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Wild Edible and Medicinal Plants

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Wild Edible and Medicinal Plants 162 Poplar (part2)

07 Sunday Oct 2012

Posted by eowyndbh in Uncategorized

≈ 2 Comments

Tags

Balm of Gilead, Canadian Poplar, Carolina Poplar, field craft, field medicine, Fremont Cottonwood, Grey Poplar, home remedies, militia supply, Populus ×canadensis, Populus ×canescens, Populus ×jackii, Populus balsamifera, Populus fremontii, Populus trmuloides, reduce milk flow in nursing mothers, treat bronchitis, treat bronchorrhea, treat congested nasal passages, treat fevers, treat joint pain, treat muscular pain, treat respiratory problems, treat rheumatism, treat urinary tract inflammations, treatment of fevers

Sorry for lack of plants along the left hand border, it wasn’t my idea. Suddenly, wordpress won’t allow more than 50 ‘recent’ posts along that border, I am trying to correct the problem. In the mean time use Archives or the search engine; I am truly sorry of the inconvenience. It took me completely by surprise when wordpress did this.  In my opinion they ruined the website, that was here to help people.
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 Poplar (part 2)
Latin Name: Populus ×canadensis, P. ×canescens, P. ×jackii
Family: Salicacea
Range:
  http://plants.usda.gov/java/profile?symbol=POPUL Main database, all of North America

http://plants.usda.gov/java/profile?symbol=POCA19 California, Utah, Wyoming, N. and S. Dakota, Nebraska, Oklahoma, Minnesota to Arkansas, Wisconsin, Michigan, Ohio, Kentucky, Tennessee, Georgia, North Carolina, Viginia, W. Virginia, Maryland, Delaware, Pennsylvania and New York; In Canada; Ontario and Quebec. (Populus ×canadensis)
http://plants.usda.gov/java/profile?symbol=POCA14 All states east of the Mississippi R., plus Minnesota, Arkansas and Louisiana; In Canada; Ontario, Quebec and New Brunswick. (Populus ×canescens)
http://plants.usda.gov/java/profile?symbol=POJA2 All states north of the Ohio R. and eastward to the coast, plus W. Virginia, Virginia, Maryland, North Carolina, Kentucky, Tennessee, Georgia, N. and S. Dakota, Nebraska, Montana, Wyoming, Idaho, Colorado and all states along the west bank of the Mississippi, except Louisiana; In Canada; all lower Provinces except British Columbia. (Populus ×jackii)
Photos : (Click on Latin name after common name )
Warnings:
None on Plants For A Future
****************************************
#162 (j)
Common Name: Carolina Poplar, Canadian Poplar (Populus ×canadensis)
Appearance and Habitat:
A group of naturally occuring hybrids between P. nigra and P. deltoidea in North America. A deciduous tree growing to 40 m (131ft) by 12 m (39ft) at a fast rate. It is hardy to zone 4.

Edible Uses: None
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.
 http://www.pfaf.org/user/Plant.aspx?LatinName=Populus+x+canadensis
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#162 (k)
Common Name: Grey Poplar (Populus ×canescens)
Appearance and Habitat: Probably native in damp woods in S.C. and E. England. Europe, from Britain and France east to S. Russia, south to Italy and Macedonia. A deciduous tree growing to 30 m (98ft) by 15 m (49ft). It is hardy to zone 4. It is in flower from Feb to March.
Edible Uses: None
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.
http://www.pfaf.org/user/Plant.aspx?LatinName=Populus+x+canescens
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#162 (l)
Common Name: Balm of Gilead (Populus ×jackii)
Appearance and Habitat: Not known in a truly wild situation. The origins of this tree is obscure. A deciduous tree growing to 30 m (98ft) by 12 m (39ft) at a fast rate. It is hardy to zone 2. It is in flower in April, and the seeds ripen in May.
Edible Uses: None
Medicinal Uses : Balm of Gilead is a common ingredient of cough medicines, its expectorant, antiseptic and analgesic actions making it an excellent remedy for a range of respiratory problems. It has also been used for several thousand years to soothe inflamed or irritated skin. 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, diuretic, expectorant, stimulant and tonic. They are taken internally in the treatment of bronchitis, sore throats, dry irritable coughs and other upper respiratory tract infections. 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, grazes, small wounds and dry skin conditions. They can be put in hot water and used as an inhalant to relieve congested nasal passages. Internal use of the plant is believed to reduce milk flow in nursing mothers. The buds are harvested in the spring before they open and are dried for later use. 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.
http://www.pfaf.org/user/Plant.aspx?LatinName=Populus+x+jackii
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(Now for Michael Moore who covers all Poplars in the west.)

Appearance and Habitat:
The leaves of the Poplars in the west are heart shaped, bright green with long stems, turning a brilliant yellow in the fall. The leaf buds are waxy and scaled in appearance. Before the leaves appear the trees have long catkins. The bark is light and smooth, except in older trees it becomes furrowed. Aspen, however, retains its smooth bark. Both Cottonwoods and Poplars are associated with water, where Aspens are associated with high mountains. Fremont’s Cottonwood grows along live rivers, streams, or around underground springs throughout its range. Aspens grow in areas of mountains that have an elevation of at least from 8,500 ft., but can sometimes be found at 6,000 ft. Aspens inhabit burn areas in the mountains and are replaced by pine and spruce, or subalpine meadows covering an entire hillside. P. balsamifera and P. trichocarpa, the balsam poplars, frequently form hybrids and can be found in nearly all canyons of the west. The grow from Alaska to California, east to Colorado and the Great Lakes region.
Medicinal Uses : The buds should be collected in the spring, the leaves in midsummer and the bark in the fall or early spring. Collect the leaves, cut off the stems, tie in small bundles (less than 1/4 inch) and hang them to dry in the shade. The buds should be dried in cheesecloth, folded and hung in an airy area. Every few days stir the buds to help them dry faster. It is very common for branches to break off in thunderstorms, as long as the leaves are still green, use them for the bark. Make shallow cuts around the diameter of the limb every foot, and diagonal cuts every few inches, then strip off the bark from the inner wood. Run oiled wire through the bark and hang it in the shade to dry. All of the species contains salicin and populin, precusors of aspirin, and are very helpful with any inflammation. Tea from the bark is rather bitter, tea from the leaves can be used in the same manner and is preferred by some people. The drawback is the tea from the leaves is not as strong. To make tea from the bark, combine 1 part dried bark to 32 parts water (by weight) and bring slowly to a boil. Let it continue to boil for 10 minutes, remove from heat, let cool, strain, and return the water to 32 parts. For the leaves follow the same procedure, except put them in the water as it boils and remove from the heat immediately, then strain, return the water level. You can take 2 – 4 ounces of the tea up to 4 times a day (bark) or 5 times a day (leaves). The tea of either has been used in place of quinine for fevers, but not for malaria. Both uses are also helpful with urinary tract inflammations and as a diuretic to increase urine acidity. The fresh or dried plants (after moistening) can be used as a poultice for muscle aches, sprains and swollen joints. The buds are the strongest part of the plant, but the constituents are not very water soluble. You can fill a jar with the fresh buds, then fill with olive oil allow it to sit for a week in a warm location and then strain the buds from the oil. Re- heat the oil over low heat, add some bees wax to make a topical ointment. A tincture of the buds can also be make using 1 part to 2 parts (by weight) 75% vodka for fresh buds or for dried buds 1 part buds to 5 parts alcohol. Take between 15 and 30 drops throughout the day. The bud tincture is excellent to help remove mucus from bronchitis or bronchorrhea. Both the bud tincture and buds drained from the oil make an excellent analgesic for joint and muscle pain.
Other Uses : The dried wood from the fallen branches make an excellent walking stick or cane.
Medicinal Plants of the Mountain West 2nd Edition, by Michael Moore, pages 206-207, Publisher: Museum of New Mexico Press, Copyright 2003, ISBN 0-89013-454-5

The solution for past posts, other than top 50, are now listed below the comment section in the footer as a drop down list. At least that will give you an idea of where in the archives the post can be found. Not the solution I was hoping for.

