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Wild Edible and Medicinal Plants

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Wild Edible and Medicinal Plants #159 – 161 Water Cress/ Fleabane/ Syrian Rue

23 Sunday Sep 2012

Posted by eowyndbh in Uncategorized

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African Rue, Daisy Fleabane, Eastern Daisy Fleabane, edible fleabane, Erigeron annuus, Erigeron aphanactis, Erigeron philadelphicus, field craft, field medicine, home remedies, increase pulse strength, militia supply, Nasturtium officinale, Native American culture, native american medicine, Peganum harmala, preppers plants, remove tapeworms, Soma, treat baldness, treat chronic diarrhea, treat depression, treat eczematous, treat encephalitis, treat epilepsy, treat glandular tumors, treat gonorrhea, treat gout, treat headaches, treat hemorrhoids, treat high blood pressure, treat lymphatic swellings, treat menstrual problems, treat psoriasis, treat rheumatism, treat TB, treatment for brain swellings, treatment for dandruff, treatment for depression, treatment of glandular tumours, treatment of rheumatism, treatment of TB

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. ) 
#159
Common Name: Water Cress
Latin Name:
Nasturtium officinale
Family: Brassicaceae
Range:
http://plants.usda.gov/java/profile?symbol=NAOF
All states, except Hawaii and N. Dakota; In Canada; British Columbia to Quebec, plus New Brunswick and Nova Scotia.
Photos: Here
Appearance and Habitat:
Introduced and naturalized. An erect or spreading, perennial, 4″-18″ tall, emergent aquatic, sometimes evergreen, forming large, tangled wintergreen masses; stems spreading; rooting from the lower nodes. The flower is white, 4-parted, 1/5″ wide, petals 2 times longer than the sepals; inflorescence a cluster (raceme) of stalked flowers from the ends of the shoots; blooms May-Oct. The leaf is pinnately-divided into 3-9 rounded leaflets with the end one longest. Found in sun; streams, springs, cold water; in limy, sedimentary, gravelly soil.(1)  Streams margins, ditches, flushes ect. with moving water, usually in chalk or limestone areas. Europe, including Britain, from Denmark south and east to N. Africa and W. Asia. A perennial growing to 0.5 m (1ft 8in) by 1 m (3ft 3in). It is hardy to zone 6 and is not frost tender. It is in flower from May to October, and the seeds ripen from Jul to October.(2)
Warnings: Whilst the plant is very wholesome and nutritious, some care should be taken if harvesting it from the wild. Any plants growing in water that drains from fields where animals, particularly sheep, graze should not be used raw. This is due to the risk of it being infested with the liver fluke parasite. Cooking the leaves, however, will destroy any parasites and render the plant perfectly safe to eat. May inhabit the metabolism of paracetamol.(3)
Edible Uses: Leaves – raw or cooked. Water cress is mainly used as a garnish or as an addition to salads, the flavour is strong with a characteristic hotnes. It has a reputation as a spring tonic, and this is its main season of use, though it can be harvested for most of the year and can give 10 pickings annually. Some caution is advised if gathering the plant from the wild, see the notes above on toxicity. The leaves are exceptionally rich in vitamins and minerals, especially iron. A nutritional analysis is available. The seed can be sprouted and eaten in salads. A hot mustardy flavour. The seed is ground into a powder and used as a mustard. The pungency of mustard develops when cold water is added to the ground-up seed – an enzyme (myrosin) acts on a glycoside (sinigrin) to produce a sulphur compound. The reaction takes 10 – 15 minutes. Mixing with hot water or vinegar, or adding salt, inhibits the enzyme and produces a mild but bitter mustard.
(4)(Good break down on composition at the website.)
Medicinal Uses : Watercress is very rich in vitamins and minerals, and has long been valued as a food and medicinal plant. Considered a cleansing herb, its high content of vitamin C makes it a remedy that is particularly valuable for chronic illnesses. The leaves are antiscorbutic, depurative, diuretic, expectorant, purgative, hypoglycaemic, odontalgic, stimulant and stomachic. The plant has been used as a specific in the treatment of TB. The freshly pressed juice has been used internally and externally in the treatment of chest and kidney complaints, chronic irritations and inflammations of the skin etc. Applied externally, it has a long-standing reputation as an effective hair tonic, helping to promote the growth of thick hair. A poultice of the leaves is said to be an effective treatment for healing glandular tumours or lymphatic swellings. Some caution is advised, excessive use of the plant can lead to stomach upsets. The leaves can be harvested almost throughout the year and are used fresh.
(5)
Foot Notes: (1)http://wisplants.uwsp.edu/scripts/detail.asp?SpCode=NASOFF

Foot Notes: (2, 3, 4, 5 )http://www.pfaf.org/user/Plant.aspx?LatinName=Nasturtium+officinale

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#160
Common Name: Daisy Fleabane, Rayless Shaggy Fleabane, Philadelphia Fleabane
Latin Name:
Erigeron annuus, E. aphanactis, E. philadelphicus
Family: Asteraceae
Range:
http://plants.usda.gov/java/profile?symbol=eran
 All of the lower 48 States, except Montana, Wyoming, Colorado, Nevada and Arizona; In Canada; British Columbia to Quebec, Newfoundland, New Brunswick and Nova Scotia. (Erigeron annuus)
http://plants.usda.gov/java/profile?symbol=ERAPA2 Oregon, California, Nevada, Idaho, Utah, Arizona, Colorado and New Mexico. (Erigeron aphanactis)
http://plants.usda.gov/java/profile?symbol=erph All of the lower 48 States, except Utah and Arizona; All of Canada except Nunavut and Labrador. (Erigeron philadelphicus)
Photos : (Click on Latin name after common name )

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#160 (a)
Common Name: Daisy Fleabane, Eastern Daisy Fleabane, Annual Fleabane (Erigeron annuus)
Appearance and Habitat:
An erect stem covered with spreading hairs bears flower heads with 40 or more tightly packed white to pale pink ray flowers surrounding the central yellow disk flowers.
(1)   An erect native , 2′-4′ tall forb with dense foliage; stems with long spreading hairs. The flower has a head 1/2″ – 3/4″ wide with 80-125 white to pinkish rays up to 1/3″ long, disks yellow and flat; inflorescence of several to many heads; blooms June-Sept. The seeds are dry fluffy pappus. The leaves are described as, basal leaves elliptical and coarsely toothed, stem leaves widely lance-like, usually sharply toothed, and not clasping. It is found in disturbed areas.(2)   Fields and waste places. Prairies and open ground in various soil types in Texas. North America, naturalized in C. Europe. It is hardy to zone 3.(3)
Warnings: None.
(4)
Edible Uses:Young plant – boiled.
(5)
Medicinal Uses :None.(6)
Foot Notes: (1)http://www.wildflower.org/plants/result.php?id_plant=ERAN

Foot Notes: (2)http://wisplants.uwsp.edu/scripts/detail.asp?SpCode=ERIANN
Foot Notes: ( 3, 4, 5, 6 ) http://www.pfaf.org/user/Plant.aspx?LatinName=Erigeron+annuus
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#160 (b)
Common Name: Shaggy Rayless Fleabane (Erigeron aphanactis)
Native American Name:
Ah gwe shuh(Shoshone)
Appearance and Habitat:
No information other than photos.
Edible Uses: Tea from plant
Medicinal Uses : A dwarf yellow aster, used at Owyhee as a cure for gonorrhea. The tea from the whole plant ws used.

