Wild Edible and Medicinal Plants # 165 -166 Hound’s Tongue/ Mistletoe

Tags

American Mistletoe, Cynoglossum grande, Cynoglossum officinale, edible Hound's Tongue, False Mistletoe, field craft, field medicine, Gypsy Flower, home remedies, Hound's Tongue, increase in uterine contractions, increase systolic blood pressure, militia supply, mistletoe hemostat, Oak MIstletoe, Pacific Hound's Tongue, Phoradendron californicum, Phoradendron juniperinum, Phoradendron leucarpum, Phoradendron villosum, poultice for burns, treat bleeding, treat burns, treat connective tissues, treat migraine headaches, treat minor injuries, treat nervous tension, treat stomach aches, treat tumors, treat venereal diseases, treat venereal warts, treat wounds, treatment for burns, treatment for clotting wounds, treatment for hemorrhoids, treatment of coughs, treatment of insomnia

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. ) 
(Blog Masters Note: All past posts for Wild Edible And Medicinal Plants  are now located in a drop-down search below comments.)
#165
Common Name: Hound’s Tongue, Gypsy Flower 
Latin Name: Cynoglossum grande, C. officinale
Family: Boraginaceae
Range: http://plants.usda.gov/java/profile?symbol=CYGR Washington, Oregon and California (Cynoglossum grande)
http://plants.usda.gov/java/profile?symbol=cyof All of the lower 48 States except Oklahoma, Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi and Florida; In Canada; British Columbia to Quebec, plus New Brunswick and Nova Scotia. (Cynoglossum officinale)
Photos : (Click on Latin name after common name )
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#165 (a)
Common Name: Pacific Hound’s Tongue (Cynoglossum grande)
Appearance and Habitat: Several smooth stems with large, ovate, long-stalked leaves mostly near base and loose clusters of purple or blue flowers on branches at top. The common name refers to the shape of the broad leaves. Native Americans used preparations from the root to treat burns and stomachaches. There are several species, all with blue to purple or maroon flowers and large rough nutlets that stick to clothing.(1)   A perennial found West of the Cascades and east along the Columbia River Gorge in Washington; southern British Columbia to southern California in woods at low elevations.
Leaves alternate, entire, long-petiolate, confined to the lower half of the stem; leaf blade ovate to elliptic, 8-18 cm. long and 3-11 cm. wide, broadly rounded to shallowly cordate at the base, the lower surface with some short, stiff hairs. The flowers are inflorescence a mixed panicle, opening and elongating with age;calyx 5-lobed, deeply cleft; corolla blue or violet, with a slender tube and abrupt spreading limb, the limb 1-1.5 cm. wide; appendages in the throat of the corolla exerted, with a shallow notch. The fruits are nutlets 4, obovoid-globose, nearly 1 cm. long, spreading, free from the style, with prickles on the outer half.(2)  Woods in western N. America – British Columbia to California. A perennial growing to 0.8 m (2ft 7in). It is hardy to zone 8. It is in flower from Apr to May.(3)
Warnings: None(4)
Edible Uses:Root – cooked.(5)
Medicinal Uses :The grated root has been used as a dressing on inflamed burns and scalds. The root has been used in the treatment of stomach aches and venereal diseases.(6)
Foot Notes: (1)http://www.wildflower.org/plants/result.php?id_plant=CYGR
Foot Notes: (2)http://biology.burke.washington.edu/herbarium/imagecollection.php?Genus=Cynoglossum&Species=grande
Foot Notes: ( 3, 4, 5, 6 )http://www.pfaf.org/user/Plant.aspx?LatinName=Cynoglossum+grande
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#165 (b)
Common Name: Hound’s Tongue, Gypsy Flower (Cynoglossum officinale)
Appearance and Habitat: A biennial introduced from Eurasia. Distribution mucn of the United States. A noxious weed of roadsides and disturbed areas. Coarse, leafy biennial, the single stem 3-12 dm. tall, covered with long, soft hairs throughout. Lowermost leaves oblanceolate, tapering to the petiole, 1-3 dm. long and 2-5 cm. wide; other leaves sessile, oblong or lanceolate, numerous, gradually reduced upward. Flowers: Inflorescence of numerous false racemes in the upper leaf axils or terminating short axillary branches, the pedicels curved and spreading; sepals 5-lobed, deeply cleft, 5-8 mm. long, the lobes broad and blunt; corolla dull reddish-purple, with a slender tube and abrupt spreading limb, the limb about 1 cm. wide; appendages in the throat of the corolla exerted, broadly rounded. Fruits: Nutlets 4, ovoid, 5-7 mm. long, attached to the style.(1)  Dry grassy areas and the edges of woods, often near the sea, on sand, gravel, chalk or limestone soils. Europe, including Britain, though absent from the extreme north and rare in south, east to Asia. A biennial / perennial growing to 0.8 m (2ft 7in) by 0.5 m (1ft 8in). It is hardy to zone 6. It is in flower from Jun to August, and the seeds ripen from Aug to September.(2)
Warnings: Hound’s Tongue contains alkaloids that can cause cancer when the plant is consumed in large quantities. The plant is also said to be slightly poisonous, there are no reported cases of human poisoning but there are some cases of cattle being poisoned. The plant has a disagreeable odor and taste so seldom eaten by animals. Contact with the plant can cause dermatitis in sensitive people.(3)
Edible Uses:Young leaves – raw or cooked. A disagreeable odour and taste.(4)
Medicinal Uses :Hound’s tongue has a long history of use as a medicinal herb, though it is rarely used in modern herbalism. The leaves contain allantoin, a highly effective agent that speeds up the healing process in the body. Caution should be applied, however, since narcotic effects result from large doses taken internally and the plant is potentially carcinogenic (though it has also been used in the treatment of cancer). The leaves and roots are analgesic, antihaemorrhoidal, antispasmodic, astringent, digestive, emollient and slightly narcotic. The plant contains the alkaloids cynoglossine and consolidin, which are used medicinally to relieve pain. They depress the central nervous system and are also potentially carcinogenic. The plant has been used internally in the treatment of coughs and diarrhoea, though it is now mainly used externally as a poultice on piles, wounds, minor injuries, bites and ulcers. The root is harvested at the end of spring of the plants second year. Another report says that it is best harvested in the autumn and dried for later use. The leaves and flowering shoots are harvested as the plant comes into flower and are dried for later use. The plant has a wide antitumour reputation for cancers of various types. A homeopathic remedy is made from the roots. It is very effective in the treatment of insomnia.(5)
Foot Notes: (1)http://biology.burke.washington.edu/herbarium/imagecollection.php?Genus=Cynoglossum&Species=officinale
Foot Notes: (2, 3, 4, 5) http://www.pfaf.org/user/Plant.aspx?LatinName=Cynoglossum+officinale
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Appearance and Habitat: This biennial, from Europe, can be mistaken for Mullein, which is much hairy in texture than Hound’s Tongue. In the first year it forms rosettes of leaves, in the second year it forms a stem densely packed with flowers. The flowers are lavender to purple and mature into little burred seeds that are oval-triangular in shape. The root is light in color. The plant is common in New Mexico and Colorado, especially near the border of New Mexico, then north to cover most of Wyoming and Montana. It also grows along the northern mountains in Arizona, southern and northern Idaho, along the coast in Washington and Oregon and the northern Sierra Nevada range in California. It prefers shaded areas above 6,000 feet, but sometimes can be encountered as high as 9,500 feet in the forests around campgrounds around grazing areas.