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.  
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Wild Edible and Medicinal Plants 149(Sup)-150 Gentian/Maidenhair Fern

26 Sunday Aug 2012

Posted by eowyndbh in Uncategorized

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

Adiantum capillus-veneris, Adiantum jordanii, Adiantum pedatum, American Columbo, edible fern, Elkweed, fern cough syrup, fern hair rinse, field craft, Frasera caroliniensis, Frasera speciosa, Green Gentian, home remedies, home remedy, Maidenhair Fern, militia supply, plants for preppers, poultice for bee stings, poultice on snake bites, Southern Maidenhair Fern, survivalist supplies, treat and expel worms, treat asthma, treat bleeding wounds, treat bronchitis, treat chest pains, treat colds, treat connective tissues of kidneys, treat connective tissues of lung, treat dandruff, treat diarrhea, treat dysentery, treat fevers, treat headaches, treat laryngitis, treat menstruation problems, treat throat afflictions, treatment of asthma, treatment of diarrhea, treatment of diarrhoea, treatment of dysentery, Venus Hair Fern

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. ) 
#149 Supplement
Common Name: American Columbo, Green Gentian, Elkweed
Latin Name:
Frasera caroliniensis, F. speciosa
Family: Gentianaceae
Range:
 http://plants.usda.gov/java/profile?symbol=FRCA2
 Michigan, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, Pennsylvania, New York, Missouri, Arkansas, Oklahoma, and all states south of the Ohio R. and east of the Mississippi R. , except W. Virginia and Florida; In Canada; Ontario. (Frasera caroliniensis)
http://plants.usda.gov/java/profile?symbol=FRSP All states west of the Rocky Mountains, plus North Dakota and Texas. (Frasera speciosa)
Photos : (Click on Latin name after common name )

149 (e)
Common Name: American Columbo, Green Gentian (Frasera caroliniensis)
Appearance and Habitat:
Found in calcareous grasslands and savannah over much of east-central North America, but not common, Frasera caroliniensis is listed as a species of special concern in Canada by SARA (Species at Risk Act), as threatened in New York, and as endangered in Pennsylvania.
(1)  Dry soils in Eastern N. America – New York to Ontario and Wisconsin, south to Georgia and Tennessee. A perennial growing to 2.5 m (8ft 2in). It is hardy to zone 2. It is in flower from Jul to August.(2)
Warnings: None
(3)
Edible Uses:None
(4)
Medicinal Uses : The powdered plant is applied externally to ulcers as a poultice. The plant is a feeble simple bitter. The root is cathartic, emetic, stimulant and tonic. When dried it is a simple bitter that can be used as a digestive tonic in a similar way to gentian root (Gentiana spp), but the fresh root is cathartic and emetic. The root is used in the treatment of dysentery, stomach complaints and a lack of appetite. It should be harvested in the autumn of its second year, or the spring of its third year. (5)
Foot Notes: (1)http://www.wildflower.org/plants/result.php?id_plant=FRCA2

Foot Notes: (2, 3, 4, 5 )http://www.pfaf.org/user/Plant.aspx?LatinName=Frasera+caroliniensis
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149 (f)
Common Name: Elkweed, Green Gentian (Frasera speciosa)
Appearance and Habitat:
A narrowly cone-shaped plant with 1 stout, tall errect stem, large leaves in evenly spaced whorls, and clusters of 4-lobed, yellowish-green corollas in axils of upper leaves and leaf-like bracts. The broad leaves are a good browse for deer.
(1)  Dryish or dampish places in Rich soils in open pine and woods, aspen groves etc. from 1500 – 3000 meters in Western N. America – California to Washington. A biennial/perennial growing to 1.5 m (5ft). It is hardy to zone 3. It is in flower from Jul to August.(2)
Warnings: When used medicinally, large does of the powdered root have proved fatal.
(3)
Edible Uses:Root. It has been reported that the N. American Indians ate the fleshy root of this plant, but caution is advised since the roots of closely related plants are used medicinally as emetics and cathartics.
(4)
Medicinal Uses : The whole plant is febrifuge, pectoral, laxative and tonic. An infusion of the dried, powdered leaves, or the root, has been used in the treatment of diarrhoea. A cooled decoction of the roots has been used in the treatment of asthma, colds, digestive complaints etc. An infusion of the plant has been used as a contraceptive. Caution is advised in the use of this plant, see the notes above on toxicity. (5)
Foot Notes: (1) http://www.wildflower.org/plants/result.php?id_plant=FRSP

Foot Notes: (2, 3, 4, 5 ) http://www.pfaf.org/user/Plant.aspx?LatinName=Frasera+speciosa
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#150
Common Name: Maidenhair Fern, Lady Fern, Culatrillo
Latin Name:
Adiantum aleuticum, A. capillus-veneris, A joranii, A. pedatum
Family: Polypodiaceae
Range:
http://plants.usda.gov/java/profile?symbol=ADIAN
All 50 states, except North Dakota; In Canada; British Columbia, Alberta, Ontario, Quebec, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia and Newfoundland. This is the main database.
http://plants.usda.gov/java/profile?symbol=ADAL All states west of the Rocky Mountains, except New Mexico, plus Alaska, Michigan, Pennsylvania, W. Virginia, Maryland, Vermont and Maine; In Canada; British Columbia, Alberta, Quebec and Newfoundland. (Adiantum aleuticum)
http://plants.usda.gov/java/profile?symbol=ADCA All states east of the Mississippi R. and south of the Ohio R., except W. Virginia, plus Ohio, Maryland, Missouri, Arkansas, Louisiana, South Dakota, Oklahoma, Texas, Colorado, New Mexico, Utah, Arizona, Nevada, California and Hawaii; In Canada; British Columbia. (Adiantum capillus-veneris)
http://plants.usda.gov/java/profile?symbol=ADJO California and Oregon. (Adiantum jordanii)
http://plants.usda.gov/java/profile?symbol=ADPE All states east of the Mississippi, except Florida, all states on the west bank of the Mississippi R., plus South Dakota to Oklahoma and Alaska; In Canada; Ontario, Quebec, New Brunswick and Nova Scotia. (Adiantum pedatum)
Photos : (Click on Latin name after common name )

