by Northwest Coast First Nations. They were steamed in pits lined with cedar boughs and covered with lichen and alder boughs. After they were eaten, or dried in strings or on mats or pressed into cakes. EDIBLE PARTS: Leaves, bulbs and bulblets. Field garlic (A. vineale), introduced from Eurasia and northern Africa, is too strong for most tastes. Gather leaves during spring and fall. Gather bulbs in the second year when they are large enough to use like cultivated onions. Flower stem bulblets are collected during the summer. Use as domestic onions, for seasoning or raw in salads. Bulbs can be used raw, boiled, pickled or for seasoning. Their strong taste can be reduced by parboiling and discarding the water. To freeze onions or garlic, one should coarsely chop, blanch two minutes, drain, pat dry and place them into plastic bags. The bulbs can also be dried for use as seasoning. Use flower bulbs to flavor soup or for pickling. Attracts hairstreak butterfly. The city of Chicago gets its name from the Algonquin Indian name for this plant, chigagou.(1)  Ledges, gravels, rocky or wooded slopes and crests ascending to higher altitudes. Widely distributed on moist soils in mountainous and cool regions to 3500 meters. N. America – Canada to Mexico. A bulb growing to 0.5 m (1ft 8in) by 0.3 m (1ft). It is hardy to zone 6 and is not frost tender. It is in leaf 12-Feb It is in flower from Jun to July.(2)
Edible Uses:Bulb – raw or cooked. Strongly flavoured, it is mainly used as a flavouring. The bulb is about 50mm tall and 15mm wide. Leaves – raw or cooked. A delicious, strong-onion flavour, they are very nice in salads. The leaves are available from spring until the autumn and are one of the most favourite onions we are growing on our Cornish trial grounds. Flowers – raw or cooked. A delicious strong onion flavour, somewhat stronger than the leaves especially if the seeds are starting to set. They make a very decorative and tasty addition to the salad bowl.(3)
Medicinal Uses :The whole plant has mild medicinal activity similar to the action of garlic (Allium sativum). It is used specifically as a poultice on the chest for the treatment of respiratory ailments and the juice has been used in the treatment of kidney stones. The juice of the plant is used in treating colds, croup, sore throats etc. A poultice of the plant is applied externally to various infections such as sore throats, sores, swellings, chest and pleurisy pains.(4)
Foot Notes: (1) http://www.wildflower.org/plants/result.php?id_plant=ALCE2
Foot Notes: (2, 3, 4) http://www.pfaf.org/user/Plant.aspx?LatinName=Allium+cernuum
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#147(i)
Common Name: Douglas’ Onion (Allium douglasii )
Appearance and Habitat: Bulbs 1–4, not clustered on stout, primary rhizomes, ovoid, 1.2–3 × 1–2 cm; outer coats enclosing 1 or more bulbs, light brown, membranous, lacking cellular reticulation, or cells arranged in only 2–3 rows distal to roots, ± quadrate, without fibers; inner coats white, sometimes pink, cells obscure, quadrate or linear. Leaves usually persistent, green at anthesis, 2, basally sheathing, sheaths not extending much above soil surface; blade solid, flat, falcate, 9–28 cm × (2–)5–15 mm, margins entire. Scape persistent, solitary, erect, solid, terete, not expanded proximal to inflorescence, (10–)20–30(–40) cm × 1–4 mm. Umbel persistent, erect, compact, 25–50-flowered, hemispheric to globose, bulbils unknown; spathe bracts persistent, 3, 4–6-veined, ovate, ± equal, apex acute. Flowers ± stellate, (6–)7–8(–10) mm; tepals spreading, light pink to purple with prominent green midribs, narrowly lanceolate, ± equal, becoming papery in fruit, margins entire, apex acuminate; stamens equaling tepals or exserted; anthers blue-gray; pollen white to light gray; ovary crested; processes 6, 2 per lobe, low, rounded, margins entire; style exserted, linear; stigma capitate, unlobed; pedicel 15–30 mm. Seed coat shining; cells smooth.(1)  Low hills in shallow soil that is wet in winter but dry in summer. Western N. America – Washington to Oregon and Idaho. A bulb growing to 0.3 m (1ft) by 0.1 m (0ft 4in). It is in flower from Jul to August.(2)
Edible Uses:Bulb – raw or cooked. A mild and sweet flavour, it can be sliced and used in salads or used as a vegetable or flavouring in cooked foods. The bulb is up to 3cm long and 2cm wide. Leaves – raw or cooked. Flowers – raw. Used as a garnish on salads.  (3)
Medicinal Uses :Although no specific mention of medicinal uses has been seen for this species, members of this genus are in general very healthy additions to the diet. They contain sulphur compounds (which give them their onion flavour) and when added to the diet on a regular basis they help reduce blood cholesterol levels, act as a tonic to the digestive system and also tonify the circulatory system.(4)
Foot Notes: (1)(http://www.efloras.org/florataxon.aspx?flora_id=1&taxon_id=242101354
Foot Notes: (2, 3, 4)(http://www.pfaf.org/user/Plant.aspx?LatinName=Allium+douglasii

Reproduced, in part, (as well as previous postings under this title) in accordance with Section 107 of title 17 of the Copyright Law of the United States relating to fair-use and is for the purposes of criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, and research.

Wild Edible and Medicinal Plants 138 – 139 Licorice/Cow Parsnip

Tags

American Licorice poultice, Canadian Licorice Root, Cow Cabbage, edible Cow Parsnip, field craft, field medicine, Glycyrrhiza glabra, Glycyrrhiza lepidota, Heracleum lanatum, Heracleum montanum, Heracleum sphondylium, Indian Rhubarb, Ligusticum canadense, Masterwort, militia supply, Native American culture, Native American foods, native american medicine, prepper plant, treat a hiatal hernia, treat a sore tooth, treat Addison's disease, treat arthritis, treat asthma, treat bronchitis, treat coughs, treat dry constipation, treat frequent urination, treat herpes, treat high blood pressure, treat indigestion, treat inflammatory upper respiratory conditions, treat kidney disease, treat paralysis, treat peptic ulcer, treat persistant nausea, treat psoriasis, treat stomach aches, treat stomach disorders, treat tic douloureux, treat trigeminal neuralgia, treat urinary tract infections, treat VD scabs, treatment for Addison's disease, treatment for AIDS, treatment for dry constipation, treatment for epilepsy, treatment of catarrhal infections, treatment of herpes, treatment to end warts

Medical disclaimer: always check with a physician before consuming wild plants, and make positive identification in the field using a good source such as Medicinal Plants of the Mountain West.  Michael Moore also has a glossary of medical terms in his books, and maps in later editions. )
#138
Common Name: American Licorice, Amolillo
Latin Name: Glycyrrhiza glabra, G. lepidota
Family: Leguminaceae
Range: http://plants.usda.gov/java/profile?symbol=GLGL California, Nevada and Utah (Glycyrrhiza glabra)
http://plants.usda.gov/java/profile?symbol=GLLE3 All states west of the Mississippi R. except Louisiana, plus Wisconsin, Illinois, Indiana, Virginia, Pennsylvania, New York, Connecticut, Massachusetts and Maine; In Canada; British Columbia through Ontario. (Glycyrrhiza lepidota)
Photos: (Click on Latin Name after Common Name.)
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#138(a)
Common Name: Cultivated Licorice (Glycyrrhiza glabra )
Appearance and Habitat: Dry open spaces, especially in sandy places near the sea in Europe – Mediteranean. A perennial growing to 1.2 m (4ft) by 1 m (3ft 3in). It is hardy to zone 8. It is in flower from Jun to July.
Warnings: A gross overdose of the root can cause oedema, high blood pressure and congestive heart failure. Do not use during prementrual syndrome as water retention and bloating occur If pregnant or have a liver cirrhosis use with caution. Avoid using for more than 6 weeks. Excessive quantities may cause headache, sluggishness and potassium depletion.
Edible Uses: Root – raw or used as a flavouring. The source of liquorice powder that is extracted and used in sweets, baked goods, ice cream, soft drinks etc, it is also used medicinally. A sweet and delicious flavour, but the root is very fibrous. The root contains glycyrrhizin, a substance that is 50 times sweeter than sucrose. The dried root is often used for chewing, it is excellent for teething children and also as a tooth cleaner. A tea made from the roots is an excellent thirst quencher. The powdered root is also used as a sweetener in other herb teas. The leaves are used as a tea substitute in Mongolia.
Medicinal Uses : Liquorice his one of the most commonly used herbs in Western herbal medicine and has a very long history of use, both as a medicine and also as a flavouring to disguise the unpleasant flavour of other medications. It is a very sweet, moist, soothing herb that detoxifies and protects the liver and is also powerfully anti-inflammatory, being used in conditions as varied as arthritis and mouth ulcers. The root is alterative, antispasmodic, demulcent, diuretic, emollient, expectorant, laxative, moderately pectoral and tonic. The root has also been shown to have a hormonal effect similar to the ovarian hormone. Liquorice root is much used in cough medicines and also in the treatment of catarrhal infections of the urinary tract. It is taken internally in the treatment of Addison’s disease, asthma, bronchitis, coughs, peptic ulcer, arthritis, allergic complaints and following steroidal therapy. It should be used in moderation and should not be prescribed for pregnant women or people with high blood pressure, kidney disease or taking digoxin-based medication. Prolonged usage raises the blood pressure and causes water retention. See also the notes above on toxicity. Externally, the root is used in the treatment of herpes, eczema and shingles. The root is harvested in the autumn when 3 – 4 years old and is dried for later use. The German Commission E Monographs, a therapeutic guide to herbal medicine, approve Glycyrrhiza glabra for coughs/bronchitis, gastritis.
http://www.pfaf.org/user/Plant.aspx?LatinName=Glycyrrhiza+glabra
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#138(b)
Common Name: American Licorice (Glycyrrhiza lepidota )
Native American Name: Quitchemboo (Bannock)(1)
Appearance and Habitat: Erect perennial up to 3ft. The stem is covered with minute sticky hairs. Cream flowers, which resemble those of alfalfa, are crowded on a terminal spike. Leaves are pinnately compound. The brown fruit is covered with hooked spines and resembes a cocklebur. The root has a distinct licorice flavor, but commercial licorice is obtained from another plant of this genus that is not a North American native.(2)Cultivated ground, waste places, roadsides, prairies, gravely river bottoms and moist mountain draws to 2,100 meters. Usually grows in patches, frequently in heavy clay and saline soils. N. America – saskatchewan to British Columbia, south to California and Mexico. It is in flower from Jul to August, and the seeds ripen from August to September.(3)This plant resembles sweet peas and forms large colonies through it root. The leaves are pinnate with a single leave at the end of the stem making an odd number leaflets. The leaflets can range from 11 to 17 in number. Th foliage is sticky and waxy when touched. The average height is 2 feet. Along the stock flower clusters emerge at the axis of the leaves. The flowers vary in color, from cream, white, light yellow green and once in a while some are tinged with purple. The blooms mature into a cluster of barbed seeds that are usually a 1/2 long. The barbed seeds are a distinguishing characteristic of Licorice that is found in the west.(4)
Warnings: Very young growth can be poisonous to animals.(5)
Edible Uses: Root – raw or cooked. Long, sweet and fleshy, when slow roasted they are said to taste like sweet potatoes. They can be used as a flavouring in other foods and can also be chewed raw as a masticatory, making an excellent tooth cleaner and also very good for teething children. The root contains 6% glycyrrhizin, a substance that is 50 times sweeter than sugar. The tender young shoots can be eaten raw in the spring.(6)
Medicinal Uses :American liquorice was widely employed medicinally by a number of native North American Indian tribes who used it in the treatment of a range of diseases. All parts of the body are medicinal, but the roots are the most active part. This species has properties similar to other liquorices which are widely used medicinally, though this species is rather neglected in modern literature. An infusion of the root is used to speed the delivery of the placenta after childbirth, it is also used to treat coughs, diarrhoea, chest pains, fevers in children, stomach aches etc. It is also used as a wash or poultice on swellings. The chewed root is retained in the mouth as a treatment for toothache and sore throats. The mashed leaves are used as a poultice on sores. The leaves have been placed in the shoes to absorb moisture. (7)The root was chewed for a strong throat for singing. The root was boiled into a tonic for a sore throat. ( 8 )Collect the roots in the fall. Try your best to not harm too many of the lateral roots from which new plants will grow in the spring. The tap root can go down 3 or 4 feet in the ground. Dry the roots after spliting them in a cheesecloth pocket suspended in the shade in a spot that is airy. It may take up to two weeks for the roots to dry. Licorice is excellent to treat inflammatory upper respiratory conditions. It is rather unque in that it strengthens the effects of other herbs you are taking. It works well with Mullein and Horehound. The roots are high in steriod content and can raise levels of estrogen and andreocortico- steroids if you are deficient. Two cups of Licorice tea per day for a week will help treat painful menstrual cramps and continued use may lessen the problem in the future. The tea will also treat stomach ulcers, especially so if the pain is predictable at certain time of the day. For this use, use a rounded teaspoon of the chopper root, boiled in water and drunk when it reaches body temperature. It will also treat frequent urination and dry constipation. It does this by diminishing urination while it allows more fluids to retained ending the dry constipation. It is also helpful for treating bronchitis or other respiratory ills accompanied by a fever. It is not advised to use during pregnancy or with steriod therapy. To make the tea use 1 part dried chopped root to 32 parts water, boil them together for 10 minutes allow it to cool until warm, then strain the root and return the volume to 32 parts. (9)
Foot Notes: (1, 8) Indian Uses of Native Plants
by Edith Murphey, page 38; Publisher: Meyerbooks Copy right 1990; ISBN 0-916638-15-4
Foot Notes: (2)http://www.wildflower.org/plants/result.php?id_plant=GLLE3
Foot Notes: (3, 5, 6, 7 )http://www.pfaf.org/user/Plant.aspx?LatinName=Glycyrrhiza+lepidota
Foot Notes: (4, 9) Medical Plants of the Moutain West ,2nd Edition, by Michael Moore, pages 148 -150; Publisher: Museum of New Mexico Press, Copyright 2003, ISBN: 978-0-89013-454-2
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I am going to include one more plant under this heading as it is called Licorice Root, though the family changes.
#138(c)
Common Name: Canadian Licorice Root
Latin Name: Ligusticum canadense
Family: Apiaceae
Range: http://plants.usda.gov/java/profile?symbol=lica16 Indiana, Pennsylvania, Maryland, all States south of the Ohio R., except Florida, plus Missouri and Arkansas.
Photos: Ligusticum canadense
Appearance and Habitat: Habitat is unknown, range N. America.
Warnings: None
Edible Uses: Leaves and young stems – cooked. The young leaves have been boiled and used as greens. They are often cooked with leaves of Ramps (Allium tricoccum). The leaves can be dried for later use.
Medicinal Uses :The root has been chewed in the treatment of any stomach disorders.
http://www.pfaf.org/user/Plant.aspx?LatinName=Ligusticum+canadense
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#139
Common Name: Cow Parsnip, Cow Cabbage, American Masterwort, Wolly Parsnip, Indian Rhubarb
Latin Name: Heracleum sphondylium L. var. lanatum , Heracleum sphondylium L. ssp. montanum, Heracleum sphondylium  
Family: Umbellaiferae 
Range: http://plants.usda.gov/java/profile?symbol=HEMA80 All States except Hawaii, Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, Florida and S. Carolina; In Canada; all Provinces exept Nunavut. (Note: this covers Heracleum sphondylium lanatum and Heracleum sphondylium montanum)
http://plants.usda.gov/java/profile?symbol=HESP6 Washington, Oregon, New Jersey and New York northwards to Maine, but not in Vermont; In Canada; Ontario, Quebec, Nova Scotia, Labrador and Newbrunswick. (Heracleum sphondylium)
Photos: ( Heracleum lanatum) ( Heracleum montanum) (Heracleum sphondylium)
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#139(a)
Common Name: Common Cow Parsnip, Indian Rhubarb (H. lanatum and H. montanum)
Native American Name: Po-kint-somo (Blackfoot) .(1)
Appearance and Habitat: This very tall plant has huge leaves and flat umbels of numerous tiny white flowers; stem is grooved, woolly, hollow, and stout. This is the largest species of the carrot family in North America. The genus is named for Hercules, who is reputed to have used these plants for medicine. Early in each year, Native Americans peeled and ate the young sweet, aromatic leaf and flower stalks. (2) Rich damp soils of prairies and mountains, especially along streams ad in open woods in Western N. America. N. America to W. Asia. Heracleum montanum is a perennial growing to 2.4 m (7ft 10in). It is hardy to zone 5 and is not frost tender. It is in flower in July, and the seeds ripen in August. (3)Heracleum lanatum is a big hairy coarse member of the parsley family. They can grow up to 7 feet. They form large umbels of white flowers, sometimes a foot across. The flowers mature into large flat seeds. It’s stems are hollow. The root is both large and strong scented with a celery smell. The inner pith of the root is light colored and a bit soapy. The taste of the seeds and root are almost unbearable, leaving a numbing senation afterwards. It has large lime-colored leaves. The leaves are either palmate or three leaved. Its stems can be 2 inches around. Watch for it in the middle forests of California, Arizona, Nevada, Idaho, Utah, Colorado, Wyoming, New Mexico and Montana. It is quite common in the coastal ranges of California. It prefers to be near water. In the southwest it is usually found aboe 8,500 feet and further north in Montana, above 5,000 feet.(4) 
Warnings: Many members of this genus, including many sub-species in this species, conatain furaocoumarins. These have carcinogenic, mutagenic and phototoxic properties. The fresh foliage can cause dermatitis. If the juice and hairs of the outer skin are left on the face or mouth, they can cause blister. This effect is especially revaent for people with fair complexions. (5)
Edible Uses:Root – cooked. Tastes like a swede. Used like potatoes, though it is considered to be poisonous by some writers. The peeled stem can be eaten raw but is best cooked. The unpeeled stem can be used when young, or just the inner tissue of older stems can be used, before the plants flower. For people not used to the flavour, they are best cooked in two changes of water when they make a tasty celery-like vegetable. Another report says that, despite the strong odour of the leaves and outer skin, the peeled young stems are mild and sweet, resembling celery in flavour. The stems cannot be eaten raw in large quantities because they give a burning sensation in the mouth. The stems are highly nutritious, containing up to 18% protein. Leaves and young shoots – raw or cooked. Cooked as greens or added to salads. Young flowers. No further details. The dried seeds are used as a flavouring for soups, stews and potato salads. The dried base of the plant and ashes from the burnt leaves are used as a salt substitute. (6) After a long hard winter with highly starchy foods and meat, Native Americans welcomed the coming of Spring, and the appearance of green shoots of Cow Parsnip, fern, wild celery and the first leaves of sunflower. They were carefully cooked as asparagus would be. (7)
Medicinal Uses :Cow parsnip was widely employed medicinally by a large number of native North American Indian tribes who used it to treat a wide variety of complaints, but especially as a poultice on bruises, sores etc. It is little used in modern herbalism, though perhaps it merits further investigation. All parts of the plant are antirheumatic, antispasmodic, carminative, febrifuge, odontalgic and stimulant. The leaves are tonic. They have been used in the treatment of colds. A soothing drink made from the leaves is used to treat sore throats. A poultice of the heated leaves has been applied to minor cuts, sore muscles etc. An infusion of the fresh young stems has been used in the treatment of diarrhoea. It has also been used as a wash to remove warts. The plant has been used in the treatment of epilepsy. A tea made from the roots is used in the treatment of indigestion, colds, stomach cramps, rheumatism, sore throats, TB etc. Externally, the root is used as a poultice on sores, bruises, swellings, boils, rheumatic joints, VD scabs etc, whilst a bit of root has been held on an aching tooth to reduce the pain. The root can be crushed, mixed with water and used as an antidandruff hair wash. The root contains psoralen, which is being investigated for its use in the treatment of psoriasis, leukaemia and AIDS. The seed has been used to treat severe headaches. ( 8 )Collect the roots of the plants in late August or September and collect the seeds when they are ripe. The seeds are ripe when they are ribbed with dark stripes and this is usually in Julyor August. For the roots, split them and dry them in a cheesecloth pocket in the shade. The seed is easier, take them in clusters and when dry, rub them off the stem. This plant is basically a remedy for the stomach and nervous systems. The seed tincture can be applied topically to teeth and gums as an anesthetic and anti-microbial. It can also be used on a sore tooth, similar to oil of cloves. To make the seed tincture use 1 part dried seed to 2 parts 60% vodka, by weight, allow it to sit for a week before use and shake it daily. After the root has dried it loses its acridity. Never take the root internally before it is thoroughly dried, but you can make a tincture of it using 1 part fresh root to 2 parts 60% vodka and follow the above procedure. For the dried root use 1 part dried root to 5 parts 60% vodka, allow it to sit for a week and shake daily. It can be taken at 20 to 30 drops up to 3 times a day. The seed tincture can be used to treat stomach problems, it only takes a couple of drops on the tongue. The dry root tincture will treat a hiatal hernia, just use a small amount in a glass of water. The fresh root applied to bath water has been used to treat paralysis. It should be repeated daily until nerve function returns or it doesn’t seem to help. The fresh root can also be used to treat tic douloureux or trigeminal neuralgia to do this either use a poultice or a very strong tea and apply it to the face. This works well if there is some motor paralysis invloved. The dried ground root can also be taken in tea; a teaspoon to a cup, for persistant nausea. (9)
Other Uses: A stalk of this plant was placed on the alter of the Sun Dance ceremony. (10)
Foot Notes: (1, 7, 10) Indian Uses of Native Plants
by Edith Murphey, page 23, 50; Publisher: Meyerbooks Copy right 1990; ISBN 0-916638-15-4
Foot Notes: (2)
http://www.wildflower.org/plants/result.php?id_plant=HEMA80
Foot Notes: (3, 5, 6, 8)
http://www.pfaf.org/user/Plant.aspx?LatinName=Heracleum+sphondylium+montanum
Foot Notes: (4, 9) Medical Plants of the Moutain West2nd Edition, by Michael Moore, pages 99 -102; Publisher: Museum of New Mexico Press, Copyright 2003, ISBN: 978-0-89013-454-2
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#139(b)
Common Name: Cow Parsnip (H. sphondylium)
Appearance and Habitat: Moist grassland and ditches, bu hedges and woods in Europe, including Britain, south to latitude 61 to western N. Africa, west and north to Asia. A biennial / perennial growing to 1.8 m (6ft).
It is hardy to zone 5 and is not frost tender. It is in flower from Jun to September, and the seeds ripen from Jul to October.
Warnings: Many members of this genus, including many sub-species in this species, conatain furaocoumarins. These have carcinogenic, mutagenic and phototoxic properties.
Edible Uses:Stem and young shoots – raw or cooked. Used as a green vegetable, when harvested just as they are sprouting from the ground they are somewhat like asparagus in flavour. The rind is somewhat acrid. The leaf stems are tied in bundles and dried in the sun until they turn yellow. A sweet substance resembling sugar forms on the dried stems and is considered to be a great delicacy. The peduncles, before flowering, can be eaten as a vegetable or added to soups. Root – cooked. It is usually boiled
Medicinal Uses : The roots and the leaves are aphrodisiac, digestive, mildly expectorant and sedative. The plant is little used in modern herbalism but has been employed in the treatment of laryngitis and bronchitis. A tincture made from the aerial parts of the plant has also been used to relieve general debility, though it is uncertain how it works. The plant is harvested as it comes into flower and can be dried for later use.
http://www.pfaf.org/user/Plant.aspx?LatinName=Heracleum+sphondylium
Reproduced, in part, (as well as previous postings under this title) in accordance with Section 107 of title 17 of the Copyright Law of the United States relating to fair-use and is for the purposes of criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, and research.