Medicinal Uses : Collect the plant and roots in the summer when in bloom. For the upper plant, ties in small bundles (1/2 inch) and place in a shady area that has a breeze to dry the herb. For the root, split it lengthwise into small sections and place it in a cheese cloth fold hung in the shade to dry. The root makes an excellent poultice for burns, or insect bites. A bath in a strong tea made from both the plant and root, helps with hemorrhoids, venereal warts, will diminish inflammation and help connective tissue repair below the skin.
Medicinal Plants of the Mountain West 2nd Edition, by Michael Moore, pages 137-139, Publisher: Museum of New Mexico Press, Copyright 2003, ISBN 0-89013-454-5
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#166
Common Name: Mistletoe, American Mistletoe, False Mistletoe
Latin Name: Phoradendron californicum, P. juniperinum, P. leucrapum, P. villosum
Family: Viscaceae
Range:http://plants.usda.gov/java/profile?symbol=PHCA8 California, Nevada, Utah, Arizona and New Mexico. (Phoradendron californicum)
http://plants.usda.gov/java/profile?symbol=PHJU California, Nevada, Utah, Oregon, Arizona, New Mexico, Colorado and Texas. (Phoradendron juniperinum)
http://plants.usda.gov/java/profile?symbol=phle14 All States east of the Mississippi R., except Wisconsin, Michigan and states north of New York; plus Missouri, Arkansas, Louisiana, Kansas, Oklahoma, Texas and New Mexico. (Phoradendron leucarpum)
http://plants.usda.gov/java/profile?symbol=PHVI9 California and Oregon. (Phoradendron villosum)
Photos: Phoradendron californicum Mesquite Mistletoe, Phoradendron juniperinum, Juniper Mistletoe Phoradendron leucarpum Oak Mistletoe and Phoradendron villosum Pacific Mistletoe
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Common Name: False Mistletoe, Oak MIstletoe
Appearance and Habitat: Semi-parasitic shrub with short, interrupted, axillary clusters of tiny yellow flowers on smooth, green, jointed stems. This is the common Mistletoe hung at Christmastime. The genus name derives from the Greek phor a thief, and dendron tree, and refers to their getting at least some nourishment from the trees on which they grow. The fruits are covered with a sticky substance poisonous to man, but relished by such birds as cedar waxwings and bluebirds. The birds spread the seeds through their droppings and by wiping their beaks on branches, where a new plant may become established. The small, northern Dwarf Mistletoe (Arceuthobium pusillum), has short yellow-green stems 1 (2.5 cm) long, with leaves reduced to thin brown scales. This plant occurs only on evergreens, especially spruce, and is found in northern bogs south to New Jersey and Pennsylvania, and west to Michigan.(1)  A parasite growing on deciduous trees, especially Acer rubrum and Nyssa spp. In N. America – New Jersey to Florida, west to Illinois and Texas. An evergreen srub growing to 1 m (3ft 3in) by 1 m (3ft 3in) at a slow rate. It is hardy to zone 6. It is in leaf 12-Jan It is in flower from Feb to April, and the seeds ripen from Nov to December.(2)
Warnings: There are recorded cases of the berries poisoning people. Contact with the plant can cause dermatitis in some people.(3)
Edible Uses:None(4)
Medicinal Uses :A tea made from the leaves is said to procure abortions and also to prevent conception. It causes an increase in uterine contractions and helps to stop bleeding after parturition. When injected into the blood it increases blood pressure.(5)
Foot Notes: (1)http://www.wildflower.org/plants/result.php?id_plant=PHLE14
Foot Notes: (2, 3, 4, 5) http://www.pfaf.org/user/Plant.aspx?LatinName=Phoradendron+leucarpum
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(Now for Michael Moore who covers all.)
Appearance and Habitat: Mistletoe is a parasitic plant that grows on Oak, Juniper, Mesquite, Catclaw and most deciduous trees. They have opposing leaves or scales, small seeds inside a gluey outer cover. The foliage is either lighter or darker than the host plant, and either oval and succulent or scales . It grows as a large clump of branches, that usually droops at juncture of limbs. Unlike Dodder, it has chlorophyll, but used the host plant for water. In time, it will kill large sections or the entire host.
Warnings: Shouldn’t be used by people with hypertension, blood pressure irregularities, with High Blood Pressure medications, serotonin medications or during pregnany. Some folks don’t mix well with Mistletoe, especially if it isn’t dried.
Medicinal Uses : Collect the plant at anytime chopping into pieces and drying in the shade using a hanging pocket of cheese cloth. This is not the European Mistletoe, but shares some medical value, it relaxes nervous tension and minor spasms. It will also increase systolic blood pressure. It is a strong vasoconstrictor, meaning it will help reduce bleeding and help with clotting. It can be used as a first aid when bleeding by eating small pieces, fresh, until medical help arrives. It seems to help with migraine headaches. Pay attention to the warnings and start off slow with a 1/2 teaspoon in tea, if it helps, the dose can be upped to 1 teaspoon in tea.