Warnings: On PFAP for all covered. Although we have found no reports of toxicity for this species, a number of ferns contain carcinogens so some caution is advisable. Many ferns also contain thiaminase, an enzyme that robs the body of its vitamin B complex. In small quantities this enzyme will do no harm to people eating an adequate diet that is rich in vitamin B, though large quantities can cause severe health problems. The enzyme is destroyed by heat or thorough drying, so cooking the plant will remove the thiaminase.
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#150(a)
Common Name: Common Maidenhair Fern, Southern Maidenhair Fern, Venus Hair Fern (Adiantum capillus-veneris)
Appearance and Habitat:
This plant has specific growing requirements that must be met to be successful in a garden setting. Though it lacks the fan-like pattern of Northern maidenhair, the fine, lacy foliage of Southern maidenhair has the same a graceful, delicate character. This fern grows from 6 inches to 1 foot in height; its fronds arising in clusters from creeping rhizomes. Listed as an endangered species in North Carolina (known as southern maidenhair-fern there) and threatened in Kentucky (known as venus hair fern there). Mostly found in the lower half of the U.S.and some parts of the tropics, the only Canadian site is near Fairmont Hot Springs, B.C.
(1)   Rock crevices, cliffs by the sea on basic rocks in damp positions. Tropical and warm temperate zones throughout the world, including Britain. It is a fern growing to 0.3 m (1ft) by 0.3 m (1ft in) at a slow rate.  It is hardy to zone 9 and is frost tender. The seeds ripen from May to September.(2)
Edible Uses:The fronds are used as a garnish on sweet dishes. The dried fronds are used to make a tea. A syrup is made from the plant – it makes a refreshing summer drink. The fern (does this refer to the rootstock?) is simmered in water for several hours and the liquid made into a thick syrup with sugar and orange water. It is then mixed with fruit juices to make a refreshing drink.
(3)
Medicinal Uses :The maidenhair fern has a long history of medicinal use and was the main ingredient of a popular cough syrup called ‘Capillaire’, which remained in use until the nineteenth century. The plant is little used in modern herbalism. The fresh or dried leafy fronds are antidandruff, antitussive, astringent, demulcent, depurative, emetic, weakly emmenagogue, emollient, weakly expectorant, febrifuge, galactogogue, laxative, pectoral, refrigerant, stimulant, sudorific and tonic. A tea or syrup is used in the treatment of coughs, throat afflictions and bronchitis. It is also used as a detoxicant in alcoholism and to expel worms from the body. Externally, it is used as a poultice on snake bites, bee stings etc. In Nepal, a paste made from the fronds is applied to the forehead to relieve headaches and to the chest to relieve chest pains. The plant is best used fresh, though it can also be harvested in the summer and dried for later use.
(4)
Foot Notes: (1) http://www.wildflower.org/plants/result.php?id_plant=ADCA

Foot Notes: (2, 3, 4 ) http://www.pfaf.org/user/Plant.aspx?LatinName=Adiantum+capillus-veneris
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#150(b)
Common Name: Northern Maidenhair Fern (Adiantum pedatum)
Appearance and Habitat:
Northern maidenhair’s delicate, 8-20 in. fronds, with dark, shiny stems, spread their pinnae horizontally in a nearly perfect circle. This graceful, fan-like pattern is unique among native ferns. The fronds arise from a creeping rootstock in clusters. Burgundy red fiddleheads appear in early spring. The roots are wiry and black, colonizing in favorable sites. This fern is quite easy to grow if it is provided with the right conditions. Western plants are sometimes treated as a separate variety or subspecies, A. pedatum var. or ssp. aleuticum, but eastern and western plants look very much alike.
(1)   Stems short-creeping; scales bronzy deep yellow, concolored, margins entire. Leaves lax-arching (rarely pendent), closely spaced, 40–75 cm. Petiole 1–2 mm diam., glabrous, occasionally glaucous. Blade fan-shaped, pseudopedate, 1-pinnate distally, 15–30 × 15–35 cm, glabrous; proximal pinnae 3–9-pinnate; rachis straight, glabrous, occasionally glaucous. Segment stalks 0.5–1.5(–1.7) mm, dark color entering into segment base. Ultimate segments oblong, ca. 3 times as long as broad; basiscopic margin straight; acroscopic margin lobed, lobes separated by narrow incisions 0–0.9(–1.1) mm wide; apex obtuse, divided into shallow, rounded lobes separated by shallow sinuses 0.1–2(–3.7) mm deep, margins of lobes crenulate or crenate-denticulate. Indusia transversely oblong, 1–3 mm, glabrous. Spores mostly 34–40 µm diam. Sporulating summer–fall. Rich, deciduous woodlands, often on humus-covered talus slopes and moist lime soils; 0–700 m; N.B., N.S., Ont., Que.; Ala., Ark., Conn., Del., D.C., Ga., Ill., Ind., Iowa, Kans., Ky., La., Maine, Md., Mass., Mich., Minn., Miss., Mo., Nebr., N.H., N.J., N.Y., N.C., Ohio, Okla., Pa., R.I., S.C., Tenn., Vt., Va., W.Va., Wis. Once considered a single species across its range in North America and eastern Asia, Adiantum pedatum is considered to be a complex of at least three vicariant species ( A . pedatum and A . aleuticum occur in North America) and a derivative allopolyploid species (C. A. Paris 1991). Adiantum pedatum in the strict sense is restricted to deciduous woodlands in eastern North America.(2)  Rich, deciduous woodlands, often on humus-covered talus slopes and moist lime soils for sea level to 700 meters in North America – Alaska to Quebec and Nova Scotia, south to California nad Georgia. East to Asia. It is hardy to zone 3. The seeds ripen from Aug to October.(3)
Edible Uses:None
(4)
Medicinal Uses :The whole plant is considered to be antirheumatic, astringent, demulcent, emmenagogue, expectorant, febrifuge, haemostatic, pectoral and tonic. A tea or syrup is used in the treatment of nasal congestion, asthma, sore throats etc. A decoction of the root was massaged into rheumatic joints. The N. American Indians chewed the fronds and then applied them to wounds to stop bleeding. A strong infusion of the whole plant was has been used as an emetic in the treatment of ague and fevers. This plant was highly valued as a medicinal plant in the 19th century and merits scientific investigation.
(5)
Foot Notes: (1)http://www.wildflower.org/plants/result.php?id_plant=ADPE