Indian Uses of Native Plants by Edith Van Murphy, page 47, Publisher: Meyerbooks, Copyright 1990, ISBN 0-96638-15-4
******************************
#160 (c)
Common Name: Philadelphia Fleabane, Fleabane Daisy, Marsh Fleabane (Erigeron philadelphicus)
Appearance and Habitat:
The fleabane daisy grows along roadsides and in fields and woodlands. It has more than 150 threadlike, white ray flowers. The center, disk flowers are 5-toothed and yellow, and there are many flower heads to each much-branched stem. The yellow center with the large number of very fine ray flowers is the best identification. They are much finer than those of other daisies or asters. Flower heads are 1/2-3/4 inch across. The geneus name, from Greek eri (early) and geron (old man), presumably refers to the fact that the plant flowers early and has a hoary down suggesting an old mans beard. Robins Plaintain (E. pulchellus) is slightly shorter and has fewer, but larger, lilac or violet flower heads, as well as stem leaves that are sparse and stalkless but do not clasp the stem; it is insect-pollinated and also spreads actively by runners.
(1)  An erect, biennial/perennial, 4″-36″ tall forb usually with long, spreading hairs. The flower head is 1/2′ – 3/4″ wide, 150-400 pink to white rays up to 1/3″ long, disks yellow and flat; inflorescence of usually more than 9 heads per cluster; blooms May-Aug. The fruit from the flowers, dry seed on fluffy pappus. It has basal leaves toothed, narrowly-oblong with a rounded tipped; stem leaves clasping. Found in wet areas, woods, shores, meadows. (2)   Thickets, fields, and woods in low prairies and streambanks, often on calcareous clays; in N. America – Labrador to British Columbia, south to Florida and California. A biennial/perennial growing to 0.7 m (2ft 4in) by 0.3 m (1ft). It is hardy to zone 2. It is in flower from Jul to August.(3)
Warnings: Contact with plant can cause dermatitis in sensitive people.
(4)
Edible Uses: None.
(5)
Medicinal Uses : A tea made from the plant is astringent, diaphoretic, diuretic and emmenagogue. It is used in the treatment of chronic diarrhoea, gout, gravel, epilepsy and menstrual problems. A poultice of the plant is used to treat headaches and is also applied to sores. It should not be taken by pregnant women since it can induce a miscarriage. A snuff made from the powdered florets is used to make a person with catarrh sneeze.
(6)
Foot Notes: (1) http://www.wildflower.org/plants/result.php?id_plant=ERPH

Foot Notes: (2) http://wisplants.uwsp.edu/scripts/detail.asp?SpCode=ERIPHI

Foot Notes: ( 3, 4, 5, 6 ) http://www.pfaf.org/user/Plant.aspx?LatinName=Erigeron+philadelphicus
********************************************
#161
Common Name: Syrian Rue, African Rue, Soma
Latin Name:
Peganum harmala
Family: Zygophyllaceae
Range: http://plants.usda.gov/java/profile?symbol=PEHA
Montana, Washington, Oregon, California, Nevada, Arizona, New Mexico and Texas.
Photos : Here
Appearance and Habitat: A native of northern India, Afghanistan and southern Russia that began growing in this country in 1930. Originally found near Fallon, Nevada and Deming, New Mexico; it has now spread to other states. It is found mostly on secondary dirt roads and paved roads. In grows in lower canyons, alluvial flats and grazing lands. In the past there have been eradication efforts because the plant is poisonous to sheep. The plant is bright green, composed of many 1 1/2 to 2 1/2 foot tall basal leaves that are theady in appearance. Through the warmer months it has 5 petaled flowers that grow from the leaf axils. The flowers mature into round hollow capsules which contain many small, angular seeds. Brown capsules are resent products, but turn grey in subsequent years. The root is grey-brown, pithy, with yellow heart-wood and is rather hard to dig up.(1)   Dry steppes, especially where grazing is heavy, and dry waste places. It is often found in saline soils. Europe – Mediterranean and southeastern Europe is its range. A perennial, growing to 0.6 m (2ft) by 0.5 m (1ft 8in). It is hardy to zone 8. The seeds ripen in September. It cannot grow in the shade.(2)
Warnings: Use with caution. Although the seed is used medicinally and as a condiment, it does contain hallucinogenic and narcotic alkaloids. When taken is excess it causes hallucinations and vomiting.(3)
Edible Uses:Seed – used as a spice and purifying agent. Some caution is advised because the seed has narcotic properties, inducing a sense of euphoria and releasing inhibitions. An edible oil is obtained from the seed.(4)
Medicinal Uses :Alterative. The fruit and seed are digestive, diuretic, hallucinogenic, narcotic and uterine stimulant. They are taken internally in the treatment of stomach complaints, urinary and sexual disorders, epilepsy, menstrual problems, mental and nervous illnesses. The seed has also been used as an anthelmintic in order to rid the body of tapeworms. This remedy should be used with caution and preferably under the guidance of a qualified practitioner since excessive doses cause vomiting and hallucinations. The seeds contain the substance ‘harmine’ which is being used in research into mental disease, encephalitis and inflammation of the brain. Small quantities stimulate the brain and are said to be therapeutic, but in excess harmine depresses the central nervous system. A crude preparation of the seed is more effective than an extract because of the presence of related indoles. Consumption of the seed in quantity induces a sense of euphoria and releases inhibitions. It has been used in the past as a truth drug. The oil obtained from the seed is said to be aphrodisiac. The oil is also said to have galactogogue, ophthalmic, soporific and vermifuge properties. The seed is used externally in the treatment of haemorrhoids and baldness. The whole plant is said to be abortifacient, aphrodisiac, emmenagogue and galactogogue. A decoction of the leaves is used in the treatment of rheumatism. The root has been used as a parasiticide in order to kill body lice. It is also used internally in the treatment of rheumatism and nervous conditions.(5)  The root and seeds remain stable for years and make good medicine, while the foliage is useful for only a year. Recent Russian studies have verified many of the folk remedies. The plant is useful for treating skin conditions such as eczematous, exfoliative dermatitis and psoriasis. They respond well to an external wash of the seed tincture or root tincture or tea. The herb tea is an excellent hair and scalp treatment for dandruff, using it after a shampoo, but tends to make the hair stiff. The seeds in tincture (40 drops), or in a #00 capsule will treat depression and make a good anti-depressant. It won’t help with manic depression however. The seed tincture has cardiovascular effects as well, it increases the force of the pulse and aortal flow, while decreasing the pulse rate. It treats high blood pressure in this fashion. The dry herb can be used as a tea or tincture. For the tea, boil 32 parts water to 1 part dried herb (by weight), remove from the heat source and allow it to sit for up to an hour, strain out the plant and return the water to the original level. For the plant tincture or seed tincture (grind seeds) use part dried plant to 5 parts of 50% vodka, place in a jar and shake daily for a week. For the root tincture, follow the same procedure but use 60% vodka at a rate of 1 part dried root to 5 parts vodka. Ingesting up to a dozen capsules of the seed will cause hallucinations.(6)
Other Uses :A red dye is obtained from the seed. It is widely used in Western Asia, especially as a colouring for carpets. The ripe seed contains 3.8 – 5.8% of the alkaloids harmine, harmaline, harmalol and peganine. Ineffective as a contact poison, they are active in vapour form where they are effective against algae, in higher concentrations to water animals and lethal to moulds, bacteria and intestinal parasites. The seed is used as an incense.(7)
Foot Notes: (1, 6 ) Medicinal Plants of the Desert and Canyon West by Michael Moore, pages 120-121, Publisher: Museum of New Mexico Press, Copyright 1989, ISBN 0-80913-182-1
Foot Notes: (2, 3, 4, 5, 7 ) http://www.pfaf.org/user/Plant.aspx?LatinName=Peganum+harmala

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 – 128 Oak (part-2)