Medicinal Plants of the Mountain West 2nd Edition, by Michael Moore, pages 164-165, Publisher: Museum of New Mexico Press, Copyright 2003, ISBN 0-89013-454-5

Reproduced, in part, (as well as previous postings under this title) in accordance with Section 107 of title 17of 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.

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Wild Edible and Medicinal Plants 142 -143 Russian Olive/Sheperd’s Purse

Tags

Autumn Olive, Capsella bursa-pastoris, edible Russian Olive, edible Sheperd's Purse, edible Silverberry, Elaeagnus angustifolia, Elaeagnus multiflora, Elaeagnus pungens, Elaeagnus umbellata, field craft, field medicine, halt cancer growth, high in flavanoids, high in minerals, high in Vitamin A, high in vitamin C, high in vitamin E, home remedies, militia supply, natural astringent, natural hemostat, natural vasoconstrictor, noxious weeds with vitamins, prepper's plant, reverse cancer, Russian Olive, Sheperd's Purse, Silverberry, Thorny Olive, treat acute urinary infection, treat arthritis attacks, treat bladder infections, treat bleeding, treat bloody dysentery, treat bronchial infections, treat cancer, treat exterior bleeding, treat frostbite, treat gout, treat internal bleeding, treat itching, treat pseudogout, treatment for gout, treatment for pseudogout attacks, treatment for syphilis, War on Health

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. ) 

Before getting started, this is what the United Nation’s New World has in store for us War on Health. It is a long video and a Must Watch. What they can’t control is the vitamins, enzymes and minerals found in Natural plants.

#142
Common Name: Russian Olive, Oleaster, Thorny Olive, Silverberry, Autumn Olive
Latin Name: Elaeagnus angustifolia, E. commutata, E. multiflora, E. pungens, E. umbellata
Family: Elaeagnaceae
Range: http://plants.usda.gov/java/profile?symbol=ELAEA Hawaii, all of North America, except Newfoundland and Labrador. This is the main data for usda.
http://plants.usda.gov/java/profile?symbol=ELAN All of the lower 48 States except Arkansas and Louisiana to Florida and South Carolina, Indiania, West Virginia and Vermont; In Canada; present from British Columbia to New Brunswick and Nova Scotia.(Elaeagnus angustifolia)
http://plants.usda.gov/java/profile?symbol=ELCO Alaska, Washington, Idaho, Utah, Montana, Wyoming, Utah, Colorado, N. and S. Dakota, Minnesota, Texas, Kentucky and Maryland; In Canada; all except Labdrador, Nova Scotia, New Brunswick and New Foundland. (Elaeagnus commutata)
http://plants.usda.gov/java/profile?symbol=ELMU Missouri, Illinois, Kentucky, Ohio, Virginia, Maryland, North Carolina, Alabama, New York, Connecticut, Rhode Island and New Hampshire. (Elaeagnus multiflora)
http://plants.usda.gov/java/profile?symbol=ELPU2 All coastal states from Louisiana to Virginia, plus Tennessee, Kentucky and Massachusetts. (Elaeagnus pungens)
http://plants.usda.gov/java/profile?symbol=ELUM All states east of the Mississippi R. plus Iowa to Louisiana, Nebraska, Kansas, Montana, Washington and Oregon; In Canada; Ontario. (Elaeagnus umbellata)
Photos: (Click on Latin Name after Common Name.)
Warnings: None
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#142(a)
Common Name: Russian Olive, Oleaster, (Elaeagnus angustifolia)
Appearance and Habitat: By streams and along river bans to 3000 meters in Turkey. Europe to W. Asia, extending as far north as latitude 55 in Russia. A deciduous shrub growing to 7 m (23ft) by 7 m (23ft) at a medium rate. It is hardy to zone 2 and is not frost tender. It is in flower in June, and the seeds ripen from Sep to October. It can grow in very alkaline soils and poor soils. This not a native plant in America but was planted by early settlers. It is common enough that some states consider it a noxious tree. I have seen it growing in the Great Basin around farms and the edges of dry lake beds that fill with water during the spring. Elevation – between 3,000 and 4,500 feet.
Edible Uses: Fruit – raw or cooked as a seasoning in soups. Dry, sweet and mealy. The fruit can also be made into jellies or sherbets. The fruit must be fully ripe before it can be enjoyed raw, if even slightly under-ripe it will be quite astringent. The oval fruit is about 10mm long and contains a single large seed. Seed – raw or cooked. It can be eaten with the fruit though the seed case is rather fibrous.
Medicinal Uses : The oil from the seeds is used with syrup as an electuary in the treatment of catarrh and bronchial affections. The juice of the flowers has been used in the treatment of malignant fevers. The fruit of many members of this genus is a very rich source of vitamins and minerals, especially in vitamins A, C and E, flavanoids and other bio-active compounds. It is also a fairly good source of essential fatty acids, which is fairly unusual for a fruit. It is being investigated as a food that is capable of reducing the incidence of cancer and also as a means of halting or reversing the growth of cancers.