Foot Notes: (2 ) http://www.efloras.org/florataxon.aspx?flora_id=1&taxon_id=200003542
Foot Notes: ( 3, 4, 5)http://www.pfaf.org/user/Plant.aspx?LatinName=Adiantum+pedatum
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Appearance, Habitat and Photos for Others: (Adiantum aleuticum) Adiantum aleuticum – Western maidenhair, Aleutian maidenhair- Stems short-creeping or suberect; scales bronzy deep yellow, concolored, margins entire. Leaves lax-arching to stiffly erect or pendent, often densely clustered, 15–110 cm. Petiole 0.5–3 mm diam., glabrous, often glaucous. Blade fan-shaped to funnel-shaped, pseudopedate, 1-pinnate distally, 5–45 × 5–45 cm; proximal pinnae (1–)2–7-pinnate; rachis straight, glabrous, often with glaucous bloom. Segment stalks 0.2–0.9(–1.3) mm, dark color entering into segment base or not. Ultimate segments oblong, long-triangular, or occasionally reniform, ca. 2.5–4 times as long as broad; basiscopic margin straight to oblique, or occasionally excavate; acroscopic margin lobed, lobes separated by narrow to broad incisions 0.2–3 mm wide; apex acute to obtuse, obtuse apices divided into ± angular lobes separated by sinuses 0.6–4 mm deep, margins of lobes sharply denticulate. False indusia transversely oblong to crescent-shaped, 0.2–3.5(–6) mm, glabrous. Spores mostly 37–47 µm diam. Sporulating summer–fall. Wooded ravines, shaded banks, talus slopes, serpentine barrens, and coastal headlands (uncommon); 0–3200 m; Alta., B.C., Nfld., Que.; Alaska, Ariz., Calif., Colo., Idaho, Maine, Md., Mont., Nev., Oreg., Pa., Utah, Vt., Wash., Wyo.; Mexico in Chihuahua. Adiantum aleuticum is disjunct in wet rock fissures at high elevations in Arizona, Colorado, Montana, Nevada, Utah, Wyoming, and Mexico in Chihuahua, and it is disjunct on serpentine in Newfoundland, Quebec, Maine, Maryland, Pennsylvania, and Vermont. Although the western maidenhair has traditionally been interpreted as an infraspecific variant of Adiantum pedatum , the two taxa are reproductively isolated and differ in an array of morphologic characteristics. Therefore, they are more appropriately considered separate species (C. A. Paris and M. D. Windham 1988). Morphologic differences between A . pedatum and A . aleuticum are subtle; the two may be separated, however, using characteristics in the key. Adiantum aleuticum occurs in a variety of habitats throughout its range, from moist, wooded ravines to stark serpentine barrens and from coastal cliffs to subalpine boulder fields. Although morphologic differences exist among populations in these diverse habitats, they are not consistent. Consequently, infraspecific taxa are not recognized here within A . aleuticum .
http://www.efloras.org/florataxon.aspx?flora_id=1&taxon_id=233500026
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(Adiantum jordanii Adiantum jordanii – California maidenhair- Stems short-creeping; scales reddish brown, concolored, margins entire. Leaves arching or pendent, clustered, 30–45 cm. Petiole 1–1.5 mm diam., glabrous, not glaucous. Blade lanceolate, pinnate, 20–24 × 8–10 cm, gradually reduced distally, glabrous; proximal pinnae 3(–4)-pinnate; rachis straight, glabrous, not glaucous. Segment stalks 1–4 mm, with dark color ending abruptly at segment base. Ultimate segments fan-shaped, not quite as long as broad; base truncate or broadly cuneate; margins of fertile segments unlobed but very narrowly incised, sterile segments with margins lobed, denticulate; apex rounded. Indusia transversely oblong, 3–10 mm, glabrous. Spores mostly 40–50 µm diam. Sporulating early spring–midsummer. Seasonally moist, shaded, rocky banks, canyons, and ravines; 0–1000 m; Calif., Oreg.; Mexico in Baja California. Adiantum jordanii occasionally hybridizes with A . aleuticum where their ranges overlap in northern California, yielding the sterile hybrid Adiantum × tracyi C. C. Hall ex W. H. Wagner. Adiantum × tracyi , morphologically intermediate between its parental species, can be distinguished from A . jordanii by its broadly deltate leaf blade that tapers abruptly from the 4(–5)-pinnate base to a 1-pinnate apex. It is best separated from A . aleuticum by leaf blades with a strong rachis, and by ultimate blade segments that are less than twice as long as broad. Adiantum × tracyi shows 59 univalents at metaphase; its spores are irregular and misshapen (W. H. Wagner Jr. 1962).
http://www.efloras.org/florataxon.aspx?flora_id=1&taxon_id=233500027
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(Now for Michael Moore who covers Adiantum aleuticum, A. capillus-veneris and A joranii.)

Appearance and Habitat: A delicate fern, hard to mistake when it is found. The fronds sprout from a scaly root, usually just below the mulch or moss. The stems almost appear black and the individual leaflets are separated by black stems. All are interchangeable as to medical uses and A. capillus-venus the most widespread. They are rarely found above 7,000 feet and rarely encountered below 3,000 feet, the exception is the coastal ranges of California. In the west, it is found in warm, lower canyons. Look for it around springs or northern slopes and wet crevices in the rock. Adiantum jordanii is found in canyons from Baja California to southern Oregon. Adiantum pedatum is common from mid way through California to British Columbia to the northern Rocky Mountains. Adiantum capillus-venus is found world-wide.
Medicinal Uses : Collect the leaves by making small bundles, 1/2 inch in diameter, and dry them in a dark room in paper bags. The root requires splitting into sections, length-wise, and drying in cheese cloth. Hang the cheese cloth up, making a pocket and hang it in the shade. It makes an excellent treatment for upper respiratory problems and suppressed menstruation. Like Horsetail, the plant contains silica at a ratio of 12,000 to 20,000 parts/million. The silica content makes it useful to treat connective tissues of the lungs and kidneys. Chronic conditions require strong cup of tea on a daily basis for a month. Use at least a tablespoon full per cup in hot water. For acute conditions, make a standard infusion and drink 1-3 ounces 3 times daily. Combine 32 parts water, with one part dried fronds (by weight) bring slowly to a boil and continue boiling for 10 minutes, cool until warm and strain. It is also useful to treat bronchial infections, sore throats and laryngitis. To make a cough syrup combine two parts honey, one part water, and two parts of finely chopped leaves. To improve the taste, ginger can be added. To regulate menstruation, boil 1/2 ounce of the dried root in a pint of water for twenty minutes and drink it through the day.
Other Uses : It can be used as hair rinse that will add both body and shine to your hair. Use, somewhat less than a 1/2 cup of the dried plant in a cup of boiling water and use as a final rinse.
Medicinal Plants of the Mountain West by Michael Moore, pages 153-155, 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 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.

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

08 Wednesday Aug 2012

Posted by eowyndbh in Uncategorized

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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.

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

03 Tuesday Jul 2012

Posted by eowyndbh in Uncategorized

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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.)
*********************************
#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
*********************************
#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

********************************
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
********************************************
#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)
********************************
#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
*****************************

#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.

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

16 Wednesday May 2012

Posted by eowyndbh in Uncategorized

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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
********************************************
#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.)
*********************
#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.

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Wild Edible and Medicinal Plants 109-110 Catnip/Wormwood

09 Monday Apr 2012

Posted by eowyndbh in Uncategorized

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anti-fungal, anti-spasmodic, Artemisa dracunulus, Artemisa fridigia, Artemisia ludoviciana, Artemisia tridentata, Artemisia vulgaris, edible catnip, edible sagebrush, edible Tarragon, herbal poultice, loosen bronchial mucus, Native American culture, Native American food, native american medicine, natural antiseptic, natural nervine, natural sedative, natural tranquilizer, Nepeta cataria, poultice for sprains, sagebrush, treat bronchitis, treat colds, treat flu, treat gout, treat malaria, treat rheumatism, treat toothache, treatment for teething