Wild Edible and Medicinal Plants – 133 Hawthorn (part-2)

Tags

Cerro Hawthorn, Crataegus Columbia, Crataegus erythropoda, Crataegus pruinosa, Crataegus punctata, Crataegus rivularis, dotted hawthorn, edible berry, frosted hawthorn, home remedies, increase blood supply to heart, lower diastolic pressure, medicinal berry, militia supply, Native American culture, Native American foods, plants for preppers, plants for survivalists, river hawthorn, treat connective tissue, treat hypertension, treat rapid heart beat, treat weakened heart functions, treatment for angina, treatment for heart spasms, treatment for rapid heart beat, treatment for tachycardia

Medical disclaimer: always check with a physician before consuming wild plants, and make positive identification in the field using a good source such as Medicinal Plants of the Mountain West.  Michael Moore also has a glossary of medical terms in his books, and maps in later editions. ) 

#133
Common Name: Hawthorn
Latin Name: Crataegus Columbiana, C. erythropoda, C. pruinosa, C. punctata, C. rivularis
Family: Rosacea
Range: http://plants.usda.gov/java/profile?symbol=crata Main database, all States, except Hawaii; In Canada; all lower Provinces.

http://plants.usda.gov/java/profile?symbol=CRCHP2Washington, Oregon, Idaho and Montana; In Canada; British Columbia (Crataegus Columbia)
http://plants.usda.gov/java/profile?symbol=CRER Arizona, New Mexico, Colorado, Utah and Wyoming. (Crataegus erythropoda)
http://plants.usda.gov/java/profile?symbol=CRPR2 All States east of the Mississippi R. except Alabama, South Carolina and Florida, on the west bank of the Mississippi R.- Iowa through Louisiana, plus Kansas and Oklahoma; In Canada; Ontario and Quebec. (Crataegus pruinosa)
http://plants.usda.gov/java/profile?symbol=CRPU All States east of the Mississippi R., except Maine and Florida, on the west bank Minnesota through Arkansas, plus Kansas and Oklahoma; In Canada; Manitoba to Quebec, plus Nova Scotia. (Crataegus punctata)
http://plants.usda.gov/java/profile?symbol=CRRI Montana, Idaho, Wyoming, Colorado, Utah, Nevada, Arizona, New Mexico and Texas. (Crataegus rivularis)
Warnings: None (PFAF)
Photos: (Click on Latin Name after Common Name.)

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#133 (l)
Common Name: Frosted Hawthorn (Crataegus pruinosa)
Appearance and Habitat: Thickets and rocky ground in open woods. Slopes of low hills, often on limestone soils in North-eastern N. America – Newfoundland to North Carolina, west to Wisconsin and Oklahoma. A deciduous tree growing to 6 m (19ft 8in). It is hardy to zone 5 and is not frost tender. It is in flower in May, and the seeds ripen in October.
Edible Uses: Fruit – raw or cooked. The flesh is thick. A sweet yellow flesh. The fruit can be used in making pies, preserves, etc, and can also be dried for later use. The fruit is about 1cm in diameter. The fruit is up to 16mm in diameter with a thin flesh. There are up to five fairly large seeds in the centre of the fruit, these often stick together and so the effect is of eating a cherry-like fruit with a single seed
Medicinal Uses: Although no specific mention has been seen for this species, the fruits and flowers of many hawthorns are well-known in herbal folk medicine as a heart tonic and modern research has borne out this use. The fruits and flowers have a hypotensive effect as well as acting as a direct and mild heart tonic. They are especially indicated in the treatment of weak heart combined with high blood pressure. Prolonged use is necessary for it to be efficacious. It is normally used either as a tea or a tincture.

http://www.pfaf.org/user/Plant.aspx?LatinName=Crataegus+pruinosa

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#133 (m)
Common Name: Dotted Hawthorn (Crataegus punctata)
Appearance and Habitat: Dotted hawthorn is a flat-topped, thorny, horizontal-branching, deciduous tree growing 40 ft. high. It is usually wider than tall at maturity. Trunk bark is round and dark-gray; twigs are silvery. Profuse clusters of white, rose-like flowers are followed by a dull red apple, 3/4 in. in diameter.(1)Open rocky ground, thickets and pasture on rich hillsides. Eastern N. America – Quebec to Georgia, west to Minnesota an Oklahoma. A deciduous tree growing to 10 m (32ft 10in). It is hardy to zone 4 and is not frost tender. It is in flower in June, and the seeds ripen in October.(2)
Edible Uses:Fruit – raw or cooked. Eaten out of hand or made into jellies, preserves etc. A good size, about 25mm in diameter, and borne in small clusters. Ripening in October, it is quite apple-like texture and appearance, making a good dessert fruit. There are up to five fairly large seeds in the center of the fruit, these often stick together and so the effect is of eating a cherry-like fruit with a single seed. (3)

Medicinal Uses: A compound decoction of the shoots and bark has been used to stop menstrual flow. Although no other specific mention has been seen for this species, the fruits and flowers of many hawthorns are well-known in herbal folk medicine as a heart tonic and modern research has borne out this use. The fruits and flowers have a hypotensive effect as well as acting as a direct and mild heart tonic. They are especially indicated in the treatment of weak heart combined with high blood pressure. Prolonged use is necessary for it to be efficacious. It is used either used either as a tea or a tincture.(4)
Foot Notes: (1)http://www.wildflower.org/plants/result.php?id_plant=CRPU
Foot Notes: (2, 3, 4)http://www.pfaf.org/user/Plant.aspx?LatinName=Crataegus+punctata
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#133(n)
Common Name: River Hawthorn (Crataegus rivularis)
Appearance and Habitat: Thickets and rocky ground. Borders of streams, 900 – 2500 meters in Texas. Western N. America – Wyoming to Idaho, New Mexico, Arizona and Nevada. A deciduous tree growing to 4 m (13ft 1in). It is hardy to zone 5 and is not frost tender. It is in flower in May, and the seeds ripen in October.
Edible Uses: Fruit – raw or cooked. The flesh is thin, dry and mealy. The fruit can also be dried for later use or for making into pemmican. The fruit is high in sugar but low in fats and protein. The fruit is about 10mm in diameter. There are up to five fairly large seeds in the centre of the fruit, these often stick together and so the effect is of eating a cherry-like fruit with a single seed.
Medicinal Uses: Although no specific mention has been seen for this species, the fruits and flowers of many hawthorns are well-known in herbal folk medicine as a heart tonic and modern research has borne out this use. The fruits and flowers have a hypotensive effect as well as acting as a direct and mild heart tonic. They are especially indicated in the treatment of weak heart combined with high blood pressure. Prolonged use is necessary for it to be efficacious. It is normally used either as a tea or a tincture.

http://www.pfaf.org/user/Plant.aspx?LatinName=Crataegus+rivularis

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Now for Michael Moore that covers all species in the west, including (Crataegus erythropoda) and (Crataegus columbiana)

Appearance and Habitat: Both C. chrysocarpa and C. erythropoda (Cerro Hawthorn) are similar bushes of the southern and central areas where Hawthorns grow in the Rocky Mountains. They are abundant in warm canyons in New Mexico, Arizona and Colorado. C. chrysocarpa has round fan-shaped leaves that are toothed, and up to 2 inches in length. It also has thorns that maybe as long as four inches. The flowers are in clusters, bloom in May and mature into red or orage berries. It overlaps C. erythropoda in the south, but extends into Montana in drier rocky drainages. C. erythropoda Usually has a furrowed bark trunk, with smaller thorns and leaves. It has dark red to black berries that have little flesh and many seeds. C. dougasii This is a tall shrub, from 10 to 15 feet in height, has fewer thorns that are curved and an inch long. They also have larger trucks. It has gray-brown bark, on older growth, and red-brown bark on younger limbs. It’s leaves are round and bright green, fan-shaped and toothed on the tips. It is the most abundant of the Hawthorns found in the west. It’s flowers appear as small white roses along the side branches and are in clusters. They mature into little red berries that eventually turn blackish. This shrub can be found as far east as Michigan. C. columbiana Is usually shorter but also broader with lateral growth. The bark is reddish-brown, with newer branches covered in hair. The leaves are more ovate than the rest, and toothed along the sides. The fruit is smaller, red to purple. This variety also has thorns 3 to 4 inches in length. It is found east of the Cascade Mountains.
Medicinal Uses : There are two times to collect Hawthorn, once in the spring by taking flowering branches and these can be dried in a paper sack for tea, or a dry tincture. Also once in the fall before the first frost when the berries are ripe. For a fresh tincture use the leaves, spines, small twigs and flowers. Use 1 part fresh plant to 2 parts of 50% vodka, and as always allow it to sit for a week, shaking it daily before straining out the plant. You can take 15- 30 drops three times a day. For the dried branches, make a tincture at 1 part plant to 5 parts of 50% vodka at 10-20 drops three times a day after the plant has been strained out. Tinctures have to sit for a week, shaking them daily before straining the plant out. You can also make a tea out of the dried flowering limbs using the flowers, leaves, or a teaspoon of the crushed berries. For both types of tea, place a rounded teaspoon of the plant in a cup of hot water and let steep for 30 minutes. The tea can also be taken three times a day. Hawthron is a heart tonic, it acts to strenghten weak functions or decrease any functions that are excessive. It is a mild coronary vasodilator, increasing the blood supply to the heart muscles, a treatment for angina, and heart spasms. It helps with treat hypertension as we age. It will gradually lower diastolic pressure and quiet the pulse. The benefits can take weeks or months to be felt. It also treats rapid heart beat (tachycardia). However it is not recommended for a slow pulse. The syrup or tea from the berries help treat connective tissue weakened by inflammation. The berries contain high levels of flavinoids when they are ripe.
Medical Plants of the Moutain West2nd Edition, by Michael Moore, pages 126-129; Publisher: Museum of New Mexico Press, Copyright 2003, ISBN: 978-0-89013-454-2
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Native American Name: for Crataegus columbiana – Simnasho (Warm Springs Oregon Tribe) We na ish, (Bannock)
Edible Uses:The fruits were gathered after it had dried and been frosted over on the bushes, and used it as others use the Sarvis Berry. Great thickets of Simnasho border the stream in that valley.
Indian Uses of Native Plants
by Edith Murphey, page 22; Publisher: Meyerbooks Copy right 1990; ISBN 0-916638-15-4
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Reproduced, in part, (as well as previous postings under this title) in accordance with Section 107 of title 17 of the Copyright Law of the United States relating to fair-use and is for the purposes of criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, and research.

Wild Edible and Medicinal Plants – 128 Oak (part-2)

Tags

acorns, bark strongly astringent, coffee substitute, edible acorns, field craft, field medicine, home remedies, medical plants, militia supply, Native American culture, Native American foods, native american medicine, natural astringent, Quercus kelloggii, Quercus laevis, Quercus lobata, Quercus macrocarpa, Quercus marilandica, Quercus michauxii, Quercus muehlenbergii, Quercus nigra, Quercus oblongifolia, Quercus palustris, Quercus prinoides, Quercus prinus, treat babies with sore umbilicus, treat burns, treat chronic diarrhea, treat cuts, treat dysentery, treat hemorrhages, treat intestinal pains, treat sores, treat vomiting, treatment for babies with sore umbilicus, treatment for burns, treatment of cramps, treatment of hemorrhages, treatment of vomiting

Medical disclaimer: always check with a physician before consuming wild plants, and make positive identification in the field using a good source such as Medicinal Plants of the Mountain West.  Michael Moore also has a glossary of medical terms in his books, and maps in later editions. ) 

Range: http://plants.usda.gov/java/profile?symbol=QUERC Main data base

http://plants.usda.gov/java/profile?symbol=QUKE California and Oregon (Quercus kelloggii)

http://plants.usda.gov/java/profile?symbol=QULA2 Coastal states – Louisiana to Virginia (Quercus laevis)

http://plants.usda.gov/java/profile?symbol=QULO California (Quercus lobata)
http://plants.usda.gov/java/profile?symbol=QUMA2 All states east of the Mississippi R. except N. and S. Carolina, Georgia and Florida, all states along the west bank of the Mississippi, plus North Dakota to Texas, Montana, Wyoming and New Mexico; In Canada; Alberta to Quebec and New Brunswick (Quercus macrocarpa)
http://plants.usda.gov/java/profile?symbol=QUMA3 New York south to Florida, Indiana/Illinois south to Mississippi/Alabama, Iowa south to Louisiana, Nebraska south to Texas (Quercus marilandica)
http://plants.usda.gov/java/profile?symbol=QUMI New Jersey, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia south to Florida, Illinois/Indiana south to Mississippi/Alabama, Missouri south to Louisiana, Oklahoma and Texas (Quercus michauxii)
http://plants.usda.gov/java/profile?symbol=QUMU All States east of the Mississippi R. except New Hampshire and Maine; all States on the west bank of the Mississippi R., plus Nebraska to Texas and New Mexico; In Canada; Ontario (Quercus muehlenbergii)
http://plants.usda.gov/java/profile?symbol=QUNI New Jersey, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia south to Florida, Illinios/Kentucky south to Mississippi/Alabama, Missouri south to Louisiana, Oklahoma and Texas (Quercus nigra)
http://plants.usda.gov/java/profile?symbol=QUOB Texas, New Mexico, Arizona and south to Mexico (Quercus oblongifolia)
http://plants.usda.gov/java/profile?symbol=QUPA2 All states east of the Mississippi R. except Florida, Alabama, South Carolina, Vermont and New Hampshire, Plus Iowa to Arkansas and Nebraska to Oklahoma; In Canada; Ontario (Quercus palustris)
http://plants.usda.gov/java/profile?symbol=QUPR All States east of the Mississippi R. except Ohio, South Carolina and Florida, all States on the west bank of the Mississippi R. plus Nebraska to Oklahoma; In Canada; Ontario (Quercus prinoides)
http://plants.usda.gov/java/profile?symbol=QUPR2 All States east of the Mississippi R. except Wisonsin and Florida, plus Louisiana (Quercus prinus)
Photos: (Click on Latin Name after Common Name.) 
Warnings: None