http://www.pfaf.org/user/Plant.aspx?LatinName=Elaeagnus+angustifolia
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#142(b)
Common Name: Silver Berry, Wild Olive, Wolf Willow, (Elaeagnus commutata)
Appearance and Habitat: A rounded, twiggy shrub, 1 – 12 feet tall, with narrow, slivery-scurfy leaves on grayish-red branches. Small clusters of inconspicuous, cone-shaped flowers are spicily perfumed with a heavy, sweet scent. The fruit is a dry, mealy, whitish berry. This suckering shrub can form patches several yards in diameter. Fast-growing, long-lived and resistant to disease and insect problems and drought. Transplants well, due to a shallow root system. A very hardy species for cold climates, sometimes used as a windbreak. (The non-native Russian Olive, E. angustifolia, is more extensively used for windbreaks and is becoming invasive.)(1) Dry calcareous slopes in N. America – Quebec to Alaska and south to Utah, S. Dakota and Minnesota. A deciduous shrub growing to 3 m (9ft) by 1.5 m (5ft) at a medium rate. It is hardy to zone 2 and is not frost tender. It is in flower in May, and the seeds ripen from Jul to September.(2)
Edible Uses:Fruit – raw or cooked. Dry and mealy. Good when added to soups they also make an excellent jelly. The fruit must be fully ripe before it can be enjoyed raw, if even slightly under-ripe it will be quite astringent. The fruit contains a single large seed. Seed – raw or cooked. It can be eaten with the fruit though the seed case is rather fibrous.(3)
Medicinal Uses :A strong decoction of the bark, mixed with oil, has been used as a salve for children with frostbite. A decoction of the roots, combined with sumac roots (Rhus spp.), has been used in the treatment of syphilis. This medicine was considered to be very poisonous and, if you survived it, you were likely to become sterile. The fruit of many members of this genus is a very rich source of vitamins and minerals, especially in vitamins A, C and E, flavanoids and other bio-active compounds. It is also a fairly good source of essential fatty acids, which is fairly unusual for a fruit. It is being investigated as a food that is capable of reducing the incidence of cancer and also as a means of halting or reversing the growth of cancers.(4) 
Foot Notes: (1) http://www.wildflower.org/plants/result.php?id_plant=ELCO
Foot Notes: (2, 3, 4) http://www.pfaf.org/user/Plant.aspx?LatinName=Elaeagnus+commutata
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#142(c)
Common Name: Cherry Silverberry (Elaeagnus multiflora)
Appearance and Habitat: A noxious weed grown as ornamental.(1) Thickets and thin woods in hills and on lowlands, at elevations of 600 -1800 meters in E. Asia – China Japan. A deciduous shrub growing to 3 m (9ft) by 2 m (6ft) at a medium rate. It is hardy to zone 6 and is not frost tender. It is in flower from Apr to May, and the seeds ripen in July.(2) When I lived in Chicago, there was one of these trees in a neighbor’s yard. It was filled with fruit every year. Note the ‘noxious weed’.
Edible Uses: Fruit – raw or cooked. Pleasantly acid when ripe, they make a very good dessert fruit though they are usually made into pies, preserves etc. Quite fiddly and difficult to pick without breaking the young shoots. The fruit must be fully ripe before it can be enjoyed raw, if even slightly under-ripe it will be quite astringent. The fruit contains a single large seed. Seed – raw or cooked. It can be eaten with the fruit though the seed case is rather fibrous .(3)
Medicinal Uses :The fruit of many members of this genus is a very rich source of vitamins and minerals, especially in vitamins A, C and E, flavanoids and other bio-active compounds. It is also a fairly good source of essential fatty acids, which is fairly unusual for a fruit. It is being investigated as a food that is capable of reducing the incidence of cancer and also as a means of halting or reversing the growth of cancers. The leaves are used in the treatment of coughs. The fruit is prescribed in the treatment of watery diarrhoea. The root is astringent, a decoction is used to treat itch and foul sores.(4) 
Foot Notes: (1) http://www.ars-grin.gov/cgi-bin/npgs/html/taxon.pl?14925
Foot Notes: (2, 3, 4) http://www.pfaf.org/user/Plant.aspx?LatinName=Elaeagnus+multiflora
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#142(d)
Common Name: Thorney Olive, Spiny Oleaster, (Elaeagnus pungens)
Appearance and Habitat: A cultivated ornamental.(1) Sunny slopes, road sides and thickets in lowlands, usually below 1000 meters and especially near the sea, in E. Asia-China and Japan. A evergreen shrub growing to 4 m (13ft) by 4 m (13ft) at a medium rate.  It is hardy to zone 7 and is not frost tender. It is in leaf 12-Jan It is in flower from Nov to February, and the seeds ripen from Apr to May.(2)
Edible Uses:Fruit – raw or cooked. About the size of a large blackcurrant, though the seed is also quite large. A nice sub-acid flavour when fully ripe but astringent if eaten before then. Can be made into preserves, drinks etc. The oval fruit is about 15mm long. Seed – raw or cooked. It can be eaten with the fruit though the seed case is rather fibrous. A taste vaguely reminiscent of peanuts. The seed contains 42.2% protein and 23.1% fat on a zero moisture basis.(3)Good composition chart at the website.
Medicinal Uses :The fruit of many members of this genus is a very rich source of vitamins and minerals, especially in vitamins A, C and E, flavanoids and other bio-active compounds. It is also a fairly good source of essential fatty acids, which is fairly unusual for a fruit. It is being investigated as a food that is capable of reducing the incidence of cancer and also as a means of halting or reversing the growth of cancers. The leaves and the stems are concocted and used in the treatment of asthma, cough, diarrhoea, haemorrhoids etc. The seed is used to treat watery diarrhoea. The root is astringent and is applied to sores, itchy skin etc.(4)
Foot Notes: (1)http://www.ars-grin.gov/cgi-bin/npgs/html/taxon.pl?14928
Foot Notes: (2, 3, 4) http://www.pfaf.org/user/Plant.aspx?LatinName=Elaeagnus+pungens
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#142(e)
Common Name: Autumn Olive, (Elaeagnus umbellata (parvifolia))
Appearance and Habitat: Introduced, an erect, perennial, to 20′ tall shrub; stems twigs have coppery-silver scales. The flower is cream colored, the leaves are oval, 1″-3″ long and the fruit is pink to red. Found on distrubed ground, fields, woods and woodland edges.(1) Shrubberies, 1500 – 3000 meters, found in Afghanistan to S.W. China. Forest openingsat elevations of 1300 to 3000 meters in Nepal. E. Asia – Himalayas. A deciduous shrub growing to 4.5 m (14ft) by 3 m (9ft) at a medium rate. It is hardy to zone 3 and is not frost tender. It is in flower from May to June, and the seeds ripen from Sep to November.(2)
Edible Uses:Fruit – raw, cooked or added to curries. The fruit must be fully ripe before it can be enjoyed raw, if even slightly under-ripe it will be quite astringent – though children seem to love it at the slightly unripe stage. The fruit is about 8mm in diameter and contains a single large seed. Seed – raw or cooked. It can be eaten with the fruit though the seed case is rather fibrous.(3)
Medicinal Uses :The unripe fruit is astringent and is eaten in the treatment of bloody dysentery. The fruit of many members of this genus is a very rich source of vitamins and minerals, especially in vitamins A, C and E, flavanoids and other bio-active compounds. It is also a fairly good source of essential fatty acids, which is fairly unusual for a fruit. It is being investigated as a food that is capable of reducing the incidence of cancer and also as a means of halting or reversing the growth of cancers.(4)
Foot Notes: (1)  http://wisplants.uwsp.edu/scripts/detail.asp?SpCode=ELAUMB
Foot Notes: (2, 3, 4) http://www.pfaf.org/user/Plant.aspx?LatinName=Elaeagnus+parvifolia
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#143
Common Name: Sheperd’s Purse, Bursa, Bolsa de Pastor
Latin Name: Capsella bursa-pastoris
Family: Brassicaceae
Range: http://plants.usda.gov/java/profile?symbol=CABU2 All of North America plus Hawaii.