29 Tuesday May 2012

Posted by eowyndbh in Uncategorized

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Tags

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

Medical disclaimer: always check with a physician before consuming wild plants, and make positive identification in the field using a good source such as Medicinal Plants of the Mountain West.  Michael Moore also has a glossary of medical terms in his books, and maps in later editions. ) 
Range: http://plants.usda.gov/java/profile?symbol=QUERC Main data base
http://plants.usda.gov/java/profile?symbol=QUKE California and Oregon (Quercus kelloggii)
http://plants.usda.gov/java/profile?symbol=QULA2 Coastal states – Louisiana to Virginia (Quercus laevis)
http://plants.usda.gov/java/profile?symbol=QULO California (Quercus lobata)
http://plants.usda.gov/java/profile?symbol=QUMA2 All states east of the Mississippi R. except N. and S. Carolina, Georgia and Florida, all states along the west bank of the Mississippi, plus North Dakota to Texas, Montana, Wyoming and New Mexico; In Canada; Alberta to Quebec and New Brunswick (Quercus macrocarpa)
http://plants.usda.gov/java/profile?symbol=QUMA3 New York south to Florida, Indiana/Illinois south to Mississippi/Alabama, Iowa south to Louisiana, Nebraska south to Texas (Quercus marilandica)
http://plants.usda.gov/java/profile?symbol=QUMI New Jersey, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia south to Florida, Illinois/Indiana south to Mississippi/Alabama, Missouri south to Louisiana, Oklahoma and Texas (Quercus michauxii)
http://plants.usda.gov/java/profile?symbol=QUMU All States east of the Mississippi R. except New Hampshire and Maine; all States on the west bank of the Mississippi R., plus Nebraska to Texas and New Mexico; In Canada; Ontario (Quercus muehlenbergii)
http://plants.usda.gov/java/profile?symbol=QUNI New Jersey, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia south to Florida, Illinios/Kentucky south to Mississippi/Alabama, Missouri south to Louisiana, Oklahoma and Texas (Quercus nigra)
http://plants.usda.gov/java/profile?symbol=QUOB Texas, New Mexico, Arizona and south to Mexico (Quercus oblongifolia)
http://plants.usda.gov/java/profile?symbol=QUPA2 All states east of the Mississippi R. except Florida, Alabama, South Carolina, Vermont and New Hampshire, Plus Iowa to Arkansas and Nebraska to Oklahoma; In Canada; Ontario (Quercus palustris)
http://plants.usda.gov/java/profile?symbol=QUPR All States east of the Mississippi R. except Ohio, South Carolina and Florida, all States on the west bank of the Mississippi R. plus Nebraska to Oklahoma; In Canada; Ontario (Quercus prinoides)
http://plants.usda.gov/java/profile?symbol=QUPR2 All States east of the Mississippi R. except Wisonsin and Florida, plus Louisiana (Quercus prinus)
Photos: (Click on Latin Name after Common Name.) 
Warnings: None
#128 (k)
Common Name: California Black Oak (Quercus kelloggii)

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

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

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

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

Appearance and Habitat: A small to medium-sized oak, 30-50ft, with bristle-lobed leaves that are shiny on top & rusty-yellow beneath. The short nearly black trunks divide into many dense, contorted limbs, bark dark, furrowed; dead branches persistant. Leaf blades wedge shaped (obdeltoid – obovate) with a narrow, rounded base and broadening toward the tip. Blades shallowly lobed with usually an apical and 2 lateral lobes bearing bristlelike extensions (awns) of the main vein. Foliage glossy dark green turns red in fall and persists into winter. Acorn elliptic, broadly rounded at the apex and base, up to 3/4 inch long when mature; cap covering 1/2 the nut. This oak sometimes grows in colonies. GROWTH FORM: small to medium sized tree usually between 15 – 45 feet (4.6 – 19.8 m), occasionally to 95 feet (28.9 m), with an open irregular spreading crown of crooked branches and some dead twigs, slow growing and short lived. BARK: thick rough bark, nearly black, with deep furrows, mature bark forming irregular or rectangular plates, orange inner bark. TWIGS and BUDS: light brown twigs, finely pubescent; narrowly ovoid pointed buds, reddish-brown pubescent scales, 5-angled in cross section. LEAVES: pubescent petiole 1⁄4 – 3⁄4 inch (6 – 19 mm) long; leaf broadly triangular and widest near tip, 2 3⁄4 – 8 inches (70 – 203 mm) long, 2 3⁄4 – 8 inches (70 – 203 mm) wide, leathery, base rounded, thickened blade with 3 – 5 broad lobes, with 1 – 3 bristle- tipped teeth, apex obtuse; glossy yellowish-green above, pale green with dense brown pubescence (scurfy) below, secondary veins raised on both surfaces. (1) Dry siliceous or argillaceous barrens and sterile woods in Central and South-eastern N. America – New York to Florida, west to Iowa and Texas. It is hardy to zone 5 and is not frost tender. It is in flower from Apr to May, and the seeds ripen in October.(2)
Edible Uses: Seed – cooked. Used in times of scarcity. The seed is about 2cm long, it can be dried, ground into a powder and used as a thickening in stews etc or mixed with cereals for making bread. The seed contains bitter tannins, these can be leached out by thoroughly washing the seed in running water though many minerals will also be lost. Either the whole seed can be used or the seed can be dried and ground it into a powder. It can take several days or even weeks to properly leach whole seeds, one method was to wrap them in a cloth bag and place them in a stream. Leaching the powder is quicker. The roasted seed is a coffee substitute.(3)
Medicinal Uses: An infusion of the tree bark coal has been taken to ease childbirth, remove the afterbirth and ease cramps. Any galls produced on the tree are strongly astringent and can be used in the treatment of haemorrhages, chronic diarrhoea, dysentery etc.  
(4)
Foot Notes:
(1)http://www.wildflower.org/plants/result.php?id_plant=QUMA3
Foot Notes:
(2, 3, 4)http://www.pfaf.org/user/Plant.aspx?LatinName=Quercus+marilandica
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#128 (p)
Common Name: Swamp Chestnut Oak, Basket Oak, Cow Oak (Quercus michauxii)

Appearance and Habitat: A 60-100 ft. oak with tight, narrow crown very high on the massive trunk. Bark is light gray. The shiny, oval unlobed leaves have large, r9unded teeth and turn yellow to vibrant red in the fall. Large tree with compact, rounded crown and chestnutlike foliage. GROWTH FORM: large tree growing to 48 – 100 feet (15 – 30.5 m), occasionally to 155 feet (47.2 m), with a compact rounded crown and chestnut like foliage, often with a limbless trunk to 40 feet (12.2 m). BARK: light gray, rough, flaky ridges. TWIGS and BUDS: juvenile growth is green, progressing to brown during the first winter and turning gray during second year; ovoid, reddish-brown bud, apex may be blunt or pointed, sparsely pubescent scales. LEAVES: short petriole 1⁄4 – 3⁄4 inch (6 – 19 mm) long; obobate leaves widest beyond the middle, 2 3⁄4 – 11 inches (70 – 279 mm) long, 2 – 7 inches (51 – 178 mm) wide, wavy margin with 9 – 14 pair of rounded teeth, base acuminate, apex broadly rounded with an abruptly pointed tip; shiny dark green above, grayish-green with dense pubescence (felty to the touch) below. Called Basket Oak because baskets were woven from fibers and splints obtained by splitting the wood. These strong containers were used to carry cotton from the fields. The sweetish acorns can be eaten raw, without boiling. Cows consume the acorns, hence the name Cow Oak. (1) Inundated bottoms, stream borders and swamps in South-eastern N. America – Delaware to Indiana, Missouri, Florida and Texas. A deciduous tree growing to 30 m (98ft 5in). It is hardy to zone 6 and is not frost tender (2) .
Edible Uses: Seed – cooked. The seed is large, up to 35mm long and 30mm wide, but contains bitter tannins. Other reports say that the acorns are sweet and edible. The seed can be roasted then dried, ground into a powder and used as a thickening in stews etc or mixed with cereals for making bread. The bitter tannins can be leached out by thoroughly washing the seed in running water though many minerals will also be lost. Either the whole seed can be used or the seed can be dried and ground it into a powder. The roasted seed is a coffee substitute. (3)
Medicinal Uses: Any galls produced on the tree are strongly astringent and can be used in the treatment of haemorrhages, chronic diarrhoea, dysentery etc. 
(4)
Foot Notes:
(1)http://www.wildflower.org/plants/result.php?id_plant=QUMI
Foot Notes:
(2, 3, 4)http://www.pfaf.org/user/Plant.aspx?LatinName=Quercus+michauxii
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#128 (q)
Common Name: Chinkapin Oak, Chestnut Oak, Yellow Oak, Rock Oak, (Quercus muelenbergii)