#128 (k)
Common Name: California Black Oak (Quercus kelloggii)
Native American Name: Tsonips (tree), Wa wachee (acorns) (Washoe Tribe)(1)
Appearance and Habitat: California black oak is a thick- trunked, globe-shaped oak, usually 30-40 ft. in cultivation. The deciduous leaves are oblong with bristle-tipped lobes; glossy-green in summer, turning yellow to orange in fall. Smooth black bark becomes ridged or checked with age. Tree with large branches and irregular, broad, rounded crown of stout, spreading branches. This is the common oak in valleys of southwestern Oregon and in the Sierra Nevada. The large, deeply lobed leaves with bristle-tipped teeth differ from all other western oaks, but resemble those of Black Oak (Quercus velutina Lam.) of the eastern United States. Woodpeckers drill holes in the bark and bury acorns there for future use, where they are safe from squirrels which cannot extract them. Slow-growing and long-lived, it is a popular fuelwood and hardy shade tree in dry soils. Deer and livestock browse the foliage.(2) Clay or gravelly soils in hills an mountains below 2500 meteres. Sometimes form groves of consideralbe extent in coniferous forests. South-western N. America – California to Oregon. A deciduous tree growing to 25 m (82ft 0in). It is frost tender. It is in flower in May, and the seeds ripen in October.(3)
Edible Uses: Seed – cooked. Used as a staple food by several native North American Indian tribes. A bitter taste. The seed is 25 – 30mm long and 18mm wide, it can be dried, ground into a powder and used as a thickening in stews etc or mixed with cereals for making bread. The seed contains bitter tannins, these can be leached out by thoroughly washing the seed in running water though many minerals will also be lost. Either the whole seed can be used or the seed can be dried and ground it into a powder. It can take several days or even weeks to properly leach whole seeds, one method was to wrap them in a cloth bag and place them in a stream. Leaching the powder is quicker. A simple taste test can tell when the tannin has been leached. The traditional method of preparing the seed was to bury it in boggy ground overwinter. The germinating seed was dug up in the spring when it would have lost most of its astringency. The roasted seed is a coffee substitute. (4)The acorns were soaked over-night, which caused te shell to split open. The nuts were spread on open work baskets to dry and when they were dry enough, they were ground to flour in a stone mortar. After the acorn meal was ground it was leached to take out the bitterness in the following manner: a frame was prepared with incense cedar twigs laid overlapping, like shinges on a roof, the acorn meal was spread out on the frame, water poured through the meal repeatedly, until the meal turned pink, then it was dried and kept until used. If acorn soup was desired, it was made like a thin gruel. A few tribes made acorn bread. It was made up in round loaves, and before it was baked, it was pale brick-red color. If baked in ashes the bread was wrapped in fern leaves; the slow heat turned the bread black with fern prints on it. (5) If you want to place them in the ground, be my guest. However, as we have just seen Native Americans didn’t plant them in the ground and I am going to leave this portion out on PFAF from now on. In Part 3 I will use The Encyclopedia of Country Living for other ways to deal with processing acorns.
Medicinal Uses: Any galls produced on the tree are strongly astringent and can be used in the treatment of haemorrhages, chronic diarrhoea, dysentery etc. (6)
Foot Notes: (1, 5) Indian Uses of Native Plants
by Edith Murphey, page 24, 70, Publisher: Meyerbooks Copy right 1990; ISBN 0-916638-15-4

Foot Notes: (2)http://www.wildflower.org/plants/result.php?id_plant=QUKE
Foot Notes: (3, 4, 6 )http://www.pfaf.org/user/Plant.aspx?LatinName=Quercus+kelloggii

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#128 (l)
Common Name: Turkey Oak (Quercus laevis) Appearance and Habitat: A small tree, frequently a shrub, turkey oak grows up to 40 ft. tall, with stout, spreading, contorted branches forming a broad, irregular-shaped crown. The foliage is so deeply and narrowly lobed leaves that some leaves resemble a turkey foot. Leaves are deciduous, but the brightly colored fall foliage stays on the tree well into winter. Shrub or small tree normally growing to 43 feet (13 m), occasionally to 72 feet (21.9 m) in height; tree has irregular open crown with crooked branches. BARK: gray to dark gray, mature bark is deeply furrowed with irregular ridges, reddish inner bark. TWIGS and BUDS: dark chestnut-brown twigs with a gray cast, sparsely pubescent, chestnut-brown bark with pubescence; narrowly ovoid buds. LEAVES: smooth petiole 1⁄4 – 1 inch (6 – 25 mm) long; leaf blade broadly ovate or triangular in outline; 4 – 8 inches (101 – 203 mm) long, 3 1⁄8 – 6 inches (79 – 153 mm) wide near middle, base is acute or rounded and decurrent on pteiole, margin with 3 – 7 lobes which looks similar to a turkey’s foot, usually with 1 – 3 bristle-tipped teeth, sinuses between lobes are deep; leaf surface is smooth and light green above, paler green below with axillary tufts of reddish hair, raised veins on both surfaces. The common name refers to the shape of the 3-lobed leaves suggesting a turkeys foot. (1) Dry barren sandy ridges, sandy bluffs and hammocks, growing well in almost sterile soil. South-eastern N. America-Virginia to Florida and west to Louisiana.(2)
Edible Uses: Seed – cooked. The seed is up to 27mm long and 18mm wide. It can be dried, ground into a powder and used as a thickening in stews etc or mixed with cereals for making bread. The seed contains bitter tannins, these can be leached out by thoroughly washing the seed in running water though many minerals will also be lost. Either the whole seed can be used or the seed can be dried and ground it into a powder. It can take several days or even weeks to properly leach whole seeds, one method was to wrap them in a cloth bag and place them in a stream. Leaching the powder is quicker. The roasted seed is a coffee substitute. (3)
Medicinal Uses: Any galls produced on the tree are strongly astringent and can be used in the treatment of haemorrhages, chronic diarrhoea, dysentery etc.(4)
Foot Notes: (1)http://www.wildflower.org/plants/result.php?id_plant=QULA2

Foot Notes: (2, 3, 4)http://www.pfaf.org/user/Plant.aspx?LatinName=Quercus+laevis

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 #128 (m)
Common Name: California White Oak, Valley Oak (Quercus lobata)
Appearance and Habitat: Valley oak is a large, majestic, deciduous oak, up to 70 ft. or more, with huge, wide-spreading limbs. The massive trunk, broad crown and weeping branches make a picturesque, vase-like form. Leaves, with rounded lobes, are deep-green above, paler below. Large, handsome tree with stout, short trunk and large, widely spreading branches drooping at ends, forming broad, open crown. Valley Oak is the largest of the western deciduous oaks and a handsome, graceful shade tree. This relative of the eastern White Oak (Quercus alba L.) is common through Californias interior valleys. Acorn crops, often abundant, are consumed by many kinds of wildlife and domestic animals, especially hogs. California Indians roasted these large acorns and also ground edible portion into meal which they prepared as bread or mush. (1) Fertile lowlands in deep rich soils in valles of W. California betwen the Sierra Nevada and the coast. A deciduous tree growing to 30 m (98ft 5in) at a slow rate. It is hardy to zone 7 and is not frost tender.(2)
Edible Uses: Seed – cooked. A staple food for several native North American Indian tribes. Quite large, it is up to 5cm long and 15mm wide. The seed of this species is sweet and low in tannin and needs little if any leeching. Any bitter tannins can be leached out by thoroughly washing the dried and ground up seed in water, though many minerals will also be lost. The seed can be roasted and then eaten, its taste is something like a cross between sunflower seeds and popcorn. The seed can also be ground into a powder and used in making bread etc. Roasted seed is a coffee substitute. (3)
Medicinal Uses: Any galls produced on the tree are strongly astringent and can be used in the treatment of haemorrhages, chronic diarrhoea, dysentery etc. A poultice of the ground galls and salt has been used as a treatment for burns, sores and cuts. A decoction of the bark has been used as a cough medicine and a treatment for diarrhoea. The pulverized bark has been used as a dusting powder to dry up running sores, it is particularly useful for babies with sore umbilicus.

(4)
Foot Notes: (1)http://www.wildflower.org/plants/result.php?id_plant=QULO
Foot Notes: (2, 3, 4)http://www.pfaf.org/user/Plant.aspx?LatinName=Quercus+lobata

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#128 (n)
Common Name: Bur Oak, Savannah Oak, Mossy over-cup Oak, Prairie Oak (Quercus macrocarpa) Appearance and Habitat: Bur oak is a large, deciduous tree with a very wide, open crown. Usually wider than tall, the tree can exceed 100 ft. in height and width. The massive trunk supports heavy, horizontal limbs and rough, deep-ridged bark. Leaves up to 9 inches long with a central midrib from which branch veins lead into rounded lobes. Lobes separated by deep sinuses reaching, in some cases, to within 1/2 inch of the midrib. Lobes beyond the midpoint of the blade wavy margined and longer and broader than those toward the base. Acorns large, up to 1 1/2 inches broad with 1/4 to more than 1/2 of the acorn enclosed in the cup. Cup with coarse scales and a fringed margin. The acorns of this species, distinguished by very deep fringed cups, are the largest of all native oaks. The common name (sometimes spelled Burr) describes the cup of the acorn, which slightly resembles the spiny bur of a chestnut. Bur Oak is the northernmost New World oak. In the West, it is a pioneer tree, bordering and invading the prairie grassland. Planted for shade, ornament, and shelter belts. Bur oak extends farther north than any other oak species and becomes shrubby at the northern and eastern limits of its range. (1) Found in a variety of habitats from dry hillsides to moist bottomlands, rich woods and fertile slopes, mainly on limestone soils. Eastern N. America – Nova Scotia to Manitoba, Wyoming, Massachusetts, Georgia, Kansas and Texas. A dedicuous tree growing to 15 m (49ft) by 8 m (26ft) at a slow rate. It is hardy to zone 3 and is not frost tender. It is in flower in May, and the seeds ripen in October.(2)
Edible Uses: Seed – cooked. Very large, the seed can be up to 5cm x 4cm, though it is somewhat variable in size and shape. The seed can be ground into a powder and used in making bread, dumplings etc and as a thickener in soups. The seed of this species is considered to be one of the most palatable of all the oaks. Many trees have sweet seeds with little tannin and the seed can be eaten raw or cooked. If the seed is bitter then this is due to the presence of tannins, these can be leached out by thoroughly washing the dried and ground up seed in water, though many minerals will also be lost. (3)
Medicinal Uses: The bark is astringent and tonic. An infusion has been used in the treatment of diarrhoea. A decoction of the root or inner bark has been used in the treatment of cramps. Any galls produced on the tree are strongly astringent and can be used in the treatment of haemorrhages, chronic diarrhoea, dysentery etc. (4)
Foot Notes: (1) http://www.wildflower.org/plants/result.php?id_plant=QUMA2

Foot Notes: (2, 3, 4)http://www.pfaf.org/user/Plant.aspx?LatinName=Quercus+macrocarpa

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#128 (o)
Common Name: Blackjack Oak, Barren Oak (Quercus marilandica)
Appearance and Habitat: A small to medium-sized oak, 30-50ft, with bristle-lobed leaves that are shiny on top & rusty-yellow beneath. The short nearly black trunks divide into many dense, contorted limbs, bark dark, furrowed; dead branches persistant. Leaf blades wedge shaped (obdeltoid – obovate) with a narrow, rounded base and broadening toward the tip. Blades shallowly lobed with usually an apical and 2 lateral lobes bearing bristlelike extensions (awns) of the main vein. Foliage glossy dark green turns red in fall and persists into winter. Acorn elliptic, broadly rounded at the apex and base, up to 3/4 inch long when mature; cap covering 1/2 the nut. This oak sometimes grows in colonies. GROWTH FORM: small to medium sized tree usually between 15 – 45 feet (4.6 – 19.8 m), occasionally to 95 feet (28.9 m), with an open irregular spreading crown of crooked branches and some dead twigs, slow growing and short lived. BARK: thick rough bark, nearly black, with deep furrows, mature bark forming irregular or rectangular plates, orange inner bark. TWIGS and BUDS: light brown twigs, finely pubescent; narrowly ovoid pointed buds, reddish-brown pubescent scales, 5-angled in cross section. LEAVES: pubescent petiole 1⁄4 – 3⁄4 inch (6 – 19 mm) long; leaf broadly triangular and widest near tip, 2 3⁄4 – 8 inches (70 – 203 mm) long, 2 3⁄4 – 8 inches (70 – 203 mm) wide, leathery, base rounded, thickened blade with 3 – 5 broad lobes, with 1 – 3 bristle- tipped teeth, apex obtuse; glossy yellowish-green above, pale green with dense brown pubescence (scurfy) below, secondary veins raised on both surfaces. (1) Dry siliceous or argillaceous barrens and sterile woods in Central and South-eastern N. America – New York to Florida, west to Iowa and Texas. It is hardy to zone 5 and is not frost tender. It is in flower from Apr to May, and the seeds ripen in October.(2)
Edible Uses: Seed – cooked. Used in times of scarcity. The seed is about 2cm long, it can be dried, ground into a powder and used as a thickening in stews etc or mixed with cereals for making bread. The seed contains bitter tannins, these can be leached out by thoroughly washing the seed in running water though many minerals will also be lost. Either the whole seed can be used or the seed can be dried and ground it into a powder. It can take several days or even weeks to properly leach whole seeds, one method was to wrap them in a cloth bag and place them in a stream. Leaching the powder is quicker. The roasted seed is a coffee substitute.(3)
Medicinal Uses: An infusion of the tree bark coal has been taken to ease childbirth, remove the afterbirth and ease cramps. Any galls produced on the tree are strongly astringent and can be used in the treatment of haemorrhages, chronic diarrhoea, dysentery etc.  (4)
Foot Notes: (1)http://www.wildflower.org/plants/result.php?id_plant=QUMA3
Foot Notes: (2, 3, 4)http://www.pfaf.org/user/Plant.aspx?LatinName=Quercus+marilandica
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#128 (p)
Common Name: Swamp Chestnut Oak, Basket Oak, Cow Oak (Quercus michauxii)
Appearance and Habitat: A 60-100 ft. oak with tight, narrow crown very high on the massive trunk. Bark is light gray. The shiny, oval unlobed leaves have large, r9unded teeth and turn yellow to vibrant red in the fall. Large tree with compact, rounded crown and chestnutlike foliage. GROWTH FORM: large tree growing to 48 – 100 feet (15 – 30.5 m), occasionally to 155 feet (47.2 m), with a compact rounded crown and chestnut like foliage, often with a limbless trunk to 40 feet (12.2 m). BARK: light gray, rough, flaky ridges. TWIGS and BUDS: juvenile growth is green, progressing to brown during the first winter and turning gray during second year; ovoid, reddish-brown bud, apex may be blunt or pointed, sparsely pubescent scales. LEAVES: short petriole 1⁄4 – 3⁄4 inch (6 – 19 mm) long; obobate leaves widest beyond the middle, 2 3⁄4 – 11 inches (70 – 279 mm) long, 2 – 7 inches (51 – 178 mm) wide, wavy margin with 9 – 14 pair of rounded teeth, base acuminate, apex broadly rounded with an abruptly pointed tip; shiny dark green above, grayish-green with dense pubescence (felty to the touch) below. Called Basket Oak because baskets were woven from fibers and splints obtained by splitting the wood. These strong containers were used to carry cotton from the fields. The sweetish acorns can be eaten raw, without boiling. Cows consume the acorns, hence the name Cow Oak. (1) Inundated bottoms, stream borders and swamps in South-eastern N. America – Delaware to Indiana, Missouri, Florida and Texas. A deciduous tree growing to 30 m (98ft 5in). It is hardy to zone 6 and is not frost tender (2) .
Edible Uses: Seed – cooked. The seed is large, up to 35mm long and 30mm wide, but contains bitter tannins. Other reports say that the acorns are sweet and edible. The seed can be roasted then dried, ground into a powder and used as a thickening in stews etc or mixed with cereals for making bread. The bitter tannins can be leached out by thoroughly washing the seed in running water though many minerals will also be lost. Either the whole seed can be used or the seed can be dried and ground it into a powder. The roasted seed is a coffee substitute. (3)
Medicinal Uses: Any galls produced on the tree are strongly astringent and can be used in the treatment of haemorrhages, chronic diarrhoea, dysentery etc. (4)
Foot Notes: (1)http://www.wildflower.org/plants/result.php?id_plant=QUMI
Foot Notes: (2, 3, 4)http://www.pfaf.org/user/Plant.aspx?LatinName=Quercus+michauxii

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#128 (q)
Common Name: Chinkapin Oak, Chestnut Oak, Yellow Oak, Rock Oak, (Quercus muelenbergii)
Appearance and Habitat: A tree with light gray platy or scaly bark and smooth, gray twigs changing to brown on the current year’s leaf-bearing growth. Leaves up to 8 inches long and 4 1/2 inches wide with their widest part nearer the apex than the base. Larger leaves broadly rounded from the widest part to the apex and tapered to the base, the smaller ones narrower, leaf margins shallowly lobed or coarsely toothed, each lobe or tooth with a minute tip; the upper surface smooth, with a sheen, the lower surface dull. Flowers inconspicuous in narrow clusters. Fruit an acorn up to 1 inch long and 3/4 inch wide. (1) Dry calcareous slopes and ridges, or on rich bottoms. Well drained uplands, favouring limestone soils and avoiding acid soils in Eastern N. America – Vermont and Ontario to Minnesota, Nebraska, Alabama and Texas. A deciduous tree growing to 20 m (65ft) by 10 m (32ft) at a medium rate. It is hardy to zone 4 and is not frost tender. It is in flower from May to June, and the seeds ripen in November.(2)
Edible Uses: Seed – cooked. It is up to 18mm long. The seed contains very little bitter tannin, it is quite sweet and rather pleasant eating. Tastes nice when baked in an oven. Any bitter seeds can be leached by thoroughly washing the seed in running water though many minerals will also be lost. Either the whole seed can be used or the seed can be dried and ground it into a powder. It can take several days or even weeks to properly leach whole seeds, one method was to wrap them in a cloth bag and place them in a stream. Leaching the powder is quicker. A simple taste test can tell when the tannin has been leached. Roasted seed is a coffee substitute. (3)
Medicinal Uses: An infusion of the bark has been used in the treatment of vomiting. Any galls produced on the tree are strongly astringent and can be used in the treatment of haemorrhages, chronic diarrhoea, dysentery etc. (4)
Foot Notes: (1)http://www.wildflower.org/plants/result.php?id_plant=QUMU
Foot Notes: (2, 3, 4)http://www.pfaf.org/user/Plant.aspx?LatinName=Quercus+muehlenbergii
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#128 (r)
Common Name: Water Oak (Quercus nigra) Appearance and Habitat: Water oak is a conical to round-topped tree, 50-100 ft. tall, with thick, leathery, leaves that are semi-evergreen in the warmer parts of its range. The shiny, dark-green leaves are wedge-shaped and may have lobes at the tips. Foliage becomes yellow in fall. Tree with conical or rounded crown of slender branches, and fine textured foliage of small leaves. (1) Dry woods or borders of streams and bottomlands. The best specimens are found in well-drained, silty clay or loamy soils. South-eastern N. America -New Jersey to Florida, west to Oklahoma. A deciduous tree growing to 20 m (65ft) by 8 m (26ft). It is hardy to zone 6 and is not frost tender. It is in flower from Apr to May, and the seeds ripen in October.(2)
Edible Uses: Seed – cooked. A staple food for some native North American Indian tribes. The seed is about 15cm long and wide, it can be dried, ground into a powder and used as a thickening in stews etc or mixed with cereals for making bread. The seed contains bitter tannins, these can be leached out by thoroughly washing the seed in running water though many minerals will also be lost. Either the whole seed can be used or the seed can be dried and ground it into a powder. It can take several days or even weeks to properly leach whole seeds, one method was to wrap them in a cloth bag and place them in a stream. Leaching the powder is quicker. A simple taste test can tell when the tannin has been leached. The roasted seed is a coffee substitute.(3)
Medicinal Uses: Any galls produced on the tree are strongly astringent and can be used in the treatment of haemorrhages, chronic diarrhoea, dysentery etc. (4) 
Foot Notes: (1)http://www.wildflower.org/plants/result.php?id_plant=QUNI
Foot Notes: (2, 3, 4)http://www.pfaf.org/user/Plant.aspx?LatinName=Quercus+nigra
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#128 (s)
Common Name: Mexican Blue Oak (Quercus oblongifolia)
Appearance and Habitat: Small evergreen tree with many branches and a spreading, rounded crown of bluish foliage; or a shrub. This handsome small oak is limited to the Mexican border region. It is recognized by its light gray, checkered bark and small, blue-green, hairless leaves without teeth. Deer browse the foliage.