Photos: Here
Warnings: Signs of toxicity are sedation, pupil enlargement and breathing difficulty. Avoid if on treatments for high blood pressure. Aviod with thyriod gland disorders or heart disease. Possible addictive sedative effects with other depressants (Alcohol). Avoid during pregnancy.(1)  Kidney stones may be dislodged and irritate the ureters. Hypertension in the elderly from vasoconstriction in some people. It may stimulate uterine contractions if used during pregnancy.(2)
Appearance and Habitat: It is an annual from weak tap roots. Stems are simple and branched with short star-shaped hairs. The leaves are mainly basal rosette, lanced shaped and broadest towards the tip, 3 – 6 cm long, stalked, almost entire to pinnately lobed with larger lobe at tip. Stem leaves smaller, alternate, stalkless and clasping. lanced shaped to oblong, mostly shallow, with sharp teeth. The flowers are white with 4 pedals. At first, many flowers in a round cluster, but these are later elongated with fruit. The fruits are pods that are triangular to heart shaped and flattened. Common as a weed in disturbed areas, along roadsides and gardens to up subalpine. It is found throughout N. America.(3) It is a typical member of the mustard family. It is usually a foot tall, but Michael Moore has seen it five foot tall in the Santa Monica Mountains. The plant covers a wide range of growing conditions, in February/March it appears in lower altitudes (San Diego, Tucson, Austin) but by August it will be found at 10,000 feet. Look for it in the spring on baseball diamonds, city parks, unsold sunbelt subdivisions, and later in the spring-early summer it can be found in cattle and horse pastures and in the National Parks.(4)  Arable land, gardens, waste places ect. it is a common weed of cultivated soil. A virtually cosmopolitan plant found in most regions of the world including Britain.(5)
Edible Uses:All parts of shepherd’s purse are edible, but have a biting taste. They can be eaten raw or cooked. The young leaves, used before the plant comes into flower, makes a fine addition to salads, and can be used as a cress and cabbage substitute, however they become peppery with age. The leaves contain about 2.9% protein, 0.2% fat, 3.4% carbohydrate, 1% ash. They are rich in iron, calcium and vitamin C. The young flowering shoots can be eaten, raw or cooked, as well. The seeds, raw or cooked, can be ground into a meal and used in soups, but are difficult to harvest and utilize since they are very small. The seed contains 35% of a fatty oil, which can be extracted and is edible. The seed can be used as a peppery seasoning for soups and stews. The fresh or dried root has been used as a ginger substitute.(6)
Medicinal Uses :Shepherd’s purse is little used in herbalism, though it is a commonly used domestic remedy, being especially efficacious in the treatment of both internal and external bleeding, diarrhoea etc. A tea made from the whole plant is antiscorbutic, astringent, diuretic, emmenagogue, haemostatic, hypotensive, oxytocic, stimulant, vasoconstrictor, vasodilator and vulnerary. A tea made from the dried herb is considered to be a sovereign remedy against haemorrhages of all kinds – the stomach, the lungs, the uterus and more especially the kidneys. The plant can be used fresh or dried, for drying it is harvested in the summer. The dried herb quickly loses its effectiveness and should not be stored for more than a year. Clinical trials on the effectiveness of this plant as a wound herb have been inconclusive. It appears that either it varies considerably in its effectiveness from batch to batch, or perhaps a white fungus that is often found on the plant contains the medically active properties. The plant has been ranked 7th amongst 250 potential anti-fertility plants in China. It has proven uterine-contracting properties and is traditionally used during childbirth. The plant is a folk remedy for cancer – it contains fumaric acid which has markedly reduced growth and viability of Ehrlich tumour in mice. A homeopathic remedy is made from the fresh plant. It is used in the treatment of nose bleeds and urinary calculus. The German Commission E Monographs, a therapeutic guide to herbal medicine, approve Capsella bursa-pastoris Shepherd’s Purse for nose bleeds, premenstrual syndrome, wounds & burns.(7) When collecting, if it is green and alive, take it all including the roots. It is only good medicine for several months. For tincture, mix 1 part plant with 5 parts 50% alcohol. If you prefer the tea, dry the herb. It has four main uses: 1) to stop bleeding, 2) to relieve inflammation in acute urinary infection, 3) to stimulate kidney excretion of uric acid, and 4) to strengthen and synergize the effects of native oxytocin in homebirths. It contains luteolin 7 rutinoside, quercetin 3 rutinoside, bursinic acid, fumaric acid, tyramine, and choline. It is the rutinoside that strengthens the capillaries and helps stop bleeding. While the bursinic acid acts as a vasoconstrictor. Excess Uric acid crystalizes in mainly toe joints and causes gout, and so it can be very helpful in reducing gout attacks and pseudogout attacks. It helps the kidneys remove nucleoprotein waste products while decreasing blood pressure when they are elevated and helps with the severity of arthritis attacks. It also helps stimulate better phosphate recycling by the kidneys. For bladder infections of garden variety, drink 1/2 teaspoon of the tincture in a cup of warm water every 3 hours, and avoid carbohydrates. The effects of oxytocin on the uterine lining are increased with the herb during child birth. Both midwives and physicians using Shepherd’s Purse before substantial dilation have seen hourglass contractions in the mother’s uterus. Try 1 teaspoon of tincture placed into a cup of warm water and sip it slowly after most of the cervical dilation has occurred. However don’t take it during the pregnancy, only when birthing.( 8 )