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. ) 
#109
Common Name: Catnip, Catmint
Latin Name:
Nepeta cataria
Family: Labiateae
Range:
http://plants.usda.gov/java/profile?symbol=NECA2 all of lower Canada, Alaska, all of the lower 48 States except Florida.
Photos: here
Warnings: Catnip has diuretic properties and may increase amount and frequency of urination. Smoking catnip can produce euphoria and visual hallucinations. Sedation. Women with inflammatory diseases of the pelvis or are pregnant should not use. Care if using and driving or using machines.  (1)
Appearance and Habitat: Roadsides and near streams. Hedgerows, borders of fields, dry banks and waste ground, especially on calcareous and gravelly soils. Europe, including Britain, from Scandanavia south and east to Spain, W. and C. Asia to the Himilayas. A perennial growing to 1 m (3ft 3in) by 0.6 m (2ft).   It is hardy to zone 3 and is not frost tender. It is in flower from Jul to November, and the seeds ripen from Sep to October. (2) Like most mints, Catnip has square stems and opposing leaves. The average height is 2 to 3 feet, but along steams it may approach 5 feet. The flowers appear at the end of branches and are white, pinkish white with purple markings. The leaves are trianuglar with round serrated edges. The whole plant is downy like felt and if grown in full sun it should have a grayish color. Freshly dried Catnip is strongly minted, but with a rank after smell. If you are buying it for your cat mash some between your fingers if it doesn’t have a smell, don’t buy it. In the west, Catnip is a mountain plant it will be found in pockets above 6,500 feet. It is found through out the west from 6,500 feet .  (3)
Edible Uses: Young leaves – raw. A mint-like flavour, they make an aromatic flavouring in salads. Older leaves are used as a flavouring in cooked foods. They can be used fresh or dried to make an aromatic herb tea. The tea should be infused in a closed container in order to preserve the essential oils, boiling is said to spoil it. (4)
Medicinal Uses: Catmint has a long history of use as a household herbal remedy, being employed especially in treating disorders of the digestive system and, as it stimulates sweating, it is useful in reducing fevers. The herbs pleasant taste and gentle action makes it suitable for treating colds, flu and fevers in children. It is more effective when used in conjunction with elder flower (Sambucus nigra). The leaves and flowering tops are strongly antispasmodic, antitussive, astringent, carminative, diaphoretic, slightly emmenagogue, refrigerant, sedative, slightly stimulant, stomachic and tonic. The flowering stems are harvested in August when the plant is in full flower, they are dried and stored for use as required. An infusion produces free perspiration, it is considered to be beneficial in the treatment of fevers and colds. It is also very useful in the treatment of restlessness and nervousness, being very useful as a mild nervine for children. A tea made from the leaves can also be used. The infusion is also applied externally to bruises, especially black eyes.  (5) When collecting take the whole plant and dry it in a paper sack. Catnip is a tranquilizer and sedative. It won’t help serious insomnia, but the tea from the dried plant is safe enough for children. For infants it can be used as a teething tea. Catnip has a anti-spasmodic and can be used from cramps, but shouldn’t be used by women that are pregnant.  (6)
Foot Notes:
(1, 2, 4, 5)  http://www.pfaf.org/user/Plant.aspx?LatinName=Nepeta%20cataria
Foot Notes: (3, 6) Medicinal Plants Of the Mountain West  by Michael Moore, 1st Edition, page 52 , publisher:  Museum of New Mexico Press ; copy right 1979 
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 #110
Common Name: Wormwood, Sagebrush, Mugwort
Latin Name: Artmisia spp
Range: http://plants.usda.gov/java/profile?symbol=ARTEM  main data base, all of Canada, all States.
http://plants.usda.gov/java/profile?symbol=ARDR4 Alaska, Yukon, British Columbia-Ontario, all States west of Mississippi R. except Arkansas and Lousiania, plus found in Wisconsin, Illinois, New York, Connecticut and Massachusetts. (Artemisa dracunulus)
http://plants.usda.gov/java/profile?symbol=ARFR4 Alaska, Northwest Territories, Yukon, British Columbia – Nova Scotia, all States west of the Mississippi R. except California, Oregon, Oklahoma, Arkansas and Louisiana; plus found in Wisconsin, Michigan, Illinois, Pennsylvania- New Jersey north through Vermont and Massachusetts. (Artemisa fridigia)
http://plants.usda.gov/java/profile?symbol=ARLU Briish Columbia – New Brunswick, Northwest Territories, all States west of the Mississippi R., on the east bank all States except Alabama, Florida and West Virginia. (Artemisia ludoviciana)
http://plants.usda.gov/java/profile?symbol=ARNO4
all States west of the Rocky Mountians except Washington (Artemisia nova)
http://plants.usda.gov/java/profile?symbol=ARTR2  all states west of the Rocky Mountains, British Columbia, Alerberta, N.and S. Datoka, Nebraska and Massachusetts. (Artemisia tridentata)
http://plants.usda.gov/java/profile?symbol=ARVU Newfoundland – British Columbia, all States east of the Mississippi R. except Mississippi, found addionally in Minnesota, Iowa, Missouri, Kansas, Louisiana, Montana, Idaho, Washington, California, Oregon and Alaska. (Artemisia vulgaris)
Photos: (Click on latin name after common name)
Warnings: All listed on PFAF: Although no reports of toxicity have been seen for this species, skin contact with some members of this genus can cause dermatitis or other allergic reactions in some people. On White Sage (A. ludoviciana) it says can cause dermatitis in some people.
#110(a)
Common Name:
Tarragon
(Artemisia dracunculus)
Appearance and Habitat:
Hairless, shrub-like; from short rhizome. This is the same plant that yields the cooking herb tarragon. It is a member of the same genus as sagebrush species. Widely distributed; Alaska (rare) and across most of Canada; in the contiguous U.S., from the Pacific coast to the Great Lakes and Texas; also Massachusetts to New Jersey.
(1)A perennial growing to 0.6 m (2ft) by 0.3 m (1ft in). It is hardy to zone 6. It is in flower from Jun to August. By rivers and streams, grassland and arid steppe. (2)
Edible Uses: Leaves – raw or used as a flavouring in soups etc. Tarragon is a commonly used herbal flavouring that is used in many traditional recipes. It is particularly of value because of its beneficial effect upon the digestion and so is often used with oily foods. The leaves can also be harvested in late summer and dried for later use. The aromatic leaves have a very nice flavour that is somewhat liquorice-like. They make an excellent flavouring in salads. The young shoots can also be cooked and used as a potherb. The leaves are used as a flavouring in vinegar. An essential oil from the leaves is used as a flavouring. (3)
Medicinal Uses: Tarragon is a bitter warming aromatic herb that stimulates the digestive system and uterus, lowers fevers and destroys intestinal worms. It is little used in modern herbalism, though it is sometimes employed as an appetizer. The leaves (and an essential oil obtained from them) are antiscorbutic, diuretic, emmenagogue, hypnotic and stomachic. An infusion is used in the treatment of indigestion, flatulence, nausea, hiccups etc. The plant is mildly sedative and has been taken to aid sleep. It also has mild emmenagogue properties and can be used to induce a delayed period. A poultice can be used to relieve rheumatism, gout, arthritis and toothache. The plant is harvested in the summer and can be dried for later use. This herb should not be prescribed for pregnant women. The root has been used to cure toothache The essential oil is used in aromatherapy to treat digestive and menstrual problems.  (4)
Foot Notes: (1) http://www.wildflower.org/plants/result.php?id_plant=ARDR4
Foot Notes: (2, 3, 4) http://www.pfaf.org/user/Plant.aspx?LatinName=Artemisia%20dracunculus
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#110(b)
Common Name: Fringed Wormwood, Praire Sagewort, Silver Sage, Praire Sagebrush (Artemisia frigida)