(1) A common tree of open and oak woodlands in foothills, mountain slopes an in canyons. South-western N. America – Texas, New Mexico, Arizona and Mexico. An evergreen shrub growing to 8 m (26ft 3in).
It is hardy to zone 7 and is not frost tender. It is in flower in May, and the seeds ripen from Jan to December.(2)
Edible Uses: Seed – raw or cooked. A staple food for some native North American Indian tribes. Very sweet, it is up to 2cm long and 8mm wide. The seed can be dried, ground into a powder and used as a thickening in stews etc or mixed with cereals for making bread.(3)
Medicinal Uses: Any galls produced on the tree are strongly astringent and can be used in the treatment of haemorrhages, chronic diarrhoea, dysentery etc. (4) 
Foot Notes: (1) http://www.wildflower.org/plants/result.php?id_plant=QUOB
Foot Notes: (2, 3, 4) http://www.pfaf.org/user/Plant.aspx?LatinName=Quercus+oblongifolia

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#128 (t)
Common Name: Pin Oak (Quercus palustris)
Appearance and Habitat: Straight-trunked tree with spreading to horizontal branches, very slender pinlike twigs, and a broadly conical crown. Pin oak is a stongly pyramidal tree with a distinct central leader, growing 60-70 ft. or taller. Instead of the gnarled, massive qualities of most oaks, pin oak has a more graceful, slender appearance. Old trees become high-crowned after shedding lower limbs. Dark-green foliage becomes dark-red in fall. Leaves persist into winter. Named for the many short side twigs or pinlike spurs. (1) Deep rich soils in swampy woods and bottoms at low elevations. Often found on wet, poorly drained claypan soils typical of floodplains, tolerating short periods of spring flooding. North-eastern and Central N. America – Massachusetts to Michigan, Virginia and Arkansas. A deciduous tree growing to 25 m (82ft) by 8 m (26ft) at a fast rate. It is in flower from Apr to May, and the seeds ripen in October (2).
Edible Uses: Seed – cooked. The seed is about 15mm long, it can be dried, ground into a powder and used as a thickening in stews etc or mixed with cereals for making bread. The seed contains bitter tannins, these can be leached out by thoroughly washing the seed in running water though many minerals will also be lost. Either the whole seed can be used or the seed can be dried and ground it into a powder. It can take several days or even weeks to properly leach whole seeds, one method was to wrap them in a cloth bag and place them in a stream. Leaching the powder is quicker. A simple taste test can tell when the tannin has been leached. The roasted seed is a coffee substitute. (3)
Medicinal Uses: An infusion of the inner bark has been used to treat intestinal pains. Any galls produced on the tree are strongly astringent and can be used in the treatment of haemorrhages, chronic diarrhoea, dysentery etc.(4) 
Foot Notes: (1)http://www.wildflower.org/plants/result.php?id_plant=QUPA2
Foot Notes: (2, 3, 4) http://www.pfaf.org/user/Plant.aspx?LatinName=Quercus+palustris

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#128 (u)
Common Name: Dwarf Chinkapin Oak (Quercus prinoides)
Appearance and Habitat: Growth Form: rhizomatous shrub or a small tree to 25 feet (7.6 m). BARK: thin gray bark with furrows and scaly ridges. TWIGS and BUDS: grayish twigs, broadly rounded bud brown to chestnut-brown with a blunt apex, scales have some pubescence. LEAVES: shortpetiole 1/4 – 5/8 inch (6 – 16 mm); leathery leaves are obovate, 1 1/2 – 5 1/2 inches (38 – 140 mm), 3/4 – 2 1/2 inches (19 – 63 mm), margin undulate or toothed with 3 – 8 pair of short rounded teeth, base cuneate, apex rounded; shiny dark green above, light green below with slight pubescence. ACORNS: annual; 1 – 2 acorns on peduncle up to 3/8 inch (10 mm), thin cup with short gray pubescent scales, covering up to 1/3 of nut; oblong to oval light brown nut, up to 3/4 inch (19 mm) long. Dwarf Chinkapin oak can produce acorns at 3 – 5 years. The largest known dwarf chinkapin oak is growing in Richardson County, Nebraska.(1) Sunny sites, often in rocky or acid sandy soils on dry plains, rocks, thickets and woodland edges in Eastern and Central N. America – Maine to Minnesota, south to Alabama and Texas. A deciduous shrub growing to 4 m (13ft 1in). It is hardy to zone 5 and is not frost tender. It is in flower from Apr to May, and the seeds ripen in October.(2)
Edible Uses: Seed – cooked. A sweet taste. The seed is up to 15mm long, it can be dried, ground into a powder and used as a thickening in stews etc or mixed with cereals for making bread. The seed might contain bitter tannins, these can be leached out by thoroughly washing the seed in running water though many minerals will also be lost. Either the whole seed can be used or the seed can be dried and ground it into a powder. It can take several days or even weeks to properly leach whole seeds, one method was to wrap them in a cloth bag and place them in a stream. Leaching the powder is quicker. A simple taste test can tell when the tannin has been leached.  The roasted seed is also a coffee substitute.(3)
Medicinal Uses: Any galls produced on the tree are strongly astringent and can be used in the treatment of haemorrhages, chronic diarrhoea, dysentery etc.(4)
Foot Notes: (1)http://www.wildflower.org/plants/result.php?id_plant=QUPR
Foot Notes: (2, 3, 4)http://www.pfaf.org/user/Plant.aspx?LatinName=Quercus+prinoides
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#128 (v)
Common Name: Chestnut Oak, Rock Chestnut Oak, Mountain Chestnut Oak, Tanbark Oak (Quercus prinus)
Appearance and Habitat: A medium to large tree, 65 – 145 feet (19.8 – 44.2 m), broad open and irregular crown, chestnut like foliage. BARK: dark reddish- brown to dark gray, mature bark with deep v-shaped furrows producing broad ridges. TWIGS and BUDS: stout twigs, dark green to reddish-brown; light brown to reddish-brown ovoid bud, pointed apex, bud scales may have slight pubescence. LEAVES: yellow petiole 3⁄8 – 1 1⁄4 inches (10 – 32 mm) long; leaf blade obovate, 4 3⁄4 – 8 inches (121 – 203 mm) long, 2 3⁄8 – 4 inches (60 – 101 mm) wide, margins have 10 – 14 rounded teeth, base subacute, apex broadly acuminate; thick firm blade, shiny dark yellowish-green above, light green with slight pubescence along veins below.(1) Dry or rocky woods, mainly on siliceous soils and on the borders of streams. The best specimens are found on deep rich well-drained soils. Eastern N. America – Maine to Georgia and Alabama. A deciduous tree growing to 20 m (65ft 7in) at a slow rate. It is hardy to zone 5. It is in flower in May, and the seeds ripen in October.(2)
Edible Uses: Seed – raw or cooked. Somewhat sweet according to some reports whilst another says that it contains bitter tannin. The seed is quite large, up to 4cm long and 25mm wide. It can be dried, ground into a powder and used as a thickening in stews etc or mixed with cereals for making bread. If the seed contains bitter tannins, these can be leached out by thoroughly washing the seed in running water though many minerals will also be lost. Either the whole seed can be used or the seed can be dried and ground it into a powder. It can take several days or even weeks to properly leach whole seeds, one method was to wrap them in a cloth bag and place them in a stream. Leaching the powder is quicker. A simple taste test can tell when the tannin has been leached. The roasted seed is a coffee substitute.(3)
Medicinal Uses: Any galls produced on the tree are strongly astringent and can be used in the treatment of haemorrhages, chronic diarrhoea, dysentery etc.  (4)
Foot Notes: (1)http://www.wildflower.org/plants/result.php?id_plant=QUPR2
Foot Notes: (2, 3, 4)http://www.pfaf.org/user/Plant.aspx?LatinName=Quercus+prinus

Reproduced, in part, (as well as previous postings under this title) in accordance with Section 107 of title 17 of the Copyright Law of the United States relating to fair-use and is for the purposes of criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, and research.

Wild Edible and Medicinal Plants 123-125 Carveseed – Sedge – Maravilla

Tags

Carex arenaria, Carex rostrata, Carex stricta, depress an appetite, edible Glyptopleura marginata, edible herbs, edible Maravilla, edible Mirabilis multiflora, edible sedge, emergency supply, field craft, field medicine, home remedies, joint pain medicine, local analgesic, medical herbs, medical sedge, militia, militia supply, Native American culture, Native American foods, natural local analgesic, peanut-butter plant, plants for preppers, poultice for pain, raise blood sugars, sedge, treat bronchitis, treat eczema, treat liver complaints, treat menstrual cramps, treat pruritus, treatment for arthritis, treatment for inflamed joints, treatment of bronchitis

Medical disclaimer: always check with a physician before consuming wild plants, and make positive identification in the field using a good source such as Medicinal Plants of the Mountain West.  Michael Moore also has a glossary of medical terms in his books, and maps in later editions. ) 

#123
Common Name:  Carveseed, Rabbitguts,Peanut-Butter Plant
Latin Name: Glyptopleura marginata
Family: Asteraceae
Native American Name: Cumi-segee (Paiute)(1)
Range: http://plants.usda.gov/java/nameSearch?keywordquery=GLMA2&mode=symbol California, Arizona, Nevada, Idaho, Utah and Oregon.
Photos: Here
Appearance and Habitat: An annual growing from 1669 feet to 6890 feet, in desert regions. Native to western North America.(2) (looking at the photos, it appears somewhat gray-green, the leaves are long heavily serrated, almost thistle-like in appearance. The flowers are yellow or white, daisy-like with blunt or serrated petal ends and are also a good method to show appearance. )
Warnings: None
Edible Uses: Leaves eaten raw, are deliciously like peanut butter greens.  The underside of the plant looks like Rabbitguts and gives it another common name. (3)Leaves and stems eaten raw.(4)
Medicinal Uses: None Known
Foot Notes: (1, 3) Indian Uses of Native Plants
by Edith Murphey, page 23, Publisher: Meyerbooks Copy right 1990; ISBN 0-916638-15-4
Foot Notes: (2)http://www.calflora.org/cgi-bin/species_query.cgi?where-taxon=Glyptopleura+marginata
Foot Notes: (4)http://herb.umd.umich.edu/herb/search.pl?searchstring=Glyptopleura+marginata
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#124
Common Name: Sedge
Latin Name: Carex arenaria, C. rostrata, C. stricta
Family: Cyperaceae
Range: http://plants.usda.gov/java/profile?symbol=CAAR16 Oregon, Virginia, Maryland, Delaware and North Carolina (Carex arenaria)
http://plants.usda.gov/java/profile?symbol=CARO6  All of Canada, Alaska, Washington, Idaho, Montana, Minnesota, Wisconsin and Illinois (Carex rostrata)
http://plants.usda.gov/java/profile?symbol=CAST8 All States east of the Mississippi, except Florida, all States along the west bank of the Mississippi, plus North Dakota to Kansas, Texas and Wyoming (Carex stricta)
Warnings: None
Photos: (Click on Latin Name after Common Name.)
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#124(a)
Common Name: Sand Sedge (Carex arenaria )
Appearance and Habitat: Sandy sea shores, expecially on fixed dunes and wind-blown sand in Coastal areas of Europe, including Britain, the Black Sea, Siberia and N. America. A perennial growing to 0.5 m (1ft 8in) by 2 m (6ft) at a fast rate. It is hardy to zone 7. It is in flower from Jun to July, and the seeds ripen from Jul to August.
Edible Uses: Root – cooked. Seed. No further details are given, but the seed is small and fiddly to use.
Medicinal Uses: The root is diaphoretic and diuretic. An infusion has been used in the treatment of bronchitis and catarrhs, abdominal and stomach disorders, liver complaints, arthritis and rheumatism and skin conditions such as eczema and pruritus. It has been used as a substitute for the tropical plant sarsaparilla. The root is harvested in the spring and dried for later use.
 http://www.pfaf.org/user/Plant.aspx?LatinName=Carex+arenaria
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#124(b)
Common Name: Beaked Sedge (Carex rostrata aka C. utriculata)
Appearance and Habitat: This is a 1-4 ft., light green sedge with a loosely clumpy growth form. Leaves and culms arise from stolons and a short rootstock. Shiny culms are thick and spongy with grayish to reddish sheaths at the base. Culms are shorter than the uppermost leaves but the leaflike bracts are longer than the inflorescence. The topmost, staminate spikes are erect and narrow; the lower pistallate spikes are cylindrical and droop with age. Swollen beaked sedge is a perennial.  (1)  Open swamps, wet thickets, marshes, sedge meadows, bogs, fens, stream, pond and lakeshores from sea level to 3500 meters. North America – Newfoundland and southwards. A perennial growing to 1.2 m (4ft). The seeds ripen from Jul to August. (2)
Edible Uses: The pith of the stem can be eaten raw or cooked. It has a sugary taste. Root and tuberous stem bases – cooked. Eaten by children. Seed. No further details are given, but the seed is small and fiddly to use.  (3)
Medicinal Uses: None (4)
Foot Notes: (1)http://www.wildflower.org/plants/result.php?id_plant=CARO6
Foot Notes: (2 , 3, 4 ) http://www.pfaf.org/user/Plant.aspx?LatinName=Carex+utriculata
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#124(c)
Common Name: Tussock sedge, Upright sedge (Carex stricta aka C. elata)
Appearance and Habitat: A slender, 1-3 ft. grass-like plant with a cluster of brown seed capsules clinging high on the stem. Stems bearing greenish or brownish spikes of inconspicuous flowers above dense tufts of grass-like leaves. Green leaves are exceeded by the stem in height. Forms large tufts or hummocks to 3 ft. wide. The easiest way to recognize this sedge is by its distinctive, elevated tussocks (dense tufts) in open wet areas. It grows abundantly, often in seasonally flooded sites.  (1)By fen ditches and in wet places by rivers and lakes in base-rich soils. Most of Europe, including Britain, south to Algeria and east to the Caucasus. An evergreen perennial growing to 1.2 m (4ft) by 1.5 m (5ft in). It is hardy to zone 7. It is in leaf 12-Jan It is in flower from May to June, and the seeds ripen from Jul to August. (2)
Edible Uses: Root – cooked. Seed. No further details are given, but the seed is small and fiddly to use.  (3)
Medicinal Uses: None (4)
Foot Notes: (1) http://www.wildflower.org/plants/result.php?id_plant=CAST8
Foot Notes: (2 , 3, 4 )http://www.pfaf.org/user/Plant.aspx?LatinName=Carex+elata

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#125
Common Name: Maravilla, Colorado Four O’clock
Latin Name: Mirabilis multiflora
Family: Nyetaginaceae
Range: http://plants.usda.gov/java/profile?symbol=mimu California, Nevada, Utah, Arizona, New Mexico, Colorado and Texas

Photos: Here
Appearance and Habitat: Vibrant deep pink, broadly tubular flowers bloom in 5-lobed cups growing in leaf axils of this bushy plant. The repeatedly forked stems of this perennial, forming stout, leafy clumps 18 in. high and up to 3 ft. wide. Flower stems are solitary in leaf axils and in clusters at the ends of branches. Large, showy, five-lobed, magenta-purple flowers, open in late afternoon and closing in the morning. The foliage is dark green. (1)  Hillsides and mesas, often amongst rocks and shrubs. Gravelly or sandy soils, pinyon-juniper woodlands, ponderosa pine forests at elevations of 300 – 2300 meters in Southern N. America – Texas to Colorado and Utah. (2)This bush vine blooms for at least half the year with enough rainfall. The blossoms are tubular, flaring at the ends like petunias and form clusters of 3 to 6 flowers. The leaves are smooth, opposite and heart shaped. The root is quite often huge in circumference, sometimes more than a foot. The root is covered with a rough brownish-gray bark while the pith is cream colored with what appears to be small crystals. The taste of the root is pleasantly acrid that is slightly numbing, but in a few seconds the after taste is peppery. It is found in the foothills from 2,500 feet to 7,500 feet. When you find one you will find more, as they are widely dispersed, yet abundant in some locations. (3)
Warnings: None (4)
Edible Uses: The dried root can be ground into a powder, mixed with cereal flours and used to make bread. This bread is eaten to reduce the appetite. (5)

Medicinal Uses: The root is used in the treatment of stomach complaints. A pinch of the powdered root is said to relieve hunger, it can also be used after overeating to relieve the discomfort. A poultice of the powdered root can be applied to swellings. Large quantities of the root are said to cause intoxication. The root was chewed by native North American Medicine men to induce visions whilst making a diagnosis. (6)Collect the root at any time, but especially in the early fall while the plant is still in flower. The large root may go deeper than 3 or 4 feet in the ground and you probably won’t get it all, which is OK, as it will grow back next year. The root can be dried in the cheesecloth pocket that is hung in the shade, but divide it up as small as you can lengthwise. They become quite tough when dry. This is one of the few Four O’clocks with medical uses. Use a teaspoon full, chewed or boiled in water for tea to depress an appetite. It works by mildly elevating the blood sugars while numbing the stomach. The root is a local analgesic used to reduce pain from inflamed joints, tendons, menstrual cramps and that pain in the small of your back after working, powder it and mix with water. Hopi medicine men use it to induce trance states. They take 1/2 ounce to an 2 ounces in boiled water, the side effects are immense flatulence, cramping, watery stools, thirty to 60 minutes of gaiety, followed by several hours of slurred speech and muscular lethargy.(7)
Foot Notes: (1) http://www.wildflower.org/plants/result.php?id_plant=MIMU

Foot Notes: (2 , 4, 5, 6  )http://www.pfaf.org/user/Plant.aspx?LatinName=Mirabilis+multiflora
Foot Notes: (3, 7 ) Medical Plants of the Moutain West2nd Edition, by Michael Moore, pages 159- 60 Publisher: Museum of New Mexico Press, Copyright 2003, ISBN: 978-0-89013-454-2

Reproduced, in part, (as well as previous postings under this title) in accordance with Section 107 of title 17 of the Copyright Law of the United States relating to fair-use and is for the purposes of criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, and research.