Foot Notes: (1, 5, 6, 7)http://www.pfaf.org/user/Plant.aspx?LatinName=Capsella+bursa-pastoris
Foot Notes: (2, 4, 8 ) Medicinal Plants of the Desert and Canyon West by Michael Moore, page 108-109, Publisher: Museum of New Mexico Press, Copyright 1989, ISBN 0-89013-182-1
Foot Notes: ( 3) http://montana.plant-life.org/species/capse_bur.htm
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 136-137 Bugleweed-Dodder

Tags

anticancer, Bugleweed, Cuscuta approximata, Cuscuta californica, Cuscuta cuspidata, Cuscuta epythymum, Cuscuta gronovii, Cuscuta indecora, Cuscuta megalocarpa, Cuscuta pentagona, Cuscuta salina, Dodder, edible Dodder, field craft, field medicine, home remedies, Lycopus americanus, Lycopus amplectens, Lycopus asper, Lycopus europaeus, Lycopus uniflorus, Lycopus virginicus, militia supply, poutice for wounds, prepper plant, teat gallbladder problems, treat bleeding, treat elevated thyroid function, treat excessive menstruation, treat hyperthyroidism, treat impotence, treat jaundice, treat liver disorders, treat lymph node swellings, treat night sweats, treat nose bleeds, treat spleen disorders, treat spleen inflammations, treat urinary complaints, treatment for gout, treatment for jaundice, treatment for lung bleeding, treatment for spleen inflammations, treatment for swollen lymph nodes, treatment of snakebites, Water Bugle, Water Horehound

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. ) 
#136
Common Name: Bugleweed, Water Bugle, Water Horehound
Latin Name: Lycopus americanus, L. asper, L. unifloris(covered by Michael Moore) L. amplectens, L. europaeus, L.  virginicus
Family: Labiatae
Range: http://plants.usda.gov/java/profile?sybol=LYCOP4
All States except Hawaii; all of Canada except Nunavut and Yukon Main database.
http://plants.usda.gov/java/profile?symbol=LYAM All states except Nevada, Alaska and Hawaii; all of Lower Canada (Lycopus americanus)
http://plants.usda.gov/java/profile?symbol=LYAM2 Indiana, Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia, Florida, N. and S. Carolina, Virginia, Maryland, Delaware, New Jersey, New York, Connecticut, Rhode Island and Massachusetts. (Lycopus amplectens)
http://plants.usda.gov/java/profile?symbol=LYAS All States west of the Mississippi except Oklahoma, Arkansas and Louisiana, plus Alaska, Wisconsin, Michigan, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, New York and Massachusetts; In Canada; British Columbia to Quebec. (Lycopus asper)
http://plants.usda.gov/java/profile?symbol=LYEU Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, North Carolina, Virginia, W. Virginia, all States north of the Ohio R., Maryland, Delaware, New Jersey, Pennsylavia, New York and Massachusetts; In Canada; British Columbia, Ontario, Quebec and Nova Scotia. (Lycopus europaeus)
http://plants.usda.gov/java/profile?symbol=LYUN All States east of the Mississippi River except Mississippi, Alabama and Florida, all States on the west bank of the Mississippi except Louisiana, Texas, New Mexico, Arizona, Utah and Nevada, and found in Alaska; In Canada; British Columbia to Labrador/Newfoundland and Northwest Territory. (Lycopus uniflorus)
http://plants.usda.gov/java/profile?symbol=LYVI4 All States east of the Mississippi R. and all on the west bank, plus Nebraska to Texas; In Canada; Ontario and Quebec. (Lycopus virginicus)
Warnings: None, except on L. viginicus and L. europaeus; on both: Known to cause the enlargement of the thyroid gland. Avoid in patients with thyroid disease or given concomitantly with thryroid treatment. Avoid during pregnancy.
Photos: (Click on Latin Name after Common Name.)
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#136(a)
Common Name: American Water Horehound, Water Horehound (Lycopus americanus )
Appearance and Habitat: Tiny, white , tubular flowers clustered in dense groups around a square stem in the axils of opposite leaves. The members of this group are non-aromatic mints and are typical of wet sites. The various species are distinguished on the basis of technical details. They are sometimes called bugleweeds because of the resemblance of each flower to a bugle. Other species have less coarsely toothed leaves. The genus name is from the Greek lycos (a wolf) and pous (foot) and refers to the likeness of some species leaves to a wolfs footprint. About 10 species of Lycopus occur in eastern North America; most are very similar, making identification difficult. (1)Low moist or wet places in N. America-Newfoundland to British Columbia, south to Florida, Texas, Utah and California. A perennial growing to 0.5 m (1ft 8in). It is hardy to zone 4. It is in flower from Jul to September.(2)
Edible Uses: Root – raw or cooked. This contradicts with the report in that the plant does not form tubers on its rhizomes.(3)
Medicinal Uses :The whole plant is used as an astringent, hypoglycaemic, mild narcotic and mild sedative. It also slows and strengthens heart contractions. The plant has been shown to be of value in the treatment of hyperthyroidism, it is also used in the treatment of coughs, bleeding from the lungs and consumption, excessive menstruation etc. It should not be prescribed for pregnant women or patients with hypothyroidism. The plant is harvested as flowering begins and can be use fresh or dried, in an infusion or as a tincture.(4)
Foot Notes: (1)http://www.wildflower.org/plants/result.php?id_plant=LYAM
Foot Notes: (2, 3, 4) http://www.pfaf.org/user/Plant.aspx?LatinName=Lycopus+americanus
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#136(b)
Common Name: Clasping Water Horehound (Lycopus amplectens )
Appearance and Habitat: Damp sands, peaty soils north to N. Carolina. Usually near the coast. North America-Massachusetts to Florida aqnd Mississippi. A perennial growing to 1.2 m (4ft).
Edible Uses:Root. No more details are given.