Appearance and Habitat: A tree with light gray platy or scaly bark and smooth, gray twigs changing to brown on the current year’s leaf-bearing growth. Leaves up to 8 inches long and 4 1/2 inches wide with their widest part nearer the apex than the base. Larger leaves broadly rounded from the widest part to the apex and tapered to the base, the smaller ones narrower, leaf margins shallowly lobed or coarsely toothed, each lobe or tooth with a minute tip; the upper surface smooth, with a sheen, the lower surface dull. Flowers inconspicuous in narrow clusters. Fruit an acorn up to 1 inch long and 3/4 inch wide. (1) Dry calcareous slopes and ridges, or on rich bottoms. Well drained uplands, favouring limestone soils and avoiding acid soils in Eastern N. America – Vermont and Ontario to Minnesota, Nebraska, Alabama and Texas. A deciduous tree growing to 20 m (65ft) by 10 m (32ft) at a medium rate. It is hardy to zone 4 and is not frost tender. It is in flower from May to June, and the seeds ripen in November.(2)
Edible Uses: Seed – cooked. It is up to 18mm long. The seed contains very little bitter tannin, it is quite sweet and rather pleasant eating. Tastes nice when baked in an oven. Any bitter seeds can be leached by thoroughly washing the seed in running water though many minerals will also be lost. Either the whole seed can be used or the seed can be dried and ground it into a powder. It can take several days or even weeks to properly leach whole seeds, one method was to wrap them in a cloth bag and place them in a stream. Leaching the powder is quicker. A simple taste test can tell when the tannin has been leached. Roasted seed is a coffee substitute. (3)
Medicinal Uses: An infusion of the bark has been used in the treatment of vomiting. Any galls produced on the tree are strongly astringent and can be used in the treatment of haemorrhages, chronic diarrhoea, dysentery etc. 
(4)
Foot Notes:
(1)http://www.wildflower.org/plants/result.php?id_plant=QUMU
Foot Notes:
(2, 3, 4)http://www.pfaf.org/user/Plant.aspx?LatinName=Quercus+muehlenbergii
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#128 (r)
Common Name: Water Oak (Quercus nigra) Appearance and Habitat: Water oak is a conical to round-topped tree, 50-100 ft. tall, with thick, leathery, leaves that are semi-evergreen in the warmer parts of its range. The shiny, dark-green leaves are wedge-shaped and may have lobes at the tips. Foliage becomes yellow in fall. Tree with conical or rounded crown of slender branches, and fine textured foliage of small leaves.
(1) Dry woods or borders of streams and bottomlands. The best specimens are found in well-drained, silty clay or loamy soils. South-eastern N. America -New Jersey to Florida, west to Oklahoma. A deciduous tree growing to 20 m (65ft) by 8 m (26ft). It is hardy to zone 6 and is not frost tender. It is in flower from Apr to May, and the seeds ripen in October.(2)
Edible Uses: Seed – cooked. A staple food for some native North American Indian tribes. The seed is about 15cm long and wide, it can be dried, ground into a powder and used as a thickening in stews etc or mixed with cereals for making bread. The seed contains bitter tannins, these can be leached out by thoroughly washing the seed in running water though many minerals will also be lost. Either the whole seed can be used or the seed can be dried and ground it into a powder. It can take several days or even weeks to properly leach whole seeds, one method was to wrap them in a cloth bag and place them in a stream. Leaching the powder is quicker. A simple taste test can tell when the tannin has been leached. The roasted seed is a coffee substitute.
(3)
Medicinal Uses: Any galls produced on the tree are strongly astringent and can be used in the treatment of haemorrhages, chronic diarrhoea, dysentery etc. 
(4) 
Foot Notes:
(1)http://www.wildflower.org/plants/result.php?id_plant=QUNI
Foot Notes:
(2, 3, 4)http://www.pfaf.org/user/Plant.aspx?LatinName=Quercus+nigra

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#128 (s)
Common Name: Mexican Blue Oak (Quercus oblongifolia)

Appearance and Habitat: Small evergreen tree with many branches and a spreading, rounded crown of bluish foliage; or a shrub. This handsome small oak is limited to the Mexican border region. It is recognized by its light gray, checkered bark and small, blue-green, hairless leaves without teeth. Deer browse the foliage.

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

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

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#128 (u)
Common Name: Dwarf Chinkapin Oak (Quercus prinoides)

Appearance and Habitat: Growth Form: rhizomatous shrub or a small tree to 25 feet (7.6 m). BARK: thin gray bark with furrows and scaly ridges. TWIGS and BUDS: grayish twigs, broadly rounded bud brown to chestnut-brown with a blunt apex, scales have some pubescence. LEAVES: shortpetiole 1/4 – 5/8 inch (6 – 16 mm); leathery leaves are obovate, 1 1/2 – 5 1/2 inches (38 – 140 mm), 3/4 – 2 1/2 inches (19 – 63 mm), margin undulate or toothed with 3 – 8 pair of short rounded teeth, base cuneate, apex rounded; shiny dark green above, light green below with slight pubescence. ACORNS: annual; 1 – 2 acorns on peduncle up to 3/8 inch (10 mm), thin cup with short gray pubescent scales, covering up to 1/3 of nut; oblong to oval light brown nut, up to 3/4 inch (19 mm) long. Dwarf Chinkapin oak can produce acorns at 3 – 5 years. The largest known dwarf chinkapin oak is growing in Richardson County, Nebraska.(1) Sunny sites, often in rocky or acid sandy soils on dry plains, rocks, thickets and woodland edges in Eastern and Central N. America – Maine to Minnesota, south to Alabama and Texas. A deciduous shrub growing to 4 m (13ft 1in). It is hardy to zone 5 and is not frost tender. It is in flower from Apr to May, and the seeds ripen in October.(2)
Edible Uses: Seed – cooked. A sweet taste. The seed is up to 15mm long, it can be dried, ground into a powder and used as a thickening in stews etc or mixed with cereals for making bread. The seed might contain bitter tannins, these can be leached out by thoroughly washing the seed in running water though many minerals will also be lost. Either the whole seed can be used or the seed can be dried and ground it into a powder. It can take several days or even weeks to properly leach whole seeds, one method was to wrap them in a cloth bag and place them in a stream. Leaching the powder is quicker. A simple taste test can tell when the tannin has been leached.  The roasted seed is also a coffee substitute.(3)
Medicinal Uses: Any galls produced on the tree are strongly astringent and can be used in the treatment of haemorrhages, chronic diarrhoea, dysentery etc.
(4)
Foot Notes:
(1)http://www.wildflower.org/plants/result.php?id_plant=QUPR
Foot Notes:
(2, 3, 4)http://www.pfaf.org/user/Plant.aspx?LatinName=Quercus+prinoides
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#128 (v)
Common Name: Chestnut Oak, Rock Chestnut Oak, Mountain Chestnut Oak, Tanbark Oak (Quercus prinus)

Appearance and Habitat: A medium to large tree, 65 – 145 feet (19.8 – 44.2 m), broad open and irregular crown, chestnut like foliage. BARK: dark reddish- brown to dark gray, mature bark with deep v-shaped furrows producing broad ridges. TWIGS and BUDS: stout twigs, dark green to reddish-brown; light brown to reddish-brown ovoid bud, pointed apex, bud scales may have slight pubescence. LEAVES: yellow petiole 3⁄8 – 1 1⁄4 inches (10 – 32 mm) long; leaf blade obovate, 4 3⁄4 – 8 inches (121 – 203 mm) long, 2 3⁄8 – 4 inches (60 – 101 mm) wide, margins have 10 – 14 rounded teeth, base subacute, apex broadly acuminate; thick firm blade, shiny dark yellowish-green above, light green with slight pubescence along veins below.(1) Dry or rocky woods, mainly on siliceous soils and on the borders of streams. The best specimens are found on deep rich well-drained soils. Eastern N. America – Maine to Georgia and Alabama. A deciduous tree growing to 20 m (65ft 7in) at a slow rate. It is hardy to zone 5. It is in flower in May, and the seeds ripen in October.(2)
Edible Uses: Seed – raw or cooked. Somewhat sweet according to some reports whilst another says that it contains bitter tannin. The seed is quite large, up to 4cm long and 25mm wide. It can be dried, ground into a powder and used as a thickening in stews etc or mixed with cereals for making bread. If the seed contains bitter tannins, these can be leached out by thoroughly washing the seed in running water though many minerals will also be lost. Either the whole seed can be used or the seed can be dried and ground it into a powder. It can take several days or even weeks to properly leach whole seeds, one method was to wrap them in a cloth bag and place them in a stream. Leaching the powder is quicker. A simple taste test can tell when the tannin has been leached. The roasted seed is a coffee substitute.(3)
Medicinal Uses: Any galls produced on the tree are strongly astringent and can be used in the treatment of haemorrhages, chronic diarrhoea, dysentery etc. 
(4)
Foot Notes:
(1)http://www.wildflower.org/plants/result.php?id_plant=QUPR2
Foot Notes:
(2, 3, 4)http://www.pfaf.org/user/Plant.aspx?LatinName=Quercus+prinus