Wild Edible and Medicinal Plants 121-122 Gromwell – Marsh Marigold

Tags

American Cowslip, Caltha leptosepala, edible herbs, Elkslip, field medicine, Gromwell, gromwell eyewash, home remedies, Lithospermum canescens, Lithospermum caroliniense, Lithospermum multiflorum, Lithospermum officinale, Lithospermum ruderale, Marsh Marigold, medical herbs, militia supply, Native American culture, Native American foods, native american medicine, natural antispasmodic, natural expectorant, natural sedative, permanent birth control, plants for survival, poultice for inflamed wounds, preppers plants, Puccoon, Stoneseed, treat chest wounds, treat inflamed wounds, treat internal haemorrhaging, treat kidney ;problems, treat lung hemorrhages, treat rheumatic joints, treat stomach ache, treat tooth ache caused sinus infection, treatment for chest wounds, treatment for measles, treatment for smallpox, treatment of bladder stones, treatment of fevers, treatment of paralyzed limbs

Medical disclaimer: always check with a physician before consuming wild plants, and make positive identification in the field using a good source such as Medicinal Plants of the Mountain West.  Michael Moore also has a glossary of medical terms in his books, and maps in later editions. ) 

#121
Common Name: Gromwell, Stoneseed, Puccoon
Latin Name: Lithospermum canescens, L. caroliniense, L. incisum, L. multiflorum, L. officinale, L. ruderate
Family: Boraginaceae
Range: http://plants.usda.gov/java/profile?symbol=lica12 All States east of the Mississippi R., except Florida and states north of New York, on the west bank of the Mississippi R. Minnesota to Arkansas and North Dakota to Texas; in Canada; Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Ontario (Lithospermum canescens)

http://plants.usda.gov/java/profile?symbol=LICA13 All States east of the Mississippi R. except North Carolina, Maryland, Delaware, New Jersey and states north of New York; on the west bank of the Mississippi R. Minnesota to Louisiana, South Dakota to Texas, plus Colorado; in Canada; Ontario (Lithospermum caroliniense)

http://plants.usda.gov/java/profile?symbol=LIIN2 east of the Mississippi found in Illinois, Michigan, Wisconsin, Tennessee, Indiana, Florida; on the west bank of the Mississippi, all states except Washington, Idaho, Oregon; in Canada; British Columbia to Ontario (Lithospermum incisum)

http://plants.usda.gov/java/profile?symbol=limu3Wyoming, Colorado, Utah, Arizona, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Texas (Lithospermum multiflorum)

http://plants.usda.gov/java/profile?symbol=LIOFNew England south to Pennslyvania, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Wisconsin, Michigan, Minnesota; in Canada; Manitoba east to Quebec and Newbrunswick (Lithospermum officinale)

 http://plants.usda.gov/java/profile?symbol=LIRU4 All States west of the Rocky Mountains, except Arizona and New Mexico; in Canada; British Columbia to Saskatchewan (Lithospermum ruderale)
Photos:(Click on Latin Name after Common Name.)
Warnings: None on PFAF website

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#121(a)
Common Name: Paint Indian, Hoary puccoon (Lithospermum canescens )
Appearance and Habitat: Hoary puccoon’s clumps of leafy stems grow 6-18 in. tall. A hairy, grayish plant with terminal clusters of yellow-orange, tubular flowers; leaves and stems covered with fine soft hairs, giving plant a hoary look. The leaves are bright green, small and narrow, and, like the stems, are covered with silky hairs. Bright, yellow-orange flowers form dense clusters at the tips of the stems. The flowers are tubular and five-lobed. Puccoon is an Algonquian word for a number of plants that yield dyes. Among the other species in the East, Hairy Puccoon (L. caroliniense) has harsher, longer hairs; Corn Gromwell (L. arvense), originally European but now found throughout the United States, is an annual with inconspicuous white flowers among its upper leaf axils. (1)Dry or sandy woods, prairies etc. in Eastern N. America – Ontario to Georgia, west to Saskatchewan and Texas. A perennial growing to 0.2 m (0ft 8in). It is hardy to zone 3. It is in flower from May to June. (2) 
Edible Uses: The roots have been chewed with gum in order to colour the gum red. The flowers have been chewed with gum in order to colour it yellow. (3) 
Medicinal Uses: A tea made from the leaves is applied externally in the treatment of fevers accompanied by spasms.(4)
Foot Notes: (1) http://www.wildflower.org/plants/result.php?id_plant=LICA12

Foot Notes: (2, 3, 4)http://www.pfaf.org/user/Plant.aspx?LatinName=Lithospermum+canescens

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#121(b)
Common Name: Carolina Puccoon, Hairy Puccoon (Lithospermum caroliniense )

Appearance and Habitat: One to numerous stout, leafy stems, simple to branched above; 1-2 ft. tall. Stems and linear leaves are gray-green and covered with coarse, stiff hairs. Deep yellow, tubular flowers are clustered at the end of stems. Older plants may form clumps 2-3 ft. across. (1)Sandhills, pine barrens and dry sandy woods in Eastern N. America – New York to Florida, Minnesota, Montana and New Mexico. A perennial growing to 1 m (3ft 3in). It is hardy to zone 6. (2)
Edible Uses: None (3)
Medicinal Uses: The powdered root has been used in the treatment of chest wounds. (4)
Foot Notes: (1)http://www.wildflower.org/plants/result.php?id_plant=LICA13
Foot Notes: (2, 3, 4)http://www.pfaf.org/user/Plant.aspx?LatinName=Lithospermum+caroliniense

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#121(c)
Common Name: Narrowleaf Stoneseed, Fringed Puccoon, Narrowleaf Gromwell (Lithospermum incisum )
Appearance and Habitat: One to several leafy stems, branched above on older plants, rise 6-16 in. high. Leaves are alternate, 2–4 inches long with rolled edges, larger near the base. Tubular, lemon yellow flowers with conspicuously fringed lobes are in clusters at the end of stems which are 6–12 inches long. They are trumpet–shaped with 5 petal-like lobes which open to 1 inch across, with crinkled margins. Very narrow leaves are less noticably hairy than other puccoons. (1)Dry soils of plains, foothills and ridges in mountains to 2100 meters. Central N. America – British Columbia to Manitoba, south to Illinois, Texas and Arizona. A perennial growing to 0.3 m (1ft). It is hardy to zone 3. It is in flower in June. (2)
Edible Uses: Root – cooked. Eaten boiled or roasted. The root has been used to make a tea. (3)
Medicinal Uses: The root has been chewed by some native North American Indian tribes as a treatment for colds. The finely powdered leaves, root and stem have been rubbed on the body in the treatment of paralyzed limbs. An infusion of the root has been used in the treatment of stomach aches and kidney problems. The plant has been eaten as an oral contraceptive and also as a treatment for lung haemorrhages, coughs and colds. A cold infusion of the pulverized root and seed has been used as an eyewash. This plant was used as a medicine by various native North American Indian tribes and interest in the plant has revived recently as a possible source of modern drugs. (4)
Foot Notes: (1)http://www.wildflower.org/plants/result.php?id_plant=LIIN2
Foot Notes: (2, 3, 4)http://www.pfaf.org/user/Plant.aspx?LatinName=Lithospermum+incisum

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#121(d)
Common Name: Manyflowered Stoneseed (Lithospermum multiflorum ) Appearance and Habitat: Manyflowered stoneseed is 9–18 inches tall and has basal leaves smaller than puccoon. Leaves are alternate and close together on the stem; the upper leaves are 1–2 inches long, narrow and blunt. The upper half is branched, with a compact cluster of flowers at the tip of the stem, 1/2– 3/4 inch long, with 5 round, yellow petals 1 1/4 inches across.(1)Gravelly soils in Texas, 1800 – 3600 meters, mainly in the juniper and pine belts in Western N. America. A perennial growing to 0.5 m (1ft 8in). It is hardy to zone 3. It is in flower from Jul to August. (2)
Edible Uses: The seeds have been used for food . (3)
Medicinal Uses: The root has been used as a ‘life medicine’ by some native North American Indian tribes. (4)
Foot Notes: (1)http://www.wildflower.org/plants/result.php?id_plant=LIMU3

Foot Notes: (2, 3, 4)http://www.pfaf.org/user/Plant.aspx?LatinName=Lithospermum+multiflorum

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#121(e)
Common Name: European Gromwell (Lithospermum officinale ) Appearance and Habitat: Hedges, bushy places and woodland borders, usually on basic soil. Europe, including Britain, except the extreme southwest and north, east to Iran and the Caucasus. A perennial growing to 0.8 m (2ft 7in). It is hardy to zone 6. It is in flower from Jun to July, and the seeds ripen from Jul to August.
Edible Uses: The leaves are used as a tea substitute
Medicinal Uses: The mature seeds are diuretic, lithontripic and oxytocic. They are ground into a powder and used in the treatment of bladder stones, arthritis and febrile conditions. An infusion of the leaves is used as a sedative. The root is depurative. A syrup made from a decoction of the root and stems is used in the treatment of eruptive diseases such as smallpox, measles and itch. All parts of the plant contain a substance that inhibits the secretion of the pituitary gonadotrophic hormone. Extracts of the herb possess contraceptive properties.

http://www.pfaf.org/user/Plant.aspx?LatinName=Lithospermum+officinale

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#121(f)
Common Name: Western Stoneseed, Western Gromwell (Lithospermum ruderale )
Native American Name: Not misha (Owyhee, Nevada – Shoshone)(1)
Appearance and Habitat: Several or many leafy stems in a clump produce, in the upper axils, clusters of 5-lobed light yellow flowers. (2)Open, fairly dry places form the foothills to moderate elevations in Western N. America – British Columbia to California. A perennial growing to 0.8 m (2ft 7in). It is hardy to zone 4. (3)
Edible Uses: The seed has been used for food. (4)
Medicinal Uses: An infusion or decoction of the root has been used as a diuretic in the treatment of kidney complaints and also to treat internal haemorrhaging, diarrhoea etc. A poultice of the dried powdered leaves and stems has been used to relieve the pain of rheumatic joints. Some N. American Indian women drank a cold water infusion of the roots daily for six months to ensure permanent sterility. Alcoholic extracts of the plant have been shown to eliminate the oestrus cycle and decrease the weight of the thymus and pituitary glands. (5)A handful of dried root, chipped and boiled in water to cover, and tea used daily for six months, results in permanent birth control. (6)
Foot Notes: (1, 6) Indian Uses of Native Plants by Edith Murphey, page 46, Publisher: Meyerbooks Copy right 1990; ISBN 0-916638-15-4
Foot Notes: (2)http://www.wildflower.org/plants/result.php?id_plant=LIRU4
Foot Notes: (3, 4, 5 )http://www.pfaf.org/user/Plant.aspx?LatinName=Lithospermum+ruderale

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#122
Common Name: Marsh Marigold, American Cowslip, Elkslip,
Latin Name: Caltha leptosepala
Family: Ranunculaceae
Range: http://plants.usda.gov/java/profile?symbol=CALE4 All States west of the Rocky Mountains, plus Alsaka; in Canada; Yukon, British Columbia and Alberta
Photos: Here
Appearance and Habitat: The glossy, basal leaves of this marsh-marigold are distinctly longer than broad with wavy edges. Showy flowers, occuring on a few-leaved stem, are purplish outside and white within. There are several leaves at the base of the each erect, leafless flowering stem, with usually only 1 white, bowl-shaped flower at tip. Masses of yellow stamens add to the flowers’ showiness. Usually only one flower is borne from each 2-4 in. stem, but there can be two or three. Marsh Marigolds bloom very close to receding snowbanks. The name Elks Lip refers to the shape of the long leaf of this species. Twin-flowered Marsh Marigold (C. biflora), from Alaska to California, east to Colorado, is very similar but has leaves about as wide as long and nearly always 2 flowers on each stem.(1)Open, wet, subalpine and alpine marshes, wet seepages and marshy meadows at elevations of 750 – 3900 meters in Western N. America – Alaska to Oregon. A perennial growing to 0.3 m (1ft) by 0.3 m (1ft in). It is hardy to zone 3. It is in flower from May to June. (2)This plant is bright green with heart shaped leaves. It has white flowers with yellow centers. The petals ae sepals and quite often have blue veins on the underside. The flowers can be an inch across. This plant grows high up, from 8,500 – 12,000- feet in the south of its range, and 5,000 to 7,000 feet in the north. It is found in the Sierra Nevada range from Mineral King- north and in the higher mountains of New Mexico and Arizona and north. (3)
Warnings: The whole plant, but especially the older portions, contains the toxic glycoside protoanemanin – this is destroyed by heat. The sap can irritate sensitive skin (4)
Edible Uses: Root – it must be well cooked. Some caution is advised, see the notes above on toxicity. Flower buds – raw, cooked or pickled and used as a caper substitute. Some caution is advised, see the notes above on toxicity. Young leaves, before the flowers emerge are eaten raw or cooked. Some caution is advised, see the notes above on toxicity. Older leaves, before the plant flowers, can be eaten if well cooked. Some caution is advised, see the notes above on toxicity. (5)The plant is cooked as a traditional potherb, few of the irritable properties suvive drying or cooking. It is used in Europe and by Native American tribes of the Northwest as a spinach substitute. (6)
Medicinal Uses: The whole plant is antispasmodic and expectorant. It has been used to remove warts. A poultice of the chewed roots has been applied to inflamed wounds. (7)Collect the whole plant when in bloom. If the plants are small, dry them in a papersack in the shade; or if they are large, hang them in the shade in a cheesecloth pocket. Make sure the plant is completely dry before using it as a tea. Use up to a teaspoon of the dried plant made into tea and use it up to 4 times a day to stimulate the upward flow of mucus in the lungs, digestive tract and sinuses. It works well when a tooth ache has caused a sinus infection and you can drink a cup every 3 hours and don’t take it for more than three days in a row. The plant doesn’t tincture well so it has to be dried, or used fresh as a poultice. It works well as a poultice for insect bites, bruises or inflamed wounds. ( 8 )
Foot Notes: (1)http://www.wildflower.org/plants/result.php?id_plant=CALE4
Foot Notes: (2, 4, 5, 7 )http://www.pfaf.org/user/Plant.aspx?LatinName=Caltha+leptosepala
Foot Notes: (3, 6, 8 ) Medical Plants of the Moutain West, 2nd Edition, by Michael Moore, pages 160 – 61 Publisher: Museum of New Mexico Press, Copyright 2003, ISBN: 978-0-89013-454-2

Reproduced, in part, (as well as previous postings under this title) in accordance with Section 107 of title 17 of the Copyright Law of the United States relating to fair-use and is for the purposes of criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, and research.

 

 

 

Wild Edible and Medicinal Plants 118 – Bistort, Knotweed, Smartweed

Tags

edible bistort, edible knotweed, edible smartweed, field medicine, home remedies, militia supply, Native American culture, Native American foods, natural antiseptic, natural astringent, Polygonum alpinum, Polygonum bistorta, Polygonum bistorta high in vitamins, Polygonum bistortoides, Polygonum convolvulus, Polygonum cuspidatum, Polygonum penslyvanicum, Polygonum perfoliatum, Polygonum persicaria, Polygonum sachalinense, Polygonum sagittatum, Polygonum virginianum, poultice for abscesses, prepper's plant, rutin in knotweed, smartweed is anti-inflammatory, smartweed poultice, strenghten capillaries, tincture of bistort, treat blisters, treat bloody piles, treat cholera, treat irritable bowel syndrome, treat peptic ulcers, treat pharyngitis, treat poison ivy, treat snakebites, treat whooping cough, treatment for burns, treatment of burn injuries, treatment of rheumatism, treatment of wounds

Medical disclaimer: always check with a physician before consuming wild plants, and make positive identification in the field using a good source such as Medicinal Plants of the Mountain West.  Michael Moore also has a glossary of medical terms in his books, and maps in later editions. ) 

#118
Common Name: Bistort, Knotweed, Smartweed 
Latin Name: Polygonum alpinum, P. amphibium P. bistora P. bistortoids,  P. convolvulus, P. cuspidatum, P. douglasii, P. hydropiper, P. lapathifolium, P. Penslyvanicum, P. perfoliatum, P. persicaria, P. sachalinense, P. sagittantum, P. virginianum
Family: Polygonaceae
Range: http://plants.usda.gov/java/profile?symbol=POLYG4 Main database-all of North America and Hawaii
http://plants.usda.gov/java/profile?symbol=POAL11 Alaska, Yukon and Northwest Territories (Polygonum alpinum aka P. alaskanum)
http://plants.usda.gov/java/profile?symbol=POAM8 all of North America except Florida, Alabama and Georgia (Polygonum amphibium) (click on your state to see what counties it appears in.)
http://plants.usda.gov/java/profile?symbol=POBI5Alaska, Vermont, Maine, Massachusetts; in Canada-Yukon, Northwest Territories, Newfoundland and Nova Scotia (Polygonum bistorta)
http://plants.usda.gov/java/profile?symbol=POBI6 all States west of the Rocky Mountains, plus British Columbia and Alberta in Canada (Polygonum bistortoides)
http://plants.usda.gov/java/profile?symbol=POCO10 All of North America and Hawaii, except Nunavut (Polygonum convolvulus)
http://plants.usda.gov/java/profile?symbol=POCU6 All states east of the Mississippi R. all states on the west bank, except Alabama and Florida, plus S. Dakota, Nebraska, Kansas, Oklahoma, Colorado, Utah, Montana, Idaho, Washington, Oregon and Alaska; in Canada; British Columbia, Manitoba, Ontario, Quebec, New Brunswick, Newfoundland and Nova Scotia (Polygonum cuspidatum)
http://plants.usda.gov/java/profile?symbol=PODO4Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, New York, Maryland, Michigan, Iowa, Minnesota, N. and S. Dakota, Nebraska and all states west of the Rocky Mountains; in Canada; British Columbia to Quebec (Polygonum douglasii)
http://plants.usda.gov/java/profile?symbol=POHYAlaksa, Hawaii, all of the lower 48 States, except Arizona and New Mexico; In Canada; British Columbia, Manitoba to Newfoundland (Polygonum hydropiper)

http://plants.usda.gov/java/profile?symbol=POLA4All of North America except Nunavut.
http://plants.usda.gov/java/profile?symbol=POPE2 All the lower 48 States, except Utah, Idaho and Washington; plus Alaska and in Canada; Manitoba to Newfoundland (Polygonum penslyvanicum)
http://plants.usda.gov/java/profile?symbol=POPE10Oregon, Ohio, W. Virginia, Virginia, Maryland, Delaware, New Jersey, Pennslyvania and New York(Polygonum perfoliatum)
http://plants.usda.gov/java/profile?symbol=POPE3 All of North America except Nunavut and Northwest Territories (Polygonum persicaria)

http://plants.usda.gov/java/profile?symbol=POSA4>Vermont, Massachusetts south to Tennessee – N. Carolina, east to the Mississippi river, excluding Indiana, plus Minnesota, Maine, Louisiana, Montana, Idaho, Washington, Oregon, California and Alaska; in Canada; British Columbia, Ontario east to New Foundland (Polygonum sachalinense)

http://plants.usda.gov/java/profile?symbol=POSA5 All States east of the Mississippi R. and along the west bank,. plus North Dakota to Texas and Colorado and Oregon; in Canada; Manitoba to Labrador and New Foundland (Polygonum sagittatum)

http://plants.usda.gov/java/profile?symbol=POVI2 All States east of the Mississippi, except Maine, all States on the west bank of the Mississippi, plus Nebraska to Texas; in Canada; Ontario and Quebec (Polygonum virginianum)