Medicinal Uses :None
http://www.pfaf.org/user/Plant.aspx?LatinName=Lycopus+amplectens
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#136(c)
Common Name: Rough Bugleweed (Lycopus asper )
Appearance and Habitat: Marshes adnd wet shores, tolerating alkaline conditions in N. America – Michigan to Kansas, west to Manifotba, British Columbia, California and Arizona. A perennial growing to 0.6 m (2ft).
Edible Uses:Root – boiled or dried for later use.
Medicinal Uses :A decoction of the plant has been given to children as a laxative.
http://www.pfaf.org/user/Plant.aspx?LatinName=Lycopus+asper
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#136(d)
Common Name: Gypsywort (Lycopus europaeus )
Appearance and Habitat: By rivers, streams and ditches, also in marshes and fens. Europe, including Britain, to the Mediterranean, north and central Asia. A perennial growing to 1 m (3ft 3in). It is hardy to zone 5. It is in flower from Jun to September, and the seeds ripen from Aug to October.
Edible Uses:Root – raw or cooked. A famine food, it is only used when all else fails.
Medicinal Uses :The fresh or dried flowering herb is astringent and sedative. It inhibits iodine conversion in the thyroid gland and is used in the treatment of hyperthyroidism and related disorders. The whole plant is used as an astringent, hypoglycaemic, mild narcotic and mild sedative. It also slows and strengthens heart contractions. The plant has been shown to be of value in the treatment of hyperthyroidism, it is also used in the treatment of coughs, bleeding from the lungs and consumption, excessive menstruation etc. The leaves are applied as a poultice to cleanse foul wounds. This remedy should not be prescribed for pregnant women or patients with hypothyroidism. The plant is harvested as flowering begins and can be use fresh or dried, in an infusion or as a tincture. Current uses are predominantly for increased activity of the thyroid gland and for premenstrual syndrome symptoms such as breast pain . The German Commission E Monographs, a therapeutic guide to herbal medicine, approve Lycopus for nervousness and premenstrual syndrome.
http://www.pfaf.org/user/Plant.aspx?LatinName=Lycopus+europaeus
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#136(e)
Common Name: Bugleweed (Lycopus uniflorus )
Appearance and Habitat: Low, wet or boggy ground in the north of its range, wet woodland in the south. N. America- Newfoundland to British Columbia, North Carolina, Nebraska and Oregon. A perennial growing to 0.3 m (1ft). It is hardy to zone 5.
Edible Uses:Root – raw or cooked. The roots were a staple food for some native North American Indian tribes. The crisp white tubers can be eaten raw in salads or cooked in soups etc. When boiled for a short time they are said to make an agreeable vegetable, somewhat like Chinese artichokes
Medicinal Uses :The whole plant is antitussive and sedative.
http://www.pfaf.org/user/Plant.aspx?LatinName=Lycopus+uniflorus
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#136(f)
Common Name: Bugleweed, Virginia Bugleweed (Lycopus virginicus )
Appearance and Habitat: Low damp shady ground in rich moist soils in Eastern N. America – New York and Wisconsin south to Georgia and Texas. A perennial growing to 0.6 m (2ft) by 0.5 m (1ft 8in). It is hardy to zone 5. It is in flower from Jul to September.
Edible Uses:Root – cooked.
Medicinal Uses :Bugleweed has sedative properties and is used in modern herbalism principally to treat an overactive thyroid gland and the racing heartbeat that often accompanies this condition. The whole plant is used as an astringent, hypoglycaemic, mild narcotic and mild sedative. It also slows and strengthens heart contractions. The plant has been shown to be of value in the treatment of hyperthyroidism, it is also used in the treatment of coughs, bleeding from the lungs and consumption, excessive menstruation etc. It should not be prescribed for pregnant women or patients with hypothyroidism. The plant is harvested as flowering begins and can be use fresh or dried, in an infusion or as a tincture. The root has been chewed, a portion swallowed and the rest applied externally in the treatment of snakebites. Current uses are predominantly for increased activity of the thyroid gland and for premenstrual syndrome symptoms such as breast pain . The German Commission E Monographs, a therapeutic guide to herbal medicine, approve Lycopus for nervousness and premenstrual syndrome.
http://www.pfaf.org/user/Plant.aspx?LatinName=Lycopus+virginicus
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Now for Michael Moore
Appearance and Habitat: Of the species of Bugleweed in the west, most have hybridized and so differences are few. Bugleweed is in the mint family, which have square stems and opposite leaves. The flowers are tiny, either pink or white and grow from the leaf axis. It prefers a wet habitat, along streams and marshy areas. L. asper has rounded edges on its square stems and bluntly serrated leaves. It’s roots are semi-tuberous. L. americanus has squared stems and smooth mint type roots. It also has deeply cut, nearkly pinnate leaves. It is the most abundant Bugleweed in the west found at lower altitudes in northwest and in the middle mountain areas of Arizona and New Mexico. It is seldom found in high moutain creeks.
Medicinal Uses : Collect the leaves and stems at any time, rapping them into bundles of about a half inch. Allow them to dry in the shade or make a fresh plant tincture at 1 part fresh plant to 2 parts water and allow it a week before use. (15 – 40 drops up to 4 times a day as a tonic.) You can also make a make an infusion of the recently picked plant by boiling 32 part water to one part fresh plant, after the water boils, remove from the heat and place the plant into it. Let it sit for at least 6 hours and strain the plant out. You can take 2-3 ounces up to 4 times a day. Bugleweed is both a tonic and a nervine. As a sedative it isn’t a plant that gives you a ‘druggy’ feel. It just helps relaxation, larger doses do give a mild lethargy. Bugleweed is a  good hemostat or coagulant for home use to treat nose bleeds, bleeding piles or excess menstruation. As a hemostat take 1/4 teaspoon to 1/2 teapoon of the tincture or a rounded teaspoon to a tablespoon in a cup of tea. Continue taking it after the bleeding has stopped, at least one more dose. Bugleweed is also a good treatment for elevated thyroid function brought on by stress. Women who suffer hot flashes or night sweats should take a teaspoon of tincture before bedtime.