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

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Wild Edible and Medicinal Plants 128 – Oak (part 1)

25 Friday May 2012

Posted by eowyndbh in Uncategorized

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

acorns, coffee substitute, edible acorns, field craft, field medicine, home remedies, militia supply, Native American culture, Native American food, natural analgesic, natural astringent, natural cathartic, natural vaginal douche, plants for survival, prepper plants, Quercus alba, Quercus bicolor, Quercus coccinea, Quercus durata, Quercus emoryi, Quercus epillsoidalis, Quercus falcata, Quercus gambelii, Quercus garryana, Quercus imbricaria, teat sores, treat chapped skin, treat chronic diarrhea, treat dysentery, treat hemorrhages, treat tuberculosis, treatment for child birth, treatment for hemorrhage, treatment for mouth sores, treatment for tuberculosis

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. ) 
#128 (part 1)
Common Name: Oak
Latin Name: Quercus spp.
Family: Fagacae
Range: http://plants.usda.gov/java/profile?symbol=QUERC 
Main Database-All States but Idaho and Alaska; In Canada; British Columbia to Quebec.

http://plants.usda.gov/java/profile?symbol=QUALAll States east of the Mississippi R. and all along the west bank, plus Nebraska, Kansas, Oklahoma and Texas; In Canada; Ontario and Quebec (Quercus alba)
http://plants.usda.gov/java/profile?symbol=QUBIAll States north of the Ohio R. extenting to Maine, plus Minnesota, Iowa, Missouri, Kentucky, Tennessee, W. Virginia, Virginia, Maryland, N. and S. Carolina and Alabama; In Canada; Ontario, Quebec and Nova Scotia (Quercus bicolor)
http://plants.usda.gov/java/profile?symbol=QUCO2All States east of the Mississippi R., except Florida, plus Missouri, Arkansas and Louisiana (Quercus coccinea)
http://plants.usda.gov/java/nameSearch?mode=sciname&keywordquery=Quercus+durata+var.+gabrielensis California (Quercus durata)
http://plants.usda.gov/java/profile?symbol=QUELNorth Dakota, Minnesota, Iowa, Missouri, Wisconsin, Michigan, Illinois, Indiana and Ohio; In Canada; Ontario (Quercus epillsoidalis)
http://plants.usda.gov/java/profile?symbol=QUEM Texas, New Mexico and Arizona (Quercus emoryi)
http://plants.usda.gov/java/profile?symbol=QUFA All states east of the Mississippi R. and south of the Ohio R., plus Texas, Okalhoma, Arkansas, Louisiana, Missouri, Illinois, Indiana, Pennslyvania/New Jersey and south. (Quercus falcata)
http://plants.usda.gov/java/profile?symbol=QUGA South Dakota, Wyoming, Nevada, Utah, Colorado, Arizona, New Mexico, Texas and Oklahoma (Quercus gambelii)
http://plants.usda.gov/java/profile?symbol=QUGA4 California, Oregon and Washington; In Canada; British Columbia (Quercus garryana)
http://plants.usda.gov/java/profile?symbol=QUIMAll States east of the Mississippi R. and south of the Ohio R., except South Carolina and Florida; plus Iowa to Louisiana, Kansas, Oklahoma, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, Michigan, Maryland, Pennslyvania, New Jersey, New York and Massachusetts (Quercus imbricaria)
Photos: (Click on Latin Name after Common Name.)
Warnings: None
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#128 (a)
Common Name: Northern White Oak, Stave Oak (Quercus alba)

Appearance and Habitat: Popular and long-lived shade tree, which grows to 100 feet (30.5 m), with a widespreading rounded crown and with numerous horizontal branches. Bark light gray, shallow furrows forming scaly ridges or plates. Twigs slender to stout, gray to reddish-green twigs with star-shaped pith; buds are reddish-brown and broadly oval and hairless. Leaves petiole 3?8 – 1 inch (10 – 25 mm) in length; obovate to elliptical leaves, 4 – 8 inches (101 – 203 mm) long, 2 3/4 – 4 3/4 inches (70 – 121 mm) wide, margin with 5 – 9 lobes that are widest beyond middle, deep sinuses extending a third or more to midrib; base acute to cuneate, apex broadly rounded; dull or shiny grayish green above, light green with slight pubescence which becomes smooth beneath as they mature. The classic eastern oak, with widespreading branches and a rounded crown, the trunk irregularly divided into spreading, often horizontal, stout branches. Northern white oak is an imposing, deciduous tree, 80-100 ft. tall, with a straight trunk and a wide (when open-grown) crown. Large, coarse, horizontal limbs are picturesque. Catkins appear just before or with the appearance of new leaves. The round-lobed leaves turn burgundy in fall. Dried leaves remain into winter. White oak is one of the most important species in the white oak group. The wood is used for furniture, flooring, and spe- cialty items such as wine and whiskey barrels. Used for shipbuilding in colonial times. Continues to be displaced in the market place by several species of red oaks. Acorns are a favorite food source for birds, squirrels, and deer. Used as medication by Native Americans. The largest known white oak specimen had a circumference of 32 feet and grew in the Wye Oak State Park, Talbot County, Maryland. It was destroyed during a storm on June 6, 2002.
(1)Dry woods, gravelly ridges, sandy plains, rich uplands and moist bottoms. The best specimens are found in deep rich well-drained loamy soils. Eastern N. America – Maine to Florida, west to Texas and Minnesota. A deciduous tree growing to 20 m (65ft) by 10 m (32ft) at a slow rate. It is hardy to zone 4 and is not frost tender. It is in flower from Apr to May, and the seeds ripen in October.(2)
Edible Uses: Seed – raw or cooked. Somewhat sweet. The seed is about 1 – 3cm long and ripens in its first year. It contains about 6% protein and 65% carbohydrates. It is low in tannin and needs little if any leaching. It is said that those seeds with red or pink blotches on the shell are the sweetest. Any bitter tannins can be leached out by thoroughly washing the dried and ground up seed in water, though many minerals will also be lost. It can take several days or even weeks to properly leach whole seeds, one method was to wrap them in a cloth bag and place them in a stream. Leaching the powder is quicker. A simple taste test can tell when the tannin has been leached. The traditional method of preparing the seed was to bury it in boggy ground overwinter. The germinating seed was dug up in the spring when it would have lost most of its astringency. The seed can be roasted and then eaten, its taste is something like a cross between sunflower seeds and popcorn. The roasted seed is a coffee substitute that is free from caffeine.
(3)
Medicinal Uses: White oak was often used medicinally by several native North American Indian tribes, who valued it especially for its antiseptic and astringent properties and used it in the treatment of many complaints. It is little, if at all, used in modern herbalism. The inner bark contains 6 – 11% tannin, it has powerful antiseptic and astringent properties and is also expectorant and tonic. The bark is boiled and the liquid drunk in the treatment of bleeding piles and diarrhoea, intermittent fevers, coughs and colds, consumption, asthma, lost voice etc. The bark has been chewed as a treatment for mouth sores. Externally, it is used as a wash for skin eruptions, burns, rashes, bruises, ulcers etc and as a vaginal douche. It has also been used as a wash for muscular pains. The bark is best collected in the spring. Any galls produced on the tree are strongly astringent and can be used in the treatment of haemorrhages, chronic diarrhoea, dysentery etc.
(4)Foot Notes: (1) http://www.wildflower.org/plants/result.php?id_plant=QUAL
Foot Notes: (2 , 3, 4, )http://www.pfaf.org/user/Plant.aspx?LatinName=Quercus+alba
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#128 (b)
Common Name: Swamp White Oak (Quercus bicolor)