Photos: (Click on Latin Name after Common Name)

Warnings: (On all Polygonum species on PFAF) Although no specific mention has been made for this species, there have been reports that some members of this genus can cause photosensitivity in susceptible people. Many spieces also contain oxalic acid (the distinctive lemony flavour of sorrel) – whilst not toxic this substance can bind up other minerals making them unavailable to the body and leading to mineral deficiency. Having said that, a number of common foods such as sorrel and rhubarb contain oxalic acid and the leaves of most members of this genus are nutritious and beneficial to eat in moderate quantities. Cooking the leaves will reduce their content of oxalic acid. People with a tendency to rheumatism, arthritis, gout, kidney stones or hyperacidity should take especial caution if including this plant in their diet since it can aggravate their condition.
#118(a)
Common Name: Alaska Wild Rhubarb (Polygonum alpinum)
Appearance and Habitat: Sub-alpine to alpine meadows, talis slopes above treeline, steep hillsides, steep cut banks or sandy loam of rivers; 100-1300 meters. Northwestern N. America-Alaska to Yukon and eastern Russia. A perennial growing to 1.8 m (6ft).
Edible Uses: Leaves – raw or cooked. They have an acid flavour and can be used as a sorrel substitute. The chopped leaves and stems have been added to a thick pudding of flour and sugar then eaten. Leaf stems – raw or cooked. An acid flavour, they can be cut into sections and used like rhubarb (Rheum spp). The juice from the plant has been sweetened and used as a refreshing drink. Seed – raw or cooked. It is rather small and fiddly to utilize.
Medicinal Uses: The whole plant is astringent. The raw roots and stem bases have been chewed as a treatment for coughs and colds.

http://www.pfaf.org/user/Plant.aspx?LatinName=Polygonum+alaskanum

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#118(b)
Common Name: Long Root Smartweed, Willow Grass (Polygonum amphibium)
Appearance and Habitat: Lakes, ponds, slow-flowing rivers and canals, also on banks by the river. Most of Europe, including Britain, temperate Asia, N. America and S. Africa. A perennial growing to 0.3 m (1ft). It is hardy to zone 5. It is in flower from Jul to September.
Edible Uses: Leaves – raw or cooked. The young shoots are eaten in the spring. Seed – cooked. It is rather small and fiddly to utilize.
Medicinal Uses: The whole plant, but especially the root, is astringent, depurative, skin. An infusion of the leaves and stems has been used to treat stomach pains and children with diarrhoea. The root has been eaten raw, or an infusion of the dried, pounded roots used, in the treatment of chest colds. A poultice of the fresh roots has been applied directly to the mouth to treat blisters.

http://www.pfaf.org/user/Plant.aspx?LatinName=Polygonum+amphibium

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#118(c)
Common Name: Bistort (Polygonum bistorta)
Appearance and Habitat: Damp meadows and by water, especially on acid soils. Northern and central Europe, including Britain, mountains of S. Europe, western and central Asia. A perennial growing to 0.5 m (1ft 8in) by 0.5 m (1ft 8in). It is hardy to zone 4. It is in flower from Jun to September, and the seeds ripen from Aug to October.
Edible Uses: Leaves – raw or cooked. One report says that they are rather bitter, but we have found them to have a fairly mild flavour, especially when the leaves are young, though the texture is somewhat chewy when they are eaten raw. They make an excellent substitute for spinach. In Northern England the leaves are an ingredient of a bitter Lenten pudding, called Easter ledger pudding, that is eaten at Lent. The leaves are available from late winter in most years and can be eaten until the early autumn though they become much tougher as the season progresses. The leaves are a good source of vitamins A and C, a nutritional analysis is available. Seed – raw or cooked. The seed is very small and rather fiddly to utilize. Root – raw or cooked. Rich in starch and tannin, it is steeped in water and then roasted in order to reduce the tannin content. It is then said to be a tasty and nutritious food. The root has also been boiled or used in soups and stews and can be dried then ground into a powder and used in making bread. The root contains 30% starch, 1% calcium oxalate and 15 – 36% tannin.
Medicinal Uses: Bistort is one of the most strongly astringent of all herbs and it is used to contract tissues and staunch blood flow. The root is powerfully astringent, demulcent, diuretic, febrifuge, laxative and strongly styptic. It is gathered in early spring when the leaves are just beginning to shoot, and then dried. It is much used, both internally and externally, in the treatment of internal and external bleeding, diarrhoea, dysentery, cholera etc. It is also taken internally in the treatment of a wide range of complaints including catarrh, cystitis, irritable bowel syndrome, peptic ulcers, ulcerative colitis and excessive menstruation. Externally, it makes a good wash for small burns and wounds, and is used to treat pharyngitis, stomatitis, vaginal discharge, anal fissure etc. A mouth wash or gargle is used to treat spongy gums, mouth ulcers and sore throats. The leaves are astringent and have a great reputation in the treatment of wounds. In Chinese medicine the rhizome is used for: epilepsy, fever, tetanus, carbuncles, snake and mosquito bites, scrofula and cramps in hands and feet . Considered useful in diabetes

http://www.pfaf.org/user/Plant.aspx?LatinName=Polygonum+bistorta

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#118(d)
Common Name: American Bistort, Western Bistort (Polygonum bistortoides)
Appearance and Habitat: At tops of slender, erect, reddish stems bloom dense white or pale pink flower clusters. One of the most common mountain wildflowers, sometimes covering meadows with thousands of clusters of white flowers. The stout roots were once prepared by Native Americans for food. Young leaves may be cooked as greens.(1)Moist or wet meadows and swamps, seldom below 2500 meters in Western N. America – Canada to California. A perennial growing to 0.5 m (1ft 8in). It is hardy to zone 5. It is in flower from Jul to August.(2)A common plant of wet mountain meadows, usually above 10,000 feet. It has lanced shaped basal leaves and when in flower 1 to 2 foot stalks. It’s roots creep along horizontally and are fleshy with a dark outer surface.(3)
Edible Uses: Leaves – raw or cooked. A pleasant acid flavour, they are used as a potherb. Root – raw or cooked. Starchy and rather pleasant, the root can be baked or added to soups, stews etc. It was often dried before being used. The raw root is slightly astringent, it becomes sweeter when boiled but is best when baked. Seed – raw or cooked. It is rather small and fiddly to utilize.(4)
Medicinal Uses: The root is astringent. A poultice has been used in treating sores and boils.(5)Collect the whole root, split into several sections, lengthwise, putting them in a fold of cheesecloth and hang them to dry in the shade. After they have dried, grind them up. The roots are a very strong astringent with antiseptic properties. It makes an excellent first aid dressing, mixed in equal portions with ground Osha root or Echinacea, for cuts and scraps. It can be mixed with clay, in equal proportions, for a drawing poultice. Mix it with hot water to make a paste for abscesses or sprained joints, changing it every few hours. The ground root can also be used to make tea for internal astringencies, use a teaspoon full in a cup of boiled water. A tincture can also be made for external use, 1 part dried ground root to 5 parts alcohol with one part glyerin and use as needed.(6)
Foot Notes: (1)http://www.wildflower.org/plants/result.php?id_plant=POBI6

Foot Notes: (2, 4, 5)http://www.pfaf.org/user/Plant.aspx?LatinName=Polygonum+bistortoides
Foot Notes: (3, 6 ) Medicinal Plants of the Mountain West by Michael Moore, 2nd Edition page 53-54, Publisher: Museum of New Mexico Press, Copyright 2003, ISBN 978-0-89013-454-2

(Personal Note: I have found Bistort at much lower altitudes than 10,000 feet, I believe it can be found in all the higher wet mountain ranges in the west.  )

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#118(e)
Common Name: Black Bindweed (Polygonum convolvulus) Appearance and Habitat: Waste places, arable land and gardens in Europe, includig Britain, from Norway south and east to N. Africa and temperate Asia. An annual growing to 1.2 m (4ft). It is in flower from Jul to October.
Edible Uses: Seed – ground into a powder and used as a gruel or mixed with cereals. The seed coat should be removed before use, this has caused mechanical injury to the digestive systems of animals who have eaten the seed. The seed is rather small and fiddly to utilize.
Medicinal Uses: None

http://www.pfaf.org/user/Plant.aspx?LatinName=Polygonum+convolvulus

(Personal Note: I have seen this vine in New Mexico growing in my roses)

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#118(f)
Common Name: Japanese Knotweed
(Polygonum cuspidatum)
Appearance and Habitat: Wet grassy places in lowland all over Japan. E. Asia-Japan Commonly naturalized in S. England. A perennial growing to 3 m (9ft) by 5 m (16ft) at a fast rate. It is hardy to zone 5. It is in flower from Jul to October, and the seeds ripen from Aug to October.
Edible Uses: Young shoots in spring – cooked. They can be used as an asparagus substitute. They have an acid flavour and can also be used as a rhubarb substitute in pies, fruit soups, jams etc. Older stems and shoot tips – cooked. They taste like a mild version of rhubarb. Seed – raw or cooked. It is rather small and fiddly to utilize. The seed can also be ground into a powder and used as a flavouring and thickener in soups etc, or can be mixed with cereals when making bread, cakes etc. The root is sometimes eaten
Medicinal Uses: The root is antiphlogistic, bechic, depurative, diuretic, emmenagogue, emollient, febrifuge, stomachic and vulnerary. It is also used in the treatment of women’s complaints. A decoction is used in the treatment of burn injuries, boils and abscesses, poisonous snakebites, acute hepatitis, appendicitis, traumatic injuries and menstrual irregularities. The leaves can be crushed and applied externally as a poultice to abscesses, cuts etc, whilst the dried roots can be ground into a powder and applied externally. Extracts of the plant have shown antitumour activity.

http://www.pfaf.org/user/Plant.aspx?LatinName=Polygonum+japonicum

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#118(g)
Common Name: Douglas’ Knotweed (Polygonum douglasii)
Appearance and Habitat: Rocky slopes and dry soils all over N. America. N. America – Northwest Territory to British Columbia, south to Vermont, New Mexico and Oklahoma. An annual growing to 0.3 m (1ft).
Edible Uses: Leaves – raw or cooked. Seed – dried then ground into a powder and mixed with cornmeal or other cereals for making bread etc. The seed is rather small and fiddly to utilize, it is enclosed in a dry papery hull
Medicinal Uses: None

http://www.pfaf.org/user/Plant.aspx?LatinName=Polygonum+douglasii

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#118(h)
Common Name: Marshpepper Knotweed, Smartweed (Polygonum hydropiper)
Appearance and Habitat: Shallow water in ponds, ditches etc. and wet places on land. Europe, including Britain, from Norway south and east to N. Africa and temperate Asia. An annual growing to 0.8 m (2ft 7in). It is in flower from Jul to September.
Edible Uses: Leaves and stems – raw or cooked. They can also be made into an acid peppery condiment. They are very hot. The leaves contain about 7.5% protein, 1.9% fat, 8% carbohydrate, 2% ash. The leaves are said to contain rutin. Seed – raw or cooked. It is rather small and fiddly to utilize. The seed is used as a condiment – a pepper substitute. The sprouted seeds or young seedlings can be used as a garnish or added to salads, they are commonly sold in Japanese markets. They are very hot
Medicinal Uses: Smartweed has a long history of herbal use, both in Eastern and Western herbalism. It is not used very often, and is seen more as a domestic remedy being valued especially for its astringent properties which makes it useful in treating bleeding, skin problems, diarrhoea etc. The leaves are anti-inflammatory, astringent, carminative, diaphoretic, diuretic, emmenagogue, stimulant, stomachic, styptic. They contain rutin, which helps strengthen fragile capillaries and thus helps prevent bleeding. Use with caution. The seed is carminative, diuretic and stimulant. The whole plant, either on its own or mixed with other herbs, is decocted and used in the treatment of a wide range of ailments including diarrhoea, dyspepsia, itching skin, excessive menstrual bleeding and haemorrhoids. A poultice of the plant is used in treating swollen and inflamed areas. In Chinese tests, the plant was ranked 20th in a survey of 250 potential antifertility drugs. A homeopathic remedy is made from the leaves. It is used in the treatment of piles, menstrual pains and other menstrual complaints.
http://www.pfaf.org/user/Plant.aspx?LatinName=Polygonum+hydropiper

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#118(i)
Common Name: Curlytop Knotweed, (Polygonum lapathifolium)
Appearance and Habitat: Swampy thickets, shores, damp clearings and cultivated fields in N. America. Temperate regions of the northern hemisphere, including Britian, and S. Africa.
Edible Uses: Young leaves – raw or cooked. Seed – raw or cooked. It is rather small and fiddly to utilize.
Medicinal Uses: The whole plant is antiseptic and astringent. An infusion has been used in the treatment of stomach complaints and fevers. The plant produces a soft white mass, a froth like that of soap. It is applied externally to burns.

http://www.pfaf.org/user/Plant.aspx?LatinName=Polygonum+lapathifolium

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#118(j)
Common Name: Pennsylvania Smartweed, Pink Smartweed
(Polygonum pensylvanicum)
Appearance and Habitat: Dense, erect, spike-like clusters of small, bright pink flowers are on sticky-haired stalks. About 75 species of smartweeds occur in North America. They are mainly are identified by their spikes of numerous flowers and encircling leaf sheaths. A closely related species, Pale Smartweed (P. lapathifolium), has white or pale rose, arching flower spikes and usually smooth stems. Both are found in gardens as well as in damp waste places. The seeds of these plants are eaten by songbirds and waterfowl. There are also climbing species of smartweeds.(1)Waste ground in moist soils. Moist disturbed places, ditches, riverbanks, cultivated fields, shorelines of ponds and reservoirs from sea level to 1800 meters. Eastern N. America – Nova Scotia to Ontario, Minnesota, Florida and Texas. An annual growing to 0.7 m (2ft 4in). It is in flower from Apr to December.(2)
Edible Uses: None(3)
Medicinal Uses: An infusion of the plant tops has been used in the treatment of epilepsy. An infusion of the leaves has been used to treat haemorrhages of blood from the mouth and to aid postpartum healing. The leaves have been used as a wipe on the anus in treating bloody piles.(4)
Foot Notes: (1) http://www.wildflower.org/plants/result.php?id_plant=POPE2

Foot Notes: (2, 3, 4)http://www.pfaf.org/user/Plant.aspx?LatinName=Polygonum+pensylvanicum

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#118(k)
Common Name: Asiatic Tearthumb (Polygonum perfoliatum)
Appearance and Habitat: Wet thickets and by rivers in lowland all over Japan. Moist, open, uncultivated land at elevations of 900 – 1400 meters in Nepal. E. Asia – China, Japan, Korea, India. An annual/perennial growing to 1.8 m (6ft). It is in flower from Jul to August, and the seeds ripen from Aug to October.
Edible Uses: Tender young leaves and shoots – raw or cooked. Used as a vegetable. Seed – raw or cooked. It is rather small and fiddly to utilize. The ripe fruits (seeds) are eaten fresh, especially by children
Medicinal Uses: The whole plant is depurative, diuretic and febrifuge. It is also used to stimulate blood circulation. A decoction is used in the treatment of dysentery, enteritis, boils and abscesses, poisonous snake bites, haematuria, cloudy urine and traumatic injuries. The juice of the leaves is used in the treatment of backaches.

http://www.pfaf.org/user/Plant.aspx?LatinName=Polygonum+perfoliatum

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#118(l)
Common Name: Spotted Ladysthumb, Red Leg (Polygonum persicaria)
Appearance and Habitat: Damp shady places. A common weed of cultivated land, avoiding shade. Temperate regions of the northern hemisphere, including Britain. An annual growing to 0.6 m (2ft). It is hardy to zone 5. It is in flower from Jun to October, and the seeds ripen from Aug to October.
Edible Uses: Leaves and young shoots – raw or cooked. They contain about 1.9% fat, 5.4% pectin, 3.2% sugars, 27.6% cellulose, 1% tannin. Seed – raw or cooked. It is rather small and fiddly to utilize.
Medicinal Uses: The leaves are astringent, diuretic, rubefacient and vermifuge. An infusion has been used as a treatment for gravel and stomach pains. A decoction of the plant, mixed with flour, has been used as a poultice to help relieve pain. A decoction of the plant has been used as a foot and leg soak in the treatment of rheumatism. The crushed leaves have been rubbed on poison ivy rash.

http://www.pfaf.org/user/Plant.aspx?LatinName=Polygonum+perfoliatum

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#118(m)
Common Name: Giant Knotweed(Polygonum sachalinense)
Appearance and Habitat: The plant is erect to arching, perennial, 4′-10′ tall, stout, shrub-like forb; long rhizomes forming clones to several acres; stems angular. Flower: white to greenish, 5-parted, petals and petal-like sepals; inflorescence many 3″-6″ branched clusters from the upper leaf axils. Leaves: alternate, up to 12″ long, oval with a gradually tapering tip and a heart-shaped base. Found on shores, grasslands and woods.(1)Along ravines and by streams in montane areas of Sakhalin Island. E. Asia -Japan, Occasionally naturalized in Britain. A perennial growing to 3.6 m (11ft) by 3 m (9ft) at a fast rate. It is hardy to zone 5. It is in flower from Jul to October, and the seeds ripen from Aug to October.(2)
Edible Uses: Young shoots in spring – raw or cooked. They can be added to salads or cooked as an asparagus substitute. They have an acid flavour and we find that they are more like a rhubarb substitute. Older stems and shoot tips – cooked. The stems are best peeled. Tasting like a mild version of rhubarb, they have a superior quality with a hint of lemon in the flavour. Seed – cooked. The seed can be ground into a powder and used as a thickener and flavouring in soups etc, or as an extender in flour. It is rather small and fiddly to utilize.(3)
Medicinal Uses: None(4)
Foot Notes: (1) http://wisplants.uwsp.edu/scripts/detail.asp?SpCode=POLSAC