Native American Name: Ninny kaksa miss (Blackfeet), Na ko ha sait (Arapaho), Sawabe (Washoe & Paiute) (1)
Appearance and Habitat: Dry praires, plains and rocks to 3300 meters in N. America – Minnesota to Saskatchewan, Yukon, Texas, and Arizona. A perennial growing to 0.3 m (1ft) by 0.5 m (1ft 8in). It is hardy to zone 4. (2)This is a low-spreading, semi-evergreen shrub, with numerous stems arising from a woody base to 18 in. The deeply-divided, soft, woolly, gray-green leaves are fine-textured (almost hair-like) and aromatic. The pale yellow flowers and the fruit are rather inconspicuous. Drought tolerant. A good soil stabilizer and ground cover. Important winter feed for Elk, Pronghorn, and deer. Pollen is a cause of hay fever. Edible herb, aromatic. (3)Silver Sage forms small spreading plants usually no taller than 6 to 8 inches. The whole plant is silver-green to gray grows in extended colonies. The flowering stalks are well covered with leaves and rise a foot to 18 inches and have yellow flowers. In winter they are fed upon by wild animals, however in the early summer when the oils are high nothing eats them. Silver Sage is found in all soils, throughout the Great Basin, into the Plains as far east as Minnesota and as far north as the Yukon.(4)
Edible Uses: The leaves are used by the Hopi Indians as a flavouring for sweet corn.  (5)
Medicinal Uses: The leaves are stomachic, vermifuge and used in the treatment of women’s complaints. The plant contains camphor, which is stimulant and antispasmodic. An infusion of the leaves is used in the treatment of biliousness, indigestion, coughs and colds whilst the leaves are chewed and the juice swallowed to treat heartburn. A poultice of the chewed leaves is used as a poultice to reduce swellings and the leaves are also placed in the nose to stop nosebleeds. A hot poultice of the leaves has been used to treat toothache. The leaves can be used as a sanitary towel to help reduce skin irritation. They are also drunk as a tea when the woman is menstruating or to treat irregular menstruation. The dried leaves are burnt in a room as a disinfectant. A decoction of the root is used as a stimulant and tonic.  (6)Tea from leaves for coughs . (7)  It shares many of the same uses as Sagebrush, though not a potent. It is best from children because of the weak nature. Tea made from the leaves is easier to drink than that of Sagebrush. ( 8 )
Foot Notes: (1,7) Indian Uses Of Native Plants by Edith Murphy, pages 38, 51, 54, 71; Publisher: Meyerbooks, Copyright 1990, ISBN 0-916638-15-4  
Foot Notes: (2, 5, 6) http://www.pfaf.org/user/Plant.aspx?LatinName=Artemisia%20frigida
Foot Notes:
(3) http://www.wildflower.org/plants/result.php?id_plant=ARFR4
Foot Notes:
(4, 8 ) Medicinal Plants of the Mountain West Revised Expanded Edition by Michael Moore, page 267-68, Publisher: New Mexico Press, copyright 2003, ISBN: 978-0-89013-454-2
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#110(c)
Common Name: White Sage, Louisiana Sage, Silver Sage, Louisiana Mugwort (Artemisia ludociniana)
Native American Name: Sissop (Paiute), Kosi wayab (Shoshone)
(1)
Appearance and Habitat:
This is a stiff, aromatic, silvery-white perennial, 1 1/2-3 ft. tall, which can spread quickly to form large colonies. Shrub-like, white, densely matted with hairs, from rhizome. Small, yellowish flowers are secondary to the silver color of the erect stems and narrow leaves, created by a dense coat of hairs.
(2) Prairies, dry open soils and in thin woodlands, found in Western N. America – Michigan to Washington, south to Texas and Mexico. A perennial growing to 1 m (3ft 3in) by 1 m (3ft 3in). It is hardy to zone 5. It is in flower from Aug to October, and the seeds ripen from Sep to October.(3) Silver Sage is a downy, frosted-green or grayish green perennial wormwood. It has deeply cleft leaves that are fuzzy both below and above. They are usually 2 to 3 feet tall, but can grow up to six feet if they are supported by other growth or large rocks. The flowers are the typical wormwood puff balls and are the same color as the plants. The crushed plant has a strong and slightly delicate scent. it can be found growing in sheltered small canyons, in the deepest desert, or along east or west facing mountain slopes to 9,000 feet.(4) 
Edible Uses: Leaves and flowering heads are used as a flavouring or garnish for sauces, gravies etc. A herb tea is made from the leaves and flowering heads. Seed. No further details are given but the seed is very small and fiddly to use.(5) 
Medicinal Uses: Tea from leaves for stomach troubles. Tea of roots for laxative, inability to urinate and difficulty in childbirth. Crushed leaf as snuff for sinus attacks, nosebleed and headaches. Strong tea as wash for eczema, deodorant and antiperspirant for underarms and feet.
(6) The leaves are astringent. They were commonly used by the N. American Indians to induce sweating, curb pain and diarrhoea. A weak tea was used in the treatment of stomach ache and menstrual disorders. Externally, a wash of the leaves was applied to itching, rashes, swellings, boils, sores, etc. The wash was also applied to eczema and as an underarm deodorant. A poultice of the leaves can be applied to spider bites, blisters and burst boils. A snuff of the crushed leaves has been used to treat headaches, the sinuses and nosebleeds.(7) Gather the flowering stems and bundle them, drying them in a paper sack. The primary constituent in A. ludoviciana is ludovinin A and camphor. Estafiate orA. ludoviniana is bitter and strongly aromatic; both make it useful to either stimulate sweating in dry fevers or for indigestion and stomach acidity. It can be taken as either a cold water infusion by placing the herb in cold water and drinking 1-3 ounces of the water (allowing it to sit for several hours before straining), or as a hot tea using a rounded teaspoon per cup of hot water. Of all the native Artemisias, A. ludoviciana is a most effective way to help or inhibit pinworm infections, by using 4 ounces of the cold infusion for a week or two. Using the tea or inhaling the steam or smoke for bronchitis or lung congestion has been important to many Native American Tribes from the Zuni, Navajo, Blackfoot, Cheyenne, Crow, and Lakota. The plant has been studied and shown to be a good antimalarial. Studies have also shown it to be strongly antifungal as well as a strong anti- inflammatory. As with all wormwoods, it should be avoided by pregnant women.( 8 )
Foot Notes:
(1) Indian Uses Of Native Plants by Edith Murphy, page 46; Publisher: Meyerbooks, Copyright 1990, ISBN 0-916638-15-4
Foot Notes: (2, 6) http://www.wildflower.org/plants/result.php?id_plant=ARLU
Foot Notes: (3 , 5, 7) http://www.pfaf.org/user/Plant.aspx?LatinName=Artemisia%20ludoviciana
Foot Notes:
(4, 8) Medicinal Plants of the Mountain West Revised Expanded Edition by Michael Moore, pages 262-64, Publisher: New Mexico Press, copyright 2003, ISBN: 978-0-89013-454-2