Appearance and Habitat: Swamp white oak is a large, wide, round-topped, deciduous tree. Its leaves, with their silvery undersides, are typical of those of white oak, yet swamp white oak leaves lack deeply cut lobes. Tree grows to 100 feet (30.5 m) with an irregular crown. Bark dark gray, deep furrows forming scaly or flat-ridges. Twigs smooth, light brown twigs; buds light orangish-brown, smooth, ovoid and blunt. Leaves petiole from 3/8 – 1 inch (10 – 25 mm) long; leaves are narrowly elliptical to obovate, varies up to 7 inches (178 mm) long and 4 3?8 inches (111 mm) wide; base cuneate to acute, rounded apex; margin with 10 – 20 lobes with shallow sinuses, distal half of blade may have teeth; glossy dark green above with white velvety pubescence beneath. Fall color is golden-brown to russet-red.
(1)Bottomlands, stream margins and swamps. Tolerant of poorly drained sites, it is frequently found in heavy mucky soils. Eastern N. America – Quebec to Minnesota, Georgia and Arkansas. A deciduous tree growing to 25 m (82ft 0in). It is hardy to zone 4 and is not frost tender. It is in flower in May, and the seeds ripen in October.(2)
Edible Uses: Seed – raw or cooked. A rather sweet flavour. The seed is quite large, about 2 – 3cm long and 15 – 20mm wide, and unlike most other oaks, is attached to the tree by a long stem. It matures in its first year. The seed can be dried, ground into a powder and used as a thickening in stews etc or mixed with cereals for making bread. The seed from some trees can contain bitter tannins, these can be leached out by thoroughly washing the seed in running water though many minerals will also be lost. Either the whole seed can be used or the seed can be dried and ground it into a powder. It can take several days or even weeks to properly leach whole seeds, one method was to wrap them in a cloth bag and place them in a stream. Leaching the powder is quicker. A simple taste test can tell when the tannin has been leached. The traditional method of preparing the seed was to bury it in boggy ground overwinter. The germinating seed was dug up in the spring when it would have lost most of its astringency. Roasted seed is a coffee substitute.
(3)
Medicinal Uses: Any galls produced on the tree are strongly astringent and can be used in the treatment of haemorrhages, chronic diarrhoea, dysentery etc.
(4)
Foot Notes:
(1) http://www.wildflower.org/plants/result.php?id_plant=QUBI
Foot Notes: (2, 3, 4, )http://www.pfaf.org/user/Plant.aspx?LatinName=Quercus+bicolor
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#128 (c)
Common Name: Scarlet Oak, Red Oak (Quercus coccinea)

Appearance and Habitat: Large tree with a rounded, open crown of glossy foliage, best known for its brilliant autumn color. Scarlet oak is a 75 ft., deciduous tree, occasionally reaching heights of 150 ft. A somewhat pyramidal crown develops from stout, ascending branches. Bark brown with fine fissures and scaly ridges, inner bark is red to orangish-pink. Twigs are smooth reddish-brown; clustered terminal buds are ovoid and reddish-brown with pubescence near the apex, 5-angled in cross section. Leaves smooth petiole 3/4 – 2 3/8 inches (19 – 60 mm) in length; leaves are elliptic to obovate, 2 3/4 – 6 1/4 inches (70 – 159 mm) long, 3 – 5 1/8 inches (76 – 130 mm) wide, margins with 5 – 9 lobes extending more than 1/2 the distance to the midrib, base truncate, apex acute; upper surface a glossy light green, with tufts of axillary tomentum beneath, secondary veins raised on both surfaces. Leaves turn rich, scarlet-red in the fall. Catkins appear just before or with the appearance of new leaves. A popular and handsome shade and street tree. The lumber is marketed as Red Oak, which differs in its shallowly lobed, dull green leaves, and acorns with a shallow cup. Black Oak (Quercus velutina) is also similar, but has yellow-green leaves with brown hairs beneath and acorns with a deep cup of loose hairy scales. This species is very susceptible to fire damage because of its thin bark. Such injuries often result in heart rot. Grows rapidly and begins to bear fruit at age 20. 
(1)Found on upland sites such as ridges and middle and upper slope, it grows in a variety of soils doing well on poor, dry, sandy, or gravelly soils. Eastern N. America – Maine and Ontario to Minnesota, North Carolina and Missouri. A deciduous tree growing to 25 m (82ft) by 15 m (49ft). It is hardy to zone 4 and is not frost tender. It is in flower in May, and the seeds ripen in October.(2)
Edible Uses: Seed – cooked. It can be dried, ground into a powder and used as a thickening in stews etc or mixed with cereals for making bread. The seed, which is up to 25mm long and 15mm wide, contains bitter tannins, these can be leached out by thoroughly washing the seed in running water though many minerals will also be lost. Either the whole seed can be used or the seed can be dried and ground it into a powder. It can take several days or even weeks to properly leach whole seeds, one method was to wrap them in a cloth bag and place them in a stream. Leaching the powder is quicker. A simple taste test can tell when the tannin has been leached. The traditional method of preparing the seed was to bury it in boggy ground overwinter. The germinating seed was dug up in the spring when it would have lost most of its astringency. The roasted seed is a coffee substitute.
(3)
Medicinal Uses: Any galls produced on the tree are strongly astringent and can be used in the treatment of haemorrhages, chronic diarrhoea, dysentery etc.
(4)
Foot Notes:
(1) http://www.wildflower.org/plants/result.php?id_plant=QUCO2
Foot Notes: (2 , 3, 4, )>http://www.pfaf.org/user/Plant.aspx?LatinName=Quercus+coccinea
*******************************
#128 (d)
Common Name: Leather Oak, California Scrub Oak, (Quercus durata)

Appearance and Habitat: Coastal ranges. The type species is found on serpentine soils at 150 – 1500 meters, whilst var gabrielensis is found in chaparral on dry, exposed, loose slopes in nonserpentine soils at 450 meters – 1000 meters. South-western N. America – California. An evergreen shrub growing to 4 m (13ft 1in). It is hardy to zone 8 and is frost tender. It is in leaf 12-Jan It is in flower from Apr to May.
Edible Uses: Seed – cooked. It can be dried, ground into a powder and used as a thickening in stews etc or mixed with cereals for making bread. The seed, which is up to 35mm long and 15mm wide, contains bitter tannins. These can be leached out by thoroughly washing the seed in running water though many minerals will also be lost. Either the whole seed can be used or the seed can be dried and ground it into a powder. It can take several days or even weeks to properly leach whole seeds, one method was to wrap them in a cloth bag and place them in a stream. Leaching the powder is quicker. A simple taste test can tell when the tannin has been leached. The traditional method of preparing the seed was to bury it in boggy ground overwinter. The germinating seed was dug up in the spring when it would have lost most of its astringency. The roasted seed is a coffee substitute.
Medicinal Uses: Any galls produced on the tree are strongly astringent and can be used in the treatment of haemorrhages, chronic diarrhoea, dysentery etc.

http://www.pfaf.org/user/Plant.aspx?LatinName=Quercus+durata
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#128 (e)
Common Name: Pin Oak, Black Oak, (Quercus ellipsoidalis)