Foot Notes: (2, 3, 4)http://www.pfaf.org/user/Plant.aspx?LatinName=Polygonum+sachalinense

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#118(n)
Common Name: Arrowleaf Teartumb, False Buckwheat (Polygonum sagittatum)
Appearance and Habitat: A native climbing or tangling, annual, 3′- 6′ tall, slender forb; 4 -angled stems very prickly. Flower: pink to white, 3/8″ long, stalkless, petals and petal-like sepals; inflorescence short, rounded, uninterrupted clusters on long stalks both terminal and from the leaf axils; blooms Aug.-Oct. Leaf: alternate, lance-like to elliptical, with narrow, downward-pointed lobes forming a heart-shaped base that surrounds the stem. Found in wet ground, marshes, streambanks and swamps(1)Wet soils, ditches in N. America – Newfoundland to Northwest Territory, south to Florida. Naturalized in Ireland(2)
Edible Uses: None(3)
Medicinal Uses: The plant has been used with success in the treatment of nephritic colic, relieving the pains caused by gravel(4)
Foot Notes: (1) http://wisplants.uwsp.edu/scripts/detail.asp?SpCode=POLSAG

Foot Notes: (2, 3, 4)http://www.pfaf.org/user/Plant.aspx?LatinName=Polygonum+sagittatum

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#118(o)
Common Name: Jumpseed
(Polygonum virginianum)

Appearance and Habitat: An erect, perennial, 20″-40″ tall forb; stems nodes hairy; from rhizomes. The flower: white to greenish, 4-parted, 1/8″ long, petals and petal-like sepals; inflorescence 4″-16″ very thin, spike-like, interrupted, terminal clusters; blooms July-Sept. The leaf: up to 6″ long, broad, lance-like to oval with a sharp tip. Habitat: shade to semi-shade; moist to wet; riverbanks, woods, cliffs, rocks.(1)Woods and thickets in lowland and hills all over Japan. Woods, stream bottoms and lower slopes in Texas. E. Asia – Japan to Himalayas. N. America – Nova Scotia to Minnesota, Florida and Texas. It is hardy to zone 5.(2)
Edible Uses: Leaves – raw or cooked. Seed – raw or cooked. It is rather small and fiddly to utilize.(3)
Medicinal Uses: The plant is astringent, demulcent, diuretic, pectoral and tonic. A hot infusion of the leaves, combined with honey locust bark (Gleditsia triacanthos) has been used in the treatment of whooping cough.(4)
Foot Notes: (1) http://wisplants.uwsp.edu/scripts/detail.asp?SpCode=POLVIR

Foot Notes: (2, 3, 4)http://www.pfaf.org/user/Plant.aspx?LatinName=Polygonum+virginianum

Reproduced, in part, (as well as previous postings under this title) in accordance with Section 107 of title 17 of the Copyright Law of the United States relating to fair-use and is for the purposes of criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, and research.

Wild Edible and Medicinal Plants 117 – Juniper

Tags

anticancer compound podophyllotoxin, aromatherapy, blood tonic, home remedies, juniper edible berries, juniper poultice, Juniperus ashei, Juniperus communis, Juniperus deppeana, Juniperus horizontalis, Juniperus monosperma, Juniperus occidentalis, Juniperus osteosperma, Juniperus scopulorum, Juniperus silicicola, Juniperus virginiana, militia, militia supply, Native American culture, Native American folklore, Native American foods, native american medicine, natural antiseptic, natural diuretic, plants for survival, poultice for toothaches, prepper plant, repel snakes, stomach tonic, treat bladder problems, treat cold and fevers, treat dandruff, treat headaches, treat kidney ;problems, treat rheumatism, treat urinary tract infections, treatment of coughs, treatment of fevers

Medical disclaimer: always check with a physician before consuming wild plants, and make positive identification in the field using a good source such as Medicinal Plants of the Mountain West.  Michael Moore also has a glossary of medical terms in his books, and maps in later editions. ) 

(Attention!!  If you are a militia member, Prepper, or survivalist please visit the main webite http://keystoliberty.wordpress.com You are missing a great deal of information on spotting snipers, fuel storage, food storage, gardening, and soon a post on suturing.)