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#110(d)
Common Name: Black Sagebrush (Artemisia nova)
Native American Name: Bahabe ( Smoky Valley Shonshone)
(1)
Appearance and Habitat:
A low-spreading, silvery shrub, 3-15 in. tall, with three-toothed, wedge-shaped leaves on dark-brown to black twigs. Appearing somewhat darker in appearance than related species because of sparser hairs on vegetation. The greenish-yellow flowers are not showy. Distribution: Arizona, California, Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Utah, and Wyoming.(2)Dry plains and hills from 1500 meters to 2400 meters. An evergreen Shrub growing to 0.5 m (1ft 8in). It is in leaf 12-Jan.(3)
Edible Uses: none(4)
Medicinal Uses: The leaves made a tea used by Native American physics. (5) A decoction of the leaves is used in the treatment of coughs, colds and headaches(6)
Foot Notes: (1, 5)   Indian Uses Of Native Plants by Edith Murphy, page 43; Publisher: Meyerbooks, Copyright 1990, ISBN 0-916638-15-4
Foot Notes: (2 ) http://www.wildflower.org/plants/result.php?id_plant=ARNO4
Foot Notes:
(3 , 4, 6) http://www.pfaf.org/user/Plant.aspx?LatinName=Artemisia%20nova
*************************
#110(e)
Common Name: Big Sagebrush, Great Basin Sagebrush, Chamiso Hediondo (Artemisia tridentata)
Native American Name: Sawabe (Paiute) (Shoshone), Sawak (Moapa Paiute)
(1)
Appearance and Habitat:
Big sagebrush or Great Basin sagebrush is an evergreen shrub, 1 1/2-9 ft. tall, with a gnarled spread somewhat less than its height. It may have a short trunk or be branched from the base. Small, velvety, silvery leaves have a sweet, pungent aroma and, en masse, give a bluish-gray effect. Big Sagebrush is the dominant shrub over vast areas of the Great Basin region. Several subspecies have been identified, all more or less similar to the typical form. Sagebrush is a valuable forage plant for wildlife, particularly during the winter. It is browsed by deer, moose, elk, antelope, and bighorn sheep, especially in late winter and spring. Sage grouse also feed heavily on sagebrush, which also provides nesting sites for a variety of songbirds. Even more nutritious than alfalfa, this shrub consists of 16 percent proteins, 15 percent fats, and 47 percent carbohydrates. Humans have used the plant primarily as firewood—the volatile oils responsible for its pungent aroma are so flammable that they can cause even green plants to burn.

(2) Dry plains and hills on calcareous soils. Found on slightly acid and on alkaline soils. In Western N. America – British Columbia to California and Mexico, east to Nebraska. An evergreen Shrub growing to 2.5 m (8ft 2in). It is hardy to zone 8 and is frost tender. It is in leaf 12-Jan It is in flower in October, and the seeds ripen from Oct to November. (3)Sagebrush is the dominant plant in those areas where it grows. It grows to 3 or 4 feet in most places and along washes, or in sheltered areas to 9 feet. The top of the plant is covered in small 3 toothed gray-green leaves and below are brittle woody branches. The flowers form on spikes, and the spikes length is determined by rainfall. Sagebrush and its varieties, might be the single most abundant shrub in North America. It grows where rainfall is 12 to 18 inches, covering high altitude valleys, dry mountain sides, and even coastal areas. It prefers neutral soil and was considered by early Americans as good places to farm.(4)
Edible Uses: Leaves – cooked. The subspecies A. tridentata vaseyana has a pleasant mint-like aroma whilst some other subspecies are very bitter and pungent. The leaves are used as a condiment and to make a tea. Seed – raw or cooked. Oily. It can be roasted then ground into a powder and mixed with water or eaten raw. The seed is very small and fiddly to use.
(5)
Medicinal Uses: Sage brush was widely employed by many native North American Indian tribes who used it to treat a wide range of disorders. It is little used in modern herbalism, though it certainly merits further investigation. The plant is antirheumatic, antiseptic, digestive, disinfectant, febrifuge, ophthalmic, poultice and sedative. A decoction of the leaves is used in the treatment of digestive disorders and sore throats. An infusion of the fresh or dried leaves is used to treat pneumonia, bad colds with coughing and bronchitis. It is used both internally and externally in the treatment of rheumatism. The crushed plant is used as a liniment on cuts, sores etc whilst a decoction of the leaves is used as an antiseptic wash for cuts, wounds and sores. A poultice of the steeped leaves is applied to sore eyes. The plant is burnt in the house in order to disinfect it.

(6)Leaves chewed to relieve indigestion. (7) Gather the leaving branches in late summer from large healthy plants. You can place them in a paper sack to dry. As with all varieties of Sagebrush, camphor is the main oil in the leaves. A pinch of the dried leaf in hot water can break a feverish sweat and is useful in the early stages of a viral infection. The leaf ground, mixed with hot water and plastered on the chest for bronchitis, or on wounds as a disinfectant, is very helpful. You can also make a acetum tincture by mixing 1 part dried leaves to 6 parts vinegar and allow it to sit for a week before straining out the leaves. This tincture can be applied on the head, chest, and back to loosen bronchial mucus or apply it to bruises, abrasions and rashes. It makes a nasty tasting tea, equal to chaparral, but a cold mix, with the leaves strained out is useful for impaired digestion with poor gum health, a coated tongue, and bad breath in the morning. If you can handle the tea, that is good, however it can force a gag reaction on continued use, but is useful in the early stages of any viral infection. You can also use the herb as an inhalant by boiling it in water. Inhaling the vapor from the pot is another way to use Sagebrush for pulmonary problems. Slow inhalation is a time-honored treatment for a sore throat. The aromatics are absorbed by the skin into the blood stream and exhaled through the lungs. New Mexico Spanish tradition holds that the same topical treatments are also helpful for rheumatoid arthritis brought on by a cold. As a topical it is also helpful when applied to arthritic joints, sprains, and other joint pain. Overall, the leafs are a good antibacterial and antifungal. Because it has a tendency to increase menstrual flow it is not advised for pregnant women in any form. ( 8 )
Foot Notes:
(1, 7) Indian Uses Of Native Plants by Edith Murphy, pages 45, 71; Publisher: Meyerbooks, Copyright 1990, ISBN 0-916638-15-4
Foot Notes: (2 )http://www.wildflower.org/plants/result.php?id_plant=ARTR2
Foot Notes:
(3 , 5, 6)http://www.pfaf.org/user/Plant.aspx?LatinName=Artemisia%20tridentata
Foot Notes:
(4, 8) Medicinal Plants of the Mountain West Revised Expanded Edition by Michael Moore, page 265-67, Publisher: New Mexico Press, copyright 2003, ISBN: 978-0-89013-454-2
*************************************
#110(f)
Common Name: California Mugwort, Douglas’ Sagewort
(Artemisia vulgaris var. douglasiana, )

Native American Name: Koe-wiup (Paiute), Pava hobe (Shoshone), Poonkinney (California tribe)
(1)
Appearance and Habitat: A stout perennial or herbaceous sub-shrub growing 2-3 ft. high and wide. The simple or branched stems bear aromatic, gray-green leaves. Leaf is lanceolate, flowers are white and bloom from June – Oct. Distribution: California, western Nevada, Oregon, Washington, and northern Idaho. Low waste places, stream banks, foothills to 6,000 feet.