Appearance and Habitat: A medium-sized oak to 75 ft. with many forked branches forming a crown 3/4 the height. Bark dark gray-brown with shallow fissures producing thin plates, inner bark orange in color. Twigs are first covered with hairs and then become smooth and reddish-brown; terminal buds are a shiny reddishbrown with scales ciliated along the margin, slightly angled in cross section. Leaves smooth petiole 3/4 – 2 inches (19 – 51 mm); leaves are elliptical, 2 3/4 – 5 1/8 inches (70 – 130 mm) long, and 2 – 4 inches (51 – 101 mm) wide, the base is truncate and the apex is acute, margins have 5 – 7 deep lobes extending more than 1/2 the distance to midrib with bristlepointed teeth, upper surface is a shiny light green and paler below with minute axillary tufts of tomentum along the midvein. Leaves a scarlet red in the fall. Dried leaves remain through winter. Commonly this oak grows with the beautiful pin oak, but it has none of the same elegance. Perhaps the easiest way to identify it is to discover its yellow inner bark, a trait which it shares with few other oaks. Northern pin oak is reduced to shrubby growth at the edge of its range. (1) Dry to moist siliceous to argillaceous woods. Prairies and sandy hills in dry soils. The best specimens are found in rich well-drained soils, especially those containing clay. Northern Central N. America – west and north of the Great Lakes. A deciduous tree growing to 20 m (65ft) by 13 m (42ft) at a medium rate. It is hardy to zone 4 and is not frost tender.(2)
Edible Uses: Seed – cooked. It can be dried, ground into a powder and used as a thickening in stews etc or mixed with cereals for making bread. The seed, which is up to 2cm long, contains bitter tannins – these can be leached out by thoroughly washing the seed in running water though many minerals will also be lost. Either the whole seed can be used or the seed can be dried and ground it into a powder. It can take several days or even weeks to properly leach whole seeds, one method was to wrap them in a cloth bag and place them in a stream. Leaching the powder is quicker. A simple taste test can tell when the tannin has been leached. The traditional method of preparing the seed was to bury it in boggy ground overwinter. The germinating seed was dug up in the spring when it would have lost most of its astringency. The roasted seed is a coffee substitute.(3)
Medicinal Uses: Any galls produced on the tree are strongly astringent and can be used in the treatment of haemorrhages, chronic diarrhoea, dysentery etc. A decoction of the inner bark has been used to treat suppressed menses caused by cold.
(4)
Foot Notes:
(1) http://www.wildflower.org/plants/result.php?id_plant=QUEL
Foot Notes: (2 , 3, 4, )http://www.pfaf.org/user/Plant.aspx?LatinName=Quercus+ellipsoidalis
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#128 (f)
Common Name: Emory Oak, Holly Oak, Black Oak, Desert Live Oak, Bellota, Roble Negro (Quercus emoryi

Appearance and Habitat: Emory oak is a 30-60 ft. oak with a round crown, very roughly furrowed black bark and nearly evergreen leaves. Glossy, leathery leaves, arranged in whorls, resemble holly leaves. They drop gradually in the spring with the new foliage appearing soon thereafter. Red acorns with have a yellow cap. Medium-sized evergreen tree with straight trunk, rough black bark, rounded crown, and shiny yellow-green leaves. Emory Oak is the most characteristic tree of the oak woodland in mountains along the Mexican border. The acorns (bellotas in Spanish) are only slightly bitter and are gathered and eaten locally. They are also consumed in quantities by quail, wild turkeys, squirrels, and other wildlife. The foliage is browsed by deer and, to a lesser extent, by livestock. (1) Canyons, dry foothills and mountain slopes, 1350 – 2350 meters, growing best in sheltered valleys. South-western N. America – W. Texas, New Mexico, Arizona and northern Mexico. An evergreen tree growing to 12 m (39ft 4in) at a slow rate. It is hardy to zone 7 and is not frost tender. It is in leaf 12-Jan It is in flower in May, and the seeds ripen in September.(2)
Edible Uses: Seed – raw or cooked. A sweet taste, it is an important item of food for the Indians in S. Arizona and northern Mexico and is sold in the local markets there. The seed is up to 2cm long and 1cm thick. It can be dried, ground into a powder and used as a thickening in stews etc or mixed with cereals for making bread. If the seed contains bitter tannins, these can be leached out by thoroughly washing the seed in running water though many minerals will also be lost. Either the whole seed can be used or the seed can be dried and ground it into a powder. It can take several days or even weeks to properly leach whole seeds, one method was to wrap them in a cloth bag and place them in a stream. Leaching the powder is quicker. A simple taste test can tell when the tannin has been leached. The traditional method of preparing the seed was to bury it in boggy ground overwinter. The germinating seed was dug up in the spring when it would have lost most of its astringency. The roasted seed is a coffee substitute. (3)
Medicinal Uses: Any galls produced on the tree are strongly astringent and can be used in the treatment of haemorrhages, chronic diarrhoea, dysentery etc.
(4)
Foot Notes:
(1)<http://www.wildflower.org/plants/result.php?id_plant=QUEM
Foot Notes:
(2 , 3, 4, )http://www.pfaf.org/user/Plant.aspx?LatinName=Quercus+emoryi
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#128 (g)
Common Name: Southern Red Oak, Spanish Oak (Quercus falcata)

Appearance and Habitat: Southern red oak is a medium-sized, straight-trunked oak which, in time, develops long, spreading branches, giving the top an even, well-formed appearance. Its smooth gray bark becomes dark and furrowed, eventually becoming black. Thin, papery, lobed, bristle-tipped deciduous leaves turn reddish-brown in fall. Twigs pubescent reddish-brown twig with star shaped pith; reddish-brown terminal bud is ovoid and pubescent. Leaf petiole 3/4 – 2 3/8 inches (19 – 60 mm) in length, smooth to sparsely pubescent; leaves are elliptical to ovate, 4 – 11 3/4 inches (101 – 298 mm) long and 2 3/8 – 6 1/4 inches (60 – 159 mm) wide, u-shaped base, margin has 3 – 7 deeply divided lobes with 1 – 3 bristle-tipped teeth, apex longer than lateral lobes; upper surface a glossy green often with some pubescence along midrib, lower surface covered with gray or tawny pubescence, secondary veins raised on both surfaces. Often called Spanish Oak, possibly because it commonly occurs in areas of the early Spanish colonies. It is unlike any oaks native to Spain. The lumber is marketed as Red Oak. Cherrybark Oak (Q. pagoda Raf.) is sometimes considered a variety of Q. falcata (Q. falcata var. pagodifolia Ell). The lobes of its leaves taper to points that remind some people of the graduated roofs of pagodas. The leaves have 5-11 broad shallow lobes and whitish hairs beneath, and the bark is smooth and cherry-like with short ridges. (1)Dry sandy or clay upland soils, to 600 meters. It is also occasioall found on moister fertile bottomlands or near streams, where it achieves its greatest size. Eastern N. America – New York to Florida, west to Texas. A deciduous tree growing to 25 m (82ft 0in) at a medium rate. It is hardy to zone 6 and is not frost tender. It is in flower from Apr to May, and the seeds ripen in October.(2)
Edible Uses: Seed – cooked. The seed is about 12mm long, it can be dried, ground into a powder and used as a thickening in stews etc or mixed with cereals for making bread. The seed contains bitter tannins, these can be leached out by thoroughly washing the seed in running water though many minerals will also be lost. Either the whole seed can be used or the seed can be dried and ground it into a powder. It can take several days or even weeks to properly leach whole seeds, one method was to wrap them in a cloth bag and place them in a stream. Leaching the powder is quicker. A simple taste test can tell when the tannin has been leached. The traditional method of preparing the seed was to bury it in boggy ground overwinter. The germinating seed was dug up in the spring when it would have lost most of its astringency. The roasted seed is a coffee substitute.(3)
Medicinal Uses: bark is antiseptic, astringent, febrifuge and tonic. An infusion has been used in the treatment of chronic dysentery, indigestion, asthma, lost voice and intermittent fevers. The bark has been chewed as a treatment for mouth sores. An infusion of the bark has been used as a wash on sore, chapped skin. Any galls produced on the tree are strongly astringent and can be used in the treatment of haemorrhages, chronic diarrhoea, dysentery etc.
(4)
Foot Notes:
(1)http://www.wildflower.org/plants/result.php?id_plant=QUFA
Foot Notes:
(2 , 3, 4, )http://www.pfaf.org/user/Plant.aspx?LatinName=Quercus+falcata
**************************
#128 (h)
Common Name: Gambel Oak, Rocy Mountain White Oak (Quercus gambelii)