#117
Common Name: Juniper, Cedar, Cedron, Sabina
Latin Name: Juniperus communis, J. monosperma, J. occidentalis, J. osteosperma, J. scopulorum covered by Michael Moore and J. ashei, J. californica, J. communis, J. deppeana, J. horizontalis, J. osteosperma, J. sabina,  J. Scopulorum, J. silicicola, J. tetragona and  J. virginiana, covered by PFAF website.
Family: Cupressaceae
Range: http://plants.usda.gov/java/profile?symbol=JUAS Missouri, Arkansas, Oklahoma and Texas (Juniperus ashei)
http://plants.usda.gov/java/profile?symbol=JUCA7California, Nevada and Arizona. (Juniperus califorica)
http://plants.usda.gov/java/profile?symbol=JUCO6 all of North America except Florida, Tennessee, Mississippi, Missouri, Arkansas, Louisiana, Kansas, Oklahoma and Texas. (Juniperus communis)
http://plants.usda.gov/java/profile?symbol=JUDE2 Arizona, New Mexico and Texas. (Juniperus deppeana and Juniperus tetragona)
http://plants.usda.gov/java/profile?symbol=JUHO2 New England south to New York, Illinois, Wisconsin, Michigan, Minnesota, Iowa, N. and S. Dakota, Nebraska, Wyoming, Montana and Alaska; all of Canada (Juniperus horizontalis)
http://plants.usda.gov/java/profile?symbol=JUOC California, Oregon, Washington, Idaho and Nevada. (Juniperus occidentalis)
http://plants.usda.gov/java/profile?symbol=JUOS all States west of the Rocky Mountains except Washington and Oregon. (Juniperus osteosperma)
http://plants.usda.gov/java/profile?symbol=JUMO Utah, Colorado, New Mexico, Arizona, Oklahoma and Texas. (Juniperus monosperma)
http://plants.usda.gov/java/profile?symbol=JUSA5Ontario, Canada. (Juniperus sabina)
http://plants.usda.gov/java/profile?symbol=JUSC2 all States west of the Rocky Mountains except California, plus N and S. Dakota,Nebraska,Oklahoma and Texas; in Canada-Saskatchewan to British Columbia (Juniperus scopulorum)
http://plants.usda.gov/java/profile?symbol=JUVIS Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia, Florida, N. and South Carolina. (Juniperus silicicola)
http://plants.usda.gov/java/profile?symbol=JUVI all States east of the Mississippi R. and all States along the west bank of the Mississippi R., plus N. and S. Dakota, Nebraska, Kansas, Oklahoma, Texas, Colorado and Oregon; in Canada – Quebec and Ontario. (Juniperus virginiana)
Photos: (Click on Latin Name after Common Name.)
Warnings: None Known, except Juniperus silicicola – All parts of the plant might be toxic. Juniperus communis -Although the fruits of this plant is quite often used medicinally and as a flavouring in various foods and drinks, large doses of the fruit can cause retal damage. Juniper should not be used internally in any quantities by pregnant women. Diarrhoea with repeated use. Avoid kidney disease. Do not use internally for more than 6 weeks. Juniperus sabina – The whole plant is poinsonous and can produce abortions. Juniperus virginiana – All parts of the plant might be toxic. PFAP website
#117(a)
Common Name: Ashe’s Juniper, Moutain Cedar, Blueberry Juniper (Juniperus ashei )
Appearance and Habitat: Evergreen tree with trunk often grooved and twisted or branched from base, and with rounded or irregular, open crown; sometimes forming thickets. Ashe junipers large, radiating branches, which start almost at ground level, give the illusion of a multi-trunked tree. Female trees with blue berrylike cones; male with a burnt gold appearance in winter due to pollen. Fragrant, dark-green foliage, blue fruits on females, and shaggy bark are characteristic of this 30 ft. evergreen. Though a fragrant, evergreen, and picturesque tree, Ashe Juniper pollen, like that of many junipers, is very irritating to people with cedar allergies, so where the tree occurs in large concentrations, as in central Texas, it often becomes hated and targeted for removal, with various, sometimes invented, rationalizations given for doing so. Ashe Juniper is native, it has been abundant since the earliest European explorers arrived (and likely longer, given evidence that it has been in Texas since the Pleistocene), and it is an integral part of the native flora. The uniquely rich and well-draining soil that builds up as juniper leaves fall and decompose is ideal for several native plants, some of which tend to occur almost exclusively in association with it, including Cedar Sage (Salvia roemeriana) and Cedar Rosette Grass (Dichanthelium pedicillatum). The beautiful but notoriously difficult to propagate Texas Madrone (Arbutus xalapensis) also seems to germinate best in the soil beneath these trees. Other central Texas plants often seen under or near it are American Smoke Tree (Cotinus obovatus), White Limestone Honeysuckle (Lonicera albiflora), Lindheimers Garrya (Garrya ovata var. lindheimeri), and Orange Zexmenia (Wedelia texana). Better known is that a rare warbler, the Golden-cheeked Warbler, uses Ashe Juniper bark almost exclusively to build its nests. Many kinds of wildlife eat the sweetish berries, and the durable wood is a local source of fenceposts.(1)Found at lower elevations, growing mainly on limestone hills or in soils underladen with limestone. Southern N. America-Missouri to Texas and south to Mexico. An evergreen tree growing to 6 m (19ft 8in) at a slow rate. It is hardy to zone 7. It is in leaf 12-Jan, and the seeds ripen in October.(2)
Edible Uses: Fruit – raw or cooked. The cones are about 6 – 8mm in diameter, they are thin-skinned sweet, juicy and resinous.(3)
Medicinal Uses: None(4)
Foot Notes: (1) http://www.wildflower.org/plants/result.php?id_plant=JUAS
Foot Notes: (2, 3, 4)http://www.pfaf.org/user/Plant.aspx?LatinName=Juniperus+ashei
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#117(b)
Common Name: California Juniper, Desert White Cedar
(Juniperus californica )
Appearance and Habitat: A tree-like shrub, 10-15 ft. high, with stout, irregular stems and a broad, erect, open habit. Bark is ashy gray, foliage is bluish-gray and scale-like, and berry-like cones are bluish, turning reddish-brown. Able to withstand heat and drought, this species extends farther down into the semidesert zone than other junipers and is important in erosion control on dry slopes. Indians used to gather the berries to eat fresh and to grind into meal for baking.(1) Dry rocky or gravelly or sandy soils on dry mountain slopes and hills, 120 – 1200 meters in South-western N. America. An evergreen tree growing to 12 m (39ft 4in) at a slow rate. It is hardy to zone 8. It is in leaf 12-Jan It is in flower from Feb to April, and the seeds ripen in October.(2)
Edible Uses: Fruit – raw or cooked. A thick, sweet, dry, fibrous and non-resinous flesh. It can also be dried and ground into a powder then used as a flavouring in various dishes or eaten as a mush. The fruit is produced abundantly in the wild, though it is unlikely to be freely produced in Britain. The cones are about 10 – 20mm in diameter(3)
Medicinal Uses: The scorched twigs have been rubbed on the body in the treatment of fits. The leaves are analgesic, diaphoretic and hypotensive. An infusion has been used in the treatment of high blood pressure, coughs and colds and to bring relief from a hangover (the bark was also used in this case). It has also been taken by pregnant women just prior to childbirth in order to relax the muscles.(4)
Foot Notes: (1) http://www.wildflower.org/plants/result.php?id_plant=JUCA7
Foot Notes: (2, 3, 4)http://www.pfaf.org/user/Plant.aspx LatinName=Juniperus+californica
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#117(c)
Common Name: Common Juniper
(Juniperus communis)
Appearance and Habitat: Usually a spreading low shrub, sometimes forming broad or prostrate clumps; rarely a small tree with an open irregular crown. Although commonly a tree in Eurasia, Common Juniper is only rarely a small tree in New England and other northeastern States. In the West, it is a low shrub, often at timberline. Including geographic varieties, this species is the most widely distributed native conifer in both North America and the world. Juniper berries are food for wildlife, especially grouse, pheasants, and bobwhites. They are an ingredient in gin, producing the distinctive aroma and tang. (1) Chalk downs in S. England but only where there is least sunshine and most rain, heaths, moors, pine and birch woods in the north of Scotland on acid peat, often dominant on chalk, limestone and slate. Northern temperate zone, incl. Britain, south to the mountains of N. Africa, Himalayas and California. An evergreen shrub growing to 9 m (29ft) by 4 m (13ft) at a slow rate. It is hardy to zone 2 and is not frost tender. It is in leaf 12-Jan It is in flower from May to June, and the seeds ripen in October.(2)
Edible Uses: Fruit – raw or cooked. It is usually harvested in the autumn when fully ripe and then dried for later use. A soft, mealy, sweet, resinous flesh. The fruit is often used as a flavouring in sauerkraut, stuffings, vegetable pates etc, and is an essential ingredient of gin. The aromatic fruit is used as a pepper substitute according to one report. An essential oil is sometimes distilled from the fruit to be used as a flavouring. Average yields are around 1%. The cones are about 4 – 8mm in diameter and take 2 – 3 years to mature. Some caution is advised when using the fruit, see the notes above on toxicity. The roasted seed is a coffee substitute. A tea is made by boiling the leaves and stems. A tea made from the berries has a spicy gin-like flavour.(3)
Medicinal Uses: Juniper fruits are commonly used in herbal medicine, as a household remedy, and also in some commercial preparations. They are especially useful in the treatment of digestive disorders plus kidney and bladder problems. The fully ripe fruits are strongly antiseptic, aromatic, carminative, diaphoretic, strongly diuretic, rubefacient, stomachic and tonic. They are used in the treatment of cystitis, digestive problems, chronic arthritis, gout and rheumatic conditions. They can be eaten raw or used in a tea, but some caution is advised since large doses can irritate the urinary passage. Externally, it is applied as a diluted essential oil, having a slightly warming effect upon the skin and is thought to promote the removal of waste products from underlying tissues. It is, therefore, helpful when applied to arthritic joints etc. The fruits should not be used internally by pregnant women since this can cause an abortion. The fruits also increase menstrual bleeding so should not be used by women with heavy periods. When made into an ointment, they are applied to exposed wounds and prevent irritation by flies. The essential oil is used in aromatherapy. Its keyword is ‘Toxin elimination’.(4)
Foot Notes: (1) http://www.wildflower.org/plants/result.php?id_plant=JUCO6
Foot Notes: (2, 3, 4) http://www.pfaf.org/user/Plant.aspx?LatinName=Juniperus+communis
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#117(d)
Common Name: Allegator Juniper, Checkerboard Juniper
(Juniperus deppeana)
Appearance and Habitat: Alligator juniper forms a broadly-pyramidal or round-topped crown. The distinctive bark is furrowed into checkered plates. Fragrant, dark blue-green, scale-like foliage and copper-colored fruit are other landscape characteristics. This evergreen grows to 48 ft. in height. Alligator Juniper is easily recognized by its distinctive bark. One of the largest junipers, it is used for fuel and fenceposts. New sprouts often appear at the base of cut stumps. The large berries are consumed by birds and mammals. Large trees often have a partially dead crown of grotesque appearance with some branches that die and turn light gray instead of falling; other branches die only in a vertical strip and continue to grow on the other side.(1) Open oak or pine woodlands on dry, arid mountains slopes, 1200 – 1800 meters in South-western N. America – Texas, Arizona and Mexico. An evergreen tree growing to 18 m (59ft 1in) at a slow rate. It is hardy to zone 8. It is in leaf 12-Jan It is in flower from Feb to March, and the seeds ripen from Oct to November.(2)
Edible Uses: Fruit – raw or cooked. A dry and mealy texture but with a sweet and palatable taste. The fruit can also be dried, ground into a meal and prepared as a mush or cakes. The fruit has a sweetish palatable pulp and is about 15mm in diameter. The cones take 2 years to mature(3)
Medicinal Uses: None(4)
Foot Notes: (1) http://www.wildflower.org/plants/result.php?id_plant=JUDE2
Foot Notes: (2, 3, 4) http://www.pfaf.org/user/Plant.aspx?LatinName=Juniperus+deppeana
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#117(e)
Common Name: Creeping Juniper
(Juniperus horizontalis)
Appearance and Habitat: Creeping juniper is a procumbent, mat-like, evergreen shrub, less than 3 ft. tall but up to 20 ft. wide. Long, trailing branches are covered with conspicuously glaucous, soft-textured, blue-green, scale-type foliage. Juvenile foliage is prickly. Dark blue, berry-like cones with a heavy, white bloom, persist through winter.(1) Dry rocky soil, sterile pastures and fields in Northern N. America – Newfoundland to British Columbia, south to Washington and Maine. An evergreen shrub growing to 1 m (3ft 3in) by 3 m (9ft). It is hardy to zone 4. It is in leaf 12-Jan, and the seeds ripen in October.(2)
Edible Uses: The fruits are roasted and used in the preparation of a coffee-like beverage. A tea is made from the young branch tips.(3)
Medicinal Uses: An infusion of the branches, or fleshy cones, has been used in the treatment of coughs, colds and fevers. The cones or branches can also be used as a steam bath. An infusion of the seeds has been used in the treatment of kidney problems(4)
Foot Notes: (1)(http://www.wildflower.org/plants/result.php?id_plant=JUHO2
Foot Notes: 2, 3, 4)http://www.pfaf.org/user/Plant.aspx?LatinName=Juniperus+horizontalis
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#117(f)
Common Name: Oneseed Juniper, Cherrystone Juniper
(Juniperus monosperma)
Appearance and Habitat: One-seed juniper is a large shrub or small tree, 6-20 ft., with a gnarled, multi-trunked appearance in the wild. Larger branches usually arise from below ground level. Bark is thin, scaly and ashy. Fragrant foliage is scale-like on mature twigs; needle-like on juvenile shoots and seedlings. Bluish-black to copper-colored fruits occur on the female plants. This abundant juniper is one of the most common small trees in New Mexico. The wood is important for fenceposts and fuel, and Indians used to make mats and cloth from the fibrous bark. Birds and mammals consume the juicy berries, and goats browse the foliage.(1) Dry rocky or sandy soils, 1000 – 2300 meters in South-western N. America – along the Rocky Mountains from Wyoming to Mexico. An evergreen tree growing to 18 m (59ft 1in) at a medium rate. It is hardy to zone 4. It is in leaf 12-Jan It is in flower in April, and the seeds ripen in October.(2)
Edible Uses: Fruit – raw or cooked. Soft, juicy and pulpy, but with a thin flesh. It can be dried and ground into a powder and then be baked, or can be used as a seasoning in stews etc. The fruits were only used when other foods were in short supply. The cones are about 5 – 8mm in diameter and ripen in their first year. Inner bark – raw or cooked. It was chewed in times of food shortage for the little nourishment it supplied. The gum is chewed as a delicacy. No further details are given.(3)
Medicinal Uses: One-seed juniper was commonly employed medicinally by a number of native North American Indian tribes, who used it to treat a variety of complaints. It is little, if at all, used in modern herbalism. The leaves are febrifuge, laxative and pectoral. An infusion is used in the treatment of stomach complaints, constipation, coughs and colds. An infusion was also used by pregnant women prior to childbirth in order to relax the muscles. A poultice of the heated twigs can be bound over a bruise or sprain in order to reduce the swelling. An infusion of the staminate cones has been used as a stomach tonic and in the treatment of dysentery. The chewed bark has been applied externally to help heal spider bites. It is also highly prized as a dressing on burns. The fruits are strongly diuretic. A gum from the plant has been used as a temporary filling in a decayed toothheadaches(4)
Foot Notes: (1)http://www.wildflower.org/plants/result.php?id_plant=JUMO
Foot Notes: (2, 3, 4)http://www.pfaf.org/user/Plant.aspx?LatinName=Juniperus+monosperma
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#117(g)
Common Name: Western Juniper (Juniperus occidentalis)
Appearance and Habitat: Western juniper is a 15-50 ft. , evergreen tree with a massive, squat trunk; large, wide-spreading branches; and reddish-brown, shreddy bark. Foliage is gray-green and berries are blue-black at maturity. Younger specimens are more trim and erect than their mature counterparts, with paler green foliage. Western Juniper is common at high altitudes in the Sierra Nevada. Giants reach a trunk diameter of 16 (5 m) and an estimated age of more than 2000 years. This species may develop thick, long roots that entwine rock outcrops, mimicking the shape of the branches.(1)Usually found on thin rocky or sandy soils on desert foothills and lower mountains, also on windswept peaks up to elevations of 3,000 meters where they become low gnarled shrubs. Western N. America – British Columbia to the Sierra Nevada. An evergreen tree growing to 18 m (59ft 1in) at a slow rate. It is hardy to zone 5. It is in leaf 12-Jan, and the seeds ripen in October.(2)
Edible Uses: Fruit – raw or cooked. A thin dry flesh with a resinous flavour. The fruit is sweet and nutritious, it can also be dried or ground into a powder and mixed with cereal flours to be made into a bread.The cones are about 10mm in diameter, they take 2 years to mature(3)
Medicinal Uses: Western juniper was quite widely employed as a medicinal herb by a number of native North American tribes who used it to treat a variety of complaints, especially those related to the kidneys and the skin. It is rarely, if at all, used in modern herbalism. The leaves are blood tonic and laxative. A decoction is used in the treatment of constipation, coughs and colds. An infusion of the leaves has been taken by pregnant women prior to giving birth in order to relax the muscles. A poultice of the pounded moistened leaves has been applied to the jaw to treat swollen and sore gums and toothaches. The berries are analgesic, blood tonic and diuretic. A decoction is used to relieve the pain of menstrual cramps and to induce urination. Externally, the decoction is used as a poultice on rheumatic joints. The young twigs are antiseptic, blood tonic and febrifuge. A decoction is used in the treatment of kidney problems, fevers, stomach aches, smallpox, influenza and haemorrhages. The branches have been used in a sweat bath to ease rheumatism. A poultice of the twigs has been used as a dressing on burns and as a drawing agent on boils or splinters. A decoction has been used as an antiseptic wash on sores. The leaves or young twigs have been burnt and the smoke inhaled to ease the pain of headaches.(4)
Foot Notes: (1)http://www.wildflower.org/plants/result.php?id_plant=JUOC
Foot Notes: (2, 3, 4)http://www.pfaf.org/user/Plant.aspx?LatinName=Juniperus+occidentalis
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#117(h)
Common Name: Utah Juniper
(Juniperus osteosperma)
Native American Name: Sammapo (Shoshone), Wapi (Paiute), Paal (Washoe) Bat-they-naw (Arapaho)(1)
Appearance and Habitat: Utah Juniper is a tree-like shrub or bushy, small tree, 10-20 ft. tall. The plant forms rounded clumps or crowns. Branchlets are stiff with thin, ashy, scaly bark. Foliage is scale-like on mature twigs; needle-like on juvenile shoots and seedlings. Fruit is red-brown beneath a bloom when mature. The most common juniper in Arizona, it is conspicuous at the south rim of the Grand Canyon and on higher canyon walls. Utah Juniper grows slowly, becoming craggier and more contorted with age. American Indians used the bark for cordage, sandals, woven bags, thatching, and matting. They also ate the berries fresh or in cakes. Birds and small mammals also consume quantities of juniper berries. Junipers are also called cedars; Cedar Breaks National Monument and nearby Cedar City in southwestern Utah are named for this tree. Scattered tufts of yellowish twigs with whitish berries found on the trees are a parasitic mistletoe, which is characteristic of this tree. (2)Thin, dry rocky or gravelly soils on mountain slopes and high plains in desert regions between the Rocky Mountains and the Sierra Nevada. South-western N. America-California to New Mexico and Wyoming. An evergreen tree growing to 12 m (39ft 4in) at a slow rate. It is hardy to zone 5. It is in leaf 12-Jan, and the seeds ripen in October.(3)
Edible Uses: Fruit – raw or cooked. A thin flesh, it is sweet but strongly flavoured of resin and has a mealy texture. Used as a flavouring in stews. The fruit can be eaten fresh or it can be dried and ground into a powder then baked into cakes. The cones are about 6 – 18mm in diameter, they take 2 years to mature(4)
Medicinal Uses: Desert juniper was widely employed medicinally by a number of native North American Indian tribes who used it to treat a variety of complaints, especially those connected to the bladder and kidneys and to the skin. It is little, if at all, used in modern herbalism. The leaves are antiseptic, blood tonic and laxative. A decoction is used in the treatment of constipation. A poultice of the leaves has been applied to the jaw to treat toothaches and sore and swollen gums. A decoction of the young twigs has been used in the treatment of stomach aches, kidney complaints, haemorrhages, coughs and colds. Fumes from the burning twigs have been inhaled in the treatment of headaches and colds. The branches have been used in a sweat bath to treat rheumatism. A strong decoction has been used as an antiseptic wash on sores. A poultice of the mashed twigs has been used as a dressing on burns and swellings. The seeds are analgesic. They have been eaten in the treatment of headaches. The fruits are analgesic, blood tonic and diuretic. A decoction has been used to relieve the pain of menstrual cramps, to induce urination and to treat kidney complaints, fevers, coughs and colds. Externally, a decoction has been used as a poultice on rheumatic joints.(5)Native Americans of the west used Juniper berries for the treatment of bladder problems by ingesting them, eaten or placed in tea. They also used it for rheumatism and arthritis by having burning wood down to the coals, laying fresh Juniper boughs on the coals and have the patient lie down on them and steam while drinking tea from the leaves. For birth control they would drink a cup of tea from the berries for three successive days. They used the tea also to end hiccoughs. The Arapaho used J. sibirica needles by placing them on hot rocks or on a stove to help drive smallpox away. The Shoshones had a folk lore about the Coyote, it was said that the Coyote could make pine nuts because he was the smartest of animals, but when all gathered to watch him, they turned out to be Juniper berries.(6)
Other Uses: The Shoshone and Paiute Tribes used Juniper branches to make their bows.(7)
Foot Notes: (1, 6, 7)Indian Uses of Native Plants by Edith Murphey, pages 19, 41, 43, 45-47, 50, 52 , Publisher: Meyerbooks Copy right 1990; ISBN 0-916638-15-4
Foot Notes: (2)http://www.wildflower.org/plants/result.php?id_plant=JUOS
Foot Notes: (3 , 4, 5 )http://www.pfaf.org/user/Plant.aspx?LatinName=Juniperus+osteosperma
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#117(i)
Common Name: Rocky Mountain Juniper, Rocky Mountain Red Cedar (Juniperus scopulorum)
Appearance and Habitat: A columnar to somewhat rounded evergreen tree, Rocky Mountain juniper often supports several main stems. The juvenile foliage consists of pointed, white-coated needles. Adult, scale-like foliage varies in color from dark- to bluish- or light-green. Round, dark-blue, berry-like cones, covered with a whitish bloom, ripen in the second year. Mature size is from 30-40 ft. high with a spread of 3-15 ft. Bark is reddish-brown or gray and shedding. A graceful ornamental, often with narrow crown of drooping foliage, several varieties differ in form and in leaf color. The aromatic wood is especially suited for cedar chests and is also used for lumber, fenceposts, and fuel. Wildlife eat the berries.(1) Scattered singly on dry rocky ridges, foothills and bluffs in montane areas or in dry habitats of the coastal forest region. The best specimens are found on slightly alkaline soils. Western N. America – British Columbia to Mexico and California. An evergreen tree growing to 10 m (32ft) by 4 m (13ft) at a slow rate. It is hardy to zone 3. It is in leaf 12-Jan It is in flower from Apr to May, and the seeds ripen in October.(2)
Edible Uses: Fruit – raw or cooked. Sweet and fleshy, but strongly flavoured. Resinous. Often used as a flavouring, imparting a sage-like taste, for which purpose it is usually dried and ground into a powder. The fruit can also be dried and ground into a meal for making mush and cakes.The fruits are about 5 – 8mm in diameter. The roasted fruit is a coffee substitute. A tea is made from the fruits and young shoots(3)
Medicinal Uses: Rocky Mountain juniper was widely employed medicinally by many native North American Indian tribes who used it in particular to treat problems connected with the chest and kidneys. It is little, if at all, used in modern herbalism. A tea made from the terminal shoots has been used in the treatment of VD by some N. American Indian tribes. The treatment has to be taken over a long period of time. The fruits are appetizer, diuretic and stomachic. An infusion has been used in the treatment of stomach, kidney and bladder problems. An infusion of the twigs has been used in the treatment of fevers, pneumonia, coughs and colds. A poultice of the mashed and dampened branches has been applied to skin sores. The leaves are diaphoretic, disinfectant, febrifuge, haemostatic, laxative, sedative and tonic. A decoction has been used in the treatment of internal bleeding, constipation and constant coughing. The leaves have been boiled, then mixed with turpentine and used as an external treatment on rheumatic joints. The leaves have been rubbed into the hair in order to treat dandruff.(4)
Foot Notes: (1) http://www.wildflower.org/plants/result.php?id_plant=JUSC2
Foot Notes: (2, 3, 4)http://www.pfaf.org/user/Plant.aspx?LatinName=Juniperus+scopulorum
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#117(j)
Common Name: Southern Red Cedar
(Juniperus silicicola)
Appearance and Habitat: Evergreen aromatic tree with narrow or spreading crown, lower branches drooping; sometimes forming thickets. This southeastern coastal relative of Eastern Red Cedar is distinguished by its often drooping foliage and smaller berries and is planted as an ornamental. The wood is similarly used for fenceposts, cedar chests, cabinetwork, and carvings. The Latin name silicola means growing in sand.(1) Low wet areas of swamps, steams and creek margins and flood-plain woodlands. Tolerating varying levels of soil moisture, it also grows in open woods and abandoned fields, usually on limestone. South-eastern N. America – South Carolina to Texas. An evergreen tree growing to 20 m (65ft) by 8 m (26ft) at a slow rate. It is hardy to zone 8. It is in leaf 12-Jan It is in flower from Apr to May, and the seeds ripen in October(2)
Edible Uses: Fruit – raw or cooked. A thin, sweetish resinous flesh, the cones are about 7 – 10mm in diameter and have a thin skin.(3)
Medicinal Uses: The leaves are analgesic, antirheumatic, diuretic and febrifuge. An infusion has been used in the treatment of fevers, stiff neck, backache, headaches, low fever, coughs, colds and diarrhoea. A decoction of the leaves has been used as a body rub and steam bath in the treatment of rheumatism. The following reports are for the closely related J. virginiana, they probably also apply to this species. The leaves are anthelmintic, diuretic, rubefacient and stimulant. A decoction has been used in the treatment of coughs and colds, general weakness and as a medicine for convalescents. The berries are anthelmintic, diaphoretic, emmenagogue and mildly antiseptic. They have been chewed as a treatment for mouth ulcers or made into a tea to treat colds, rheumatism, worms etc. The fresh young twigs are used as a diuretic. An infusion has been used both internally and as a steam bath in the treatment of rheumatism. The essential oil from the wood is an abortifacient, in some cases it has caused vomiting, convulsions, coma and death. The plant is said to contain the anticancer compound podophyllotoxin. The essential oil from the berries is used in aromatherapy. Its keyword is ‘Composing’(4)
Foot Notes: (1) http://www.wildflower.org/plants/result.php?id_plant=JUVIS
Foot Notes: (2, 3, 4)http://www.pfaf.org/user/Plant.aspx?LatinName=Juniperus+silicicola
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#117(k)
Common Name: Eastern Red Cedar, Virginia Juniper
(Juniperus virginiana)
Appearance and Habitat: Evergreen, aromatic tree with trunk often angled and buttressed at base and narrow, compact, columnar crown; sometimes becoming broad and irregular. Pyramidal when young, Eastern red-cedar mature form is quite variable. This evergreen usually grows 30-40 ft. but can reach 90 ft. Fragrant, scale-like foliage can be coarse or fine-cut, and varies in color from gray-green to blue-green to light- or dark-green. All colors tend to brown in winter. Pale blue fruits occur on female plants. Soft, silvery bark covers the single trunk. The most widely distributed eastern conifer, native in 37 states, Eastern Red Cedar is resistant to extremes of drought, heat, and cold. Red Cedar can be injurious to apple orchards because it is an alternate host for cedar-apple rust, a fungal disease. First observed at Roanoke Island, Virginia, in 1564, it was prized by the colonists for building furniture, rail fences, and log cabins. (1)Dry, rarely wet, open woods and rock slopes, often on limestone. Infertile soils and old pastures in Central and Eastern N. America from Canada south to Georgia and Texas. An evergreen growing to 20 m (65ft) by 8 m (26ft) at a slow rate. It is hardy to zone 4. It is in leaf 12-Jan It is in flower from Apr to May, and the seeds ripen in October.(2)
Edible Uses: Fruit – raw or cooked. A sweetish resinous flesh. They can be crushed and used as a flavouring in soups and stews. The cones are about 5mm in diameter. About 10mm according to another report. A tea is made from the fruit. It is not very nice. It is made from the young branchlets and the fruit according to one report. (3)
Medicinal Uses: Pencil cedar leaves were much used medicinally by the native N. American Indians, and also in folk medicine by the white settlers, especially to treat chest complaints and skin problems such as venereal warts and other excrescences. The leaves are anthelmintic, diuretic, rubefacient and stimulant. A decoction has been used in the treatment of coughs and colds, general weakness and as a medicine for convalescents. The berries are anthelmintic, diaphoretic, emmenagogue and mildly antiseptic. They have been chewed as a treatment for mouth ulcers or made into a tea to treat colds, rheumatism, worms etc. The fresh young twigs are used as a diuretic. An infusion has been used both internally and as a steam bath in the treatment of rheumatism. The essential oil from the wood is an abortifacient, in some cases it has caused vomiting, convulsions, coma and death. The plant is said to contain the anticancer compound podophyllotoxin. The essential oil from the berries is used in aromatherapy. Its keyword is ‘Composing’.(4)
Foot Notes: (1) http://www.wildflower.org/plants/result.php?id_plant=JUVI
Foot Notes: (2, 3, 4)http://www.pfaf.org/user/Plant.aspx?LatinName=Juniperus+virginiana
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(Now for Michael Moore)
Appearance and Habitat: There are two types of Junipers, small trees with dark olive green scaly, legless twigs, and a high altitude shrub with sharp pine-like needles. Both the fruit and the leaves, or scales, have a strong aromatic. The fruit or seeds are nearly perfectly round and green, at first, turning a frosted blue by spring. The high altitude types, such as J. communis, are flattened shrubs that eventually can reach a circumference of ten to fifteen feet. The needle leaves are sharp prickly with a bluish green color, which is lighter underneath. The purple berries are green the first fall and are spread among the branches with mature berries from the year before. Generally the berries are clustered on the underside of the outer branches. The high altitude Junipers (J. cummunis, J. sibirica, and J. montana) are usually found above 8,000 feet but can grow to timberline. The tree Junipers are found at lower altitudes in dry foothills from 1,500 feet to 8,000 feet. They can form pure stands, but normally they are found in an area with Pinion Pine, especially true in Arizona and New Mexico.
Edible Uses: The berries are necessary in venison marinades and in cooking any wild meats. Use ten berries per pound of meat. They are also used in making sauerkraut and German potato salad. The leaves make a good garnish for wild fowl and fish by placing them with the food shortly before removing them from the heat. (3)
Medicinal Uses: Collect the fruit and dry them loosely in hanging cheesecloth by doubling over the cheesecloth to form a pocket for the fruit to dry. Only pick the fruit when it is ripe (bluish or purplish in color) Collect the leaves or scales by removing small branches, wrap them together in bundles about an inch in diameter to dry. Remember never dry herbs in the sun.
Juniper is most frequently used for urinary tract infections such as cystitis and urethritis. The berries are the most effective. Use a teaspoon of the crushed berries or a rounded teaspoon of the leaves to make a tea. Use a cup of water in making the tea and steep them for 15 minutes. You can drink up to three cups daily. Juniper should not be used when there is a kidney infection or kidney weakness as the oils excreted in the urine can be irritating to such inflammations. Eating a few berries prior to a meal will stimulate the stomach to produce hydrochloric acid and pepsin, which are normal secretions. The aromatic properties of all Junipers have been used by many cultures to ward off negative influences such as bad magic or plagues. With so many cultures using Juniper for the aromatic properties it has to be beneficial to humans. The berries have been thrown on hot rocks in sweat lodges, saunas, and the foliage made into incense. During pregnancy eating or the berries or drinking the tea from the foliage is not recommended as the volative oils can have a vasodilating effect on the uterine lining.

 Medicinal Plants Of the Mountain West  by Michael Moore, 1st Edition, page 93-94, publisher:  Museum of New Mexico Press ; copy right 1979  ISBN 0-89013-104-X  

Blog Master’s Note: I firmly believe that when camping or backpacking, if you place fresh Juniper/Cedar branches around your sleeping bag  and maybe make a mattress out of them (that the snake would have to crawl over or through) you would be safe from snakes.   There is something in the oil from Juniper/Cedar that will kill a snake.

Reproduced, in part, (as well as previous postings under this title) in accordance with Section 107 of title 17 of the Copyright Law of the United States relating to fair-use and is for the purposes of criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, and research.