(2)This wormwood is a colonial plant, forming stands of several hundreds of individuals, are connected by underground roots. By late summer it’s stalks are 3 to 7 feet tall. The leaves are lanced shaped, with the lower ones somewhat cleft. They are dark green in color, above, and silvery underneath. In fall the lower leaves become splotchy shades of silvery brown and red. The flowers grow on terminal small branches from the main branch and may be a foot in length. The flowers are typical of wormwoods. The stems are ridged for strength and the taller the plant the more pronounced the ridging. California Mugwort is found from northern Baja, northwards to Oregon (west side of Cascades), nearly all of California and the western edge of Nevada. It shows up in hybrid forms in Washington and Idaho as marginalized plants. It hybrids with ludoviciana in these areas and becomes furry on top of the leaf. The hybrids are rather mixed when it comes to constituents as A. californica is completely different than A. ludoviciana . California Mugwort is common in lower moist valleys, along lower mountain streams, but can occur to 6,000 feet.(3)
Edible Uses: no PFAP report
Medicinal Uses: Packets of steamed plants placed on limbs to reduce rheumatism, and a sweat bath given. Steeped leaves put next to a baby’s skin to reduce a fever. (4)In summer and early fall collect the above ground plant, discarding any leaves that have turned colors. Place the plants in a paper sack to dry, once they are dry remove the leaves but don’t crush them. Saving them whole will preserve the aromatics. The tea is very effective for chronic gastritis, colitis and gastric ulcers. The tea is best taken an hour before dinner and just before bed time. Use cold infusion for the stomach; one part plant to 32 parts water and let it sit together overnight. Sip it throughout the day when in pain. California Mugwort is also an antioxidant for reduction of fat metabolism and because of that it lessens strain on the liver and circulatory systems. The hot tea is an effective diaphoretic for breaking fevers, loosening mucus from the sinuses and lungs. The tea or acetum (vinegar) tincture can also be used as a liniment for sprains and bruises. Steep the leaves in apple cider vinegar for a week using 1 part leaves to 5 parts vinegar. Because the tea is antifungal and antimicrobial, it can be used in many ways as a first aid. The unopened flowers can be used to make a first aid salve. Make an extra strong tincture and mix it with Vaseline or melted bee’s wax.(5)
Foot Notes:
(1, 4) Indian Uses Of Native Plants by Edith Murphy, page 40, 43; Publisher: Meyerbooks, Copyright 1990, ISBN 0-916638-15-4
Foot Notes: (2 ) http://www.wildflower.org/plants/result.php?id_plant=ARDO3
Foot Notes:
(3 , 5, )Medicinal Plants of the Mountain West Revised Expanded Edition by Michael Moore, pages 259-262, Publisher: 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.

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  • Wild Edible and Medicinal Plants 169 – Willow (part 2) November 17, 2012
  • Wild Edible and Medicinal Plants # 169 Willow (Part 1) November 7, 2012
  • Wild Edible and Medicinal Plants #167-168 Corydalis – Ocotilla October 31, 2012
  • Wild Edible and Medicinal Plants # 165 -166 Hound’s Tongue/ Mistletoe October 21, 2012
  • Wild Edible and Medicinal Plants #163-164 Alfalfa-Figwort October 13, 2012
  • Wild Edible and Medicinal Plants 162 Poplar (part2) October 7, 2012
  • Wild Edible and Medicinal Plants # 162 Poplar (part 1) September 30, 2012
  • Wild Edible and Medicinal Plants #159 – 161 Water Cress/ Fleabane/ Syrian Rue September 23, 2012
  • Wild Edible and Medicinal Plants 158 – Sage (part2) September 18, 2012
  • Wild Edible and Medicinal Plants 158 Sage (part-1) September 11, 2012
  • Wild Edible and Medicinal Plants 156-157 Cleavers, Dandelion September 6, 2012
  • Wild Edible and Medicinal Plants 154-155 Pokeweed, Ground Ivy September 3, 2012
  • Wild Edible and Medicinal Plants 151-153 Ratany / Mexican Tea / Hollyhock August 29, 2012
  • Wild Edible and Medicinal Plants 149(Sup)-150 Gentian/Maidenhair Fern August 26, 2012
  • Wild Edible and Medicinal Plants 148 -149 Chicory-Gentian August 21, 2012
  • Wild Edible and Medicinal Plants 147 Onions/Leeks/Garlic (Part 3) August 17, 2012
  • Wild Edible and Medicinal Plants 147 Onion/Garlic/Leeks (part 2) August 12, 2012
  • Wild Edible and Medicinal Plants 147 – Onions/Leeks/Garlic (part 1) August 8, 2012
  • Wild Edible and Medical Plants 145 -146 Oregon Grape (part 2)- Pennyroyal August 1, 2012
  • Wild Edible and Medicinal Plants 145 – Oregon Grape-Barberry part 1 July 26, 2012
  • Wild Edible and Medicinal Plants 144 – 145 Self Heal/Clover July 22, 2012
  • Wild Edible and Medicinal Plants 142 -143 Russian Olive/Sheperd’s Purse July 14, 2012
  • Wild Edible and Medicinal Plants 140 -141 Buckthorn/Wild Grape July 10, 2012
  • Wild Edible and Medicinal Plants 138 – 139 Licorice/Cow Parsnip July 3, 2012
  • Wild Edible and Medicinal Plants 136-137 Bugleweed-Dodder June 28, 2012
  • Wild Edible and Medicinal Plants 134-135 Russian Thistle-Fireweed/Great Willow Herb June 23, 2012
  • Wild Edible and Medicinal Plants – 133 Hawthorn (part-2) June 20, 2012
  • Wild Edible and Medicinal Plants 133 Hawthorn (part 1) June 16, 2012
  • Wild Edible and Medicinal Plants 131- 132 Mullein/Cota June 11, 2012
  • Wild Edible and Medicial Plants 129-130 Jimson Weed/Bella-donna June 7, 2012
  • Wild Edible and Medicinal Plants -128 Oak (Part 3) June 3, 2012
  • Wild Edible and Medicinal Plants – 128 Oak (part-2) May 29, 2012
  • Wild Edible and Medicinal Plants 128 – Oak (part 1) May 25, 2012
  • Wild Edible and Medicinal Plants 126-27 Corydalis-Hops Tree May 21, 2012
  • Wild Edible and Medicinal Plants 123-125 Carveseed – Sedge – Maravilla May 16, 2012
  • Wild Edible and Medicinal Plants 121-122 Gromwell – Marsh Marigold May 13, 2012
  • Wild Edible and Medicial Plants 119-120 Firethorn-Strawberry May 9, 2012
  • Wild Edible and Medicinal Plants 118 – Bistort, Knotweed, Smartweed May 5, 2012
  • Wild Edible and Medicinal Plants 117 – Juniper April 29, 2012
  • Wild Edible and Medicinal Plants 115 – 116 Crabapples – Coral Root April 25, 2012
  • Wild Edible and Medicial Plants 113-114 False Solomon’s Seal/Nut Grass April 18, 2012
  • Wild Edible and Medicinal Plants 111-112 Cat’s Paw-Poleo Mint April 12, 2012
  • Wild Edible and Medicinal Plants 109-110 Catnip/Wormwood April 9, 2012
  • Wild Edible and Medicinal Plants 107/108 – Grindelia/Chaparral April 3, 2012
  • Wild Edible and Medicinal Plants 105-106 Potentilla – Puncture Vine March 30, 2012
  • Wild Edible and Medicinal Plants 103-104/ Borage – Osha March 25, 2012
  • Wild Edible and Medicinal Plants #101-102 Burdock – Cocklebur March 20, 2012
  • Wild Edible and Medicial Plants #100 – Yucca March 16, 2012
  • Wild Edible and Medicinal Plants – #98/99 Pine (Pt 3) – Sweetclover March 12, 2012

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