Appearance and Habitat: A small, round-crowned tree or clump shrub, sometimes forming thickets, Gambels oak occasionally reaches 50 ft. but is usually no taller than 30 ft. Its deeply-lobed, deciduous leaves are bright green above and paler below, turning brown or sometimes red in fall. Tree with rounded crown, often in dense groves; or a thicket-forming shrub. Gambels Oak is the common oak of the Rocky Mountains, abundant in Grand Canyon National Park. It is closely related to White Oak (Quercus alba L.) of the eastern United States. The foliage is browsed by deer and sometimes by livestock. Wild turkeys, squirrels, and other wildlife, as well as hogs and other domestic animals eat the sweetish acorns. The wood is used mainly for fenceposts and fuel.  (1)Dry foothills and lower mountain slopes, 1350 – 2800 meters in Western N. America – Rocky Mountains from Utah and Wyoming to Mexico. A deciduous shrub growing to 4.5 m (14ft 9in) at a slow rate. It is hardy to zone 4 and is not frost tender. It is in flower in May, and the seeds ripen in October.(2)
Edible Uses: Seed – raw or cooked. A staple food for several native North American Indian tribes. A sweet taste. The seed is about 2cm long and wide, it can be dried, ground into a powder and used as a thickening in stews etc or mixed with cereals for making bread. If the seed contains bitter tannins, these can be leached out by thoroughly washing the seed in running water though many minerals will also be lost. Either the whole seed can be used or the seed can be dried and ground it into a powder. It can take several days or even weeks to properly leach whole seeds, one method was to wrap them in a cloth bag and place them in a stream. Leaching the powder is quicker. A simple taste test can tell when the tannin has been leached. The traditional method of preparing the seed was to bury it in boggy ground overwinter. The germinating seed was dug up in the spring when it would have lost most of its astringency. The roasted seed is a coffee substitute.(3)
Medicinal Uses: Any galls produced on the tree are strongly astringent and can be used in the treatment of haemorrhages, chronic diarrhoea, dysentery etc. The acorns have been eaten to give greater sexual potency. The root bark is analgesic and cathartic. A decoction has been used to treat postpartum pain and facilitate delivery of the placenta.
(4)
Foot Notes:
(1) http://www.wildflower.org/plants/result.php?id_plant=QUGA
Foot Notes: (2, 3, 4,)http://www.pfaf.org/User/Plant.aspx?LatinName=Quercus+gambelii
**************************
#128 (i)
Common Name: Oregon White Oak (Quercus garryana)
Appearance and Habitat: An intricately branched, deciduous oak, usually 25-60ft. high but capable of reaching 90 ft. Stout, spreading branches form a wide, round crown. Bark is white and scaly. Leathery leaves are oblong, with round lobes, and are green on top, dull beneath. Tree with dense, rounded, spreading crown of stout branches; sometimes shrubby. The oak of greatest commercial importance in the West, this species is used for furniture, shipbuilding, construction, cabinetwork, interior finish, and fuel. It is the only native oak in Washington and British Columbia. The sweetish acorns, often common in alternate years, are relished by livestock and wildlife and were eaten by Indians.
(1)Dry prairies and foothills to rocky bluffs. Western N. America – British Columbia to California. A deciduous tree growing to 18 m (59ft) by 10 m (32ft) at a slow rate. It is hardy to zone 6 and is not frost tender. It is in flower in May, and the seeds ripen in October.(2)
Edible Uses: Seed – raw or cooked. Up to 25mm long. Up to 32mm long and 25mm wide according to other reports, which also said that it has a sweet taste. The seed is ground into a powder and used in making bread etc, it is a good thickener for soups and stews. The seed has a high content of bitter tannins, these can be leached out by thoroughly washing the dried and ground up seed in water, though many minerals will also be lost. Either the whole seed can be used or the seed can be dried and ground it into a powder. It can take several days or even weeks to properly leach whole seeds, one method was to wrap them in a cloth bag and place them in a stream. Leaching the powder is quicker. A simple taste test can tell when the tannin has been leached. The traditional method of preparing the seed was to bury it in boggy ground overwinter. The germinating seed was dug up in the spring when it would have lost most of its astringency. The roasted seed is a coffee substitute.
(3)
Medicinal Uses: Any galls produced on the tree are strongly astringent and can be used in the treatment of haemorrhages, chronic diarrhoea, dysentery etc. A decoction of the bark has been used in the treatment of tuberculosis. An infusion of the plant has been drunk by a mother before her first baby comes. The pounded bark has been rubbed on the abdomen and sides of the mother before her first delivery.
(4)
Foot Notes:
(1)http://www.wildflower.org/plants/result.php?id_plant=QUGA4
Foot Notes:
(2, 3, 4,)http://www.pfaf.org/user/Plant.aspx?LatinName=Quercus+garryana

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#128 (j)
Common Name: Shingle Oak (Quercus imbricaria)

Appearance and Habitat: A handsome tree with symmetrical, conical to rounded crown. Pyramidal in youth, shingle oak assumes a broad /rounded outline in old age. The deciduous oak is usually 50-60 ft. tall, but can grow taller. Catkins appear just before or with the appearance of new leaves. Leaves are shiny and lance-shaped, lacking the deeply cut lobes of most oaks. Yellow-brown to russet-red fall foliage persists through winter. BARK: grayish-brown with shallow fissures becoming scaly ridges, pinkish inner bark. TWIGS and BUDS: twigs are smooth and brown or slightly pubescent; large terminal bud is brown and 5-angled in cross-section, scales are pubescent with ciliated edges. LEAVES: smooth petiole to 3⁄4 inch (19 mm); ovate and widest near the middle, 3 1⁄8 – 8 inches (79 – 203 mm) long, 5⁄8 – 3 inches (16 – 76 mm) wide, margin entire and may be slightly wavy and turned under, base obtuse, apex obtuse and tipped with one bristle, shiny dark green above, light whitish-green with uniform pubescence below. (1)Found in a variety of habitats from dry upland ridges to rich and moist river bank soils. Found in Eastern and Central N. America-Pennsylvania to Alabama, west to Kansas. A deciduous tree growing to 20 m (65ft) by 15 m (49ft) at a medium rate. It is hardy to zone 5 and is not frost tender. It is in flower from Apr to May, and the seeds ripen in October. (2)
Edible Uses: Seed – cooked. It can be dried, ground into a powder and used as a thickening in stews etc or mixed with cereals for making bread. The seed, which is up to 18mm long and wide, contains bitter tannins – these can be leached out by thoroughly washing the seed in running water though many minerals will also be lost. Either the whole seed can be used or the seed can be dried and ground it into a powder. It can take several days or even weeks to properly leach whole seeds, one method was to wrap them in a cloth bag and place them in a stream. Leaching the powder is quicker. A simple taste test can tell when the tannin has been leached. The traditional method of preparing the seed was to bury it in boggy ground overwinter. The germinating seed was dug up in the spring when it would have lost most of its astringency. The roasted seed is a coffee substitute.(3)
Medicinal Uses: Any galls produced on the tree are strongly astringent and can be used in the treatment of haemorrhages, chronic diarrhoea, dysentery etc. The bark is antiseptic, astringent, emetic, febrifuge and tonic. It has been used in the treatment of chronic dysentery, indigestion, asthma and intermittent fevers. The bark has been chewed in the treatment of mouth sores. An infusion of the bark has been used as a wash for sore and chapped skin.
(4)
Foot Notes:
(1)http://www.wildflower.org/plants/result.php?id_plant=QUIM
Foot Notes:
(2, 3, 4,)http://www.pfaf.org/user/Plant.aspx?LatinName=Quercus+imbricaria
*****************************

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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