Medical Plants of the Moutain West2nd Edition, by Michael Moore, pages 63-64; Publisher: Museum of New Mexico Press, Copyright 2003, ISBN: 978-0-89013-454-2
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#137
Common Name: Dodder, Devil’s Guts, Yerba sin Raiz
Latin Name: Cuscuta approximata, C. calfornica, C. cuspidata, C. gronovii, C. indecora, C. megalocarpa, C. pentagona, C. salina, C. suksdorfii,
Family: Convolvulaceae
Range: http://plants.usda.gov/java/profile?symbol=CUSCU All lower 48 States, Hawaii and all of lower Canada; Main database.
http://plants.usda.gov/java/profile?symbol=CUAP2 All States from the Rocky Mountains west, except Arizona, plus North Dakota and Nebraska; In Canada; British Columbia.(Cuscuta approximata)
http://plants.usda.gov/java/profile?symbol=CUCA All States west of the Rocky Mountains except Montana and New Mexico.(Cuscuta californica)
http://plants.usda.gov/java/profile?symbol=CUCU2 Utah, Colorado, New Mexico, North Dakota to Texas, Iowa to Louisiana, Wisconsin, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Tennessee, Mississippi and Connecticut (Cuscuta cuspidata)
http://plants.usda.gov/java/profile?symbol=CUEPCalifornia, Oregon, Washington, Nevada, Montana, Wyoming, New Mexico, N. And S. Dakota, Nebraska, Iowa, Missouri, Michigan, Kentucky and Virginia north through Maine (except Vermont and Delaware); In Canada; British Columbia, Ontario and New Brunswick. (Cuscuta epithymum)
http://plants.usda.gov/java/profile?symbol=CUGR All States except Alaska, Hawaii, Washington, California, Nevada and Utah; In Canada; it’s found in Alberta to Quebec, plus New Brunswick and Nova Scotia.(Cuscuta gronovii)
http://plants.usda.gov/java/profile?symbol=CUIN All States except Washington, Wisconsin, Indiana, Ohio, Pennsylvania, New York, Massachusetts and north to Maine; In Canada; Saskatchuwan.(Cuscuta indecora)
http://plants.usda.gov/java/profile?symbol=CUME4 Montana, Wyoming, Utah, Colorado, New Mexico, North Dakota to Kansas, Minnesota and New York; In Canada; Saskatchewan and Manitoba. (Cuscuta megalocarpa)
http://plants.usda.gov/java/profile?symbol=CUPE3 Hawaii, all of the lower 48 States except Wyoming, Maine and Vermont; In Canada; all lower Provinces except Alberta. (Cuscuta pentagona)
http://plants.usda.gov/java/profile?symbol=CUSA Washigton, Oregon, California, Nevada, Utah, Arizona and New Mexico; In Canada; British Columbia. (Cuscuta salina)
http://plants.usda.gov/java/profile?symbol=CUSU3 California, Oregon and Washington. (Cuscuta suksdorfii)
Warnings: None
Photos: (Cuscuta approximata – Alfalfa Dodder) (Cuscuta californica – Chaparral Dodder)
( Cuscuta cuspidata – Cusp Dodder) (Cuscuta epithymum – Clover Dodder) (Cuscuta gronovii – Scaldweed Dodder) (Cuscuta indecora – Big Seed Alfalfa Dodder) (Cuscuta megalocarpa- Big Fruit Dodder) (Cuscuta pentagona – Fiveangled Dodder) (Cuscuta salina – Saltmarsh Dodder) (Cuscuta suksdorfii – Mountain Dodder)
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#137(a)
Common Name: Lesser Dodder – Cuscuta epythymum
Appearance and Habitat: Parasitic on heather and gorse. Europe, including Britain, from Norway to Spain and east to the Caucasus and central Asia. An annual growing to 1 m (3ft 3in). It is in flower from Jun to October.
Edible Uses: None
Medicinal Uses : Lesser dodder is considered to be a valuable though little used herbal remedy that supports the liver, being used for problems affecting the liver and gallbladder. The whole plant is antibilious, appetizer, carminative, cholagogue, mildly diuretic, hepatic, laxative and antiscorbutic. A decoction of the stems is used in the treatment of urinary complaints, kidney, spleen and liver disorders, jaundice, sciatica and scorbutic complaints. It also has a reputation as an anticancer agent and as a specific for gout. The plant should not be used by anyone suffering from haemorrhoids. A homeopathic remedy is made from the plant
http://www.pfaf.org/user/Plant.aspx?LatinName=Cuscuta+epythymum
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#137(b)
Common Name: Big Fruit Dodder-Cuscuta megalocarpa
Appearance and Habitat: Grows on various shrubs and herbs, also occasionally found on cultivated crops. North America – Minnesota to Montana and south to Colorado. A perennial.
Edible Uses:Seed – parched and ground into a meal.
Medicinal Uses :None
http://www.pfaf.org/user/Plant.aspx?LatinName=Cuscuta+megalocarpa
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Now for MIchael Moore who covers all Dodders listed except Cuscuta epythymum
Appearance and Habitat: Dodder seeds germinate in soil, but the roots eventually die as the plant twines around a host plant and sends out suckers that penetrate its host tissues and through which it obtains all its nourishment. The stems that appear thread like attach themselves to the host by use of small sucker like appendage and begin a life as a parasite. The threads suck the juice out of the host plant and eventually kill it. In the process, Dodder blooms, has seeds and the process starts over. Most Dodder is yellow to orange and forms huge mats on its host. In the west it occupies the upper foothills eating on a variety of other plants, with the exception of trees.
Medicinal Uses : When collecting Dodder, take as much of the mat as you can; trying to keep from gathering its host plant. It can be dried on a piece of newspaper or in a short cardboard box. Once it is dried chop it up. Dodder tea is an excellent cathartic laxative. It will help treat spleen inflammations and lymph node swellings as well. Use a rounded teaspoon of the chopped plant in a cup of water; boil the water, remove the plant and drink. This can be repeated every few hours. Use the tea only for a few days at a time and it might not be safe to use while pregnant. The Chinese use the seed to treat impotence.
Medical Plants of the Moutain West2nd Edition, by Michael Moore, pages 105 -106; 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.