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Botanical  Name: Leptandra Virginica (NUTT.)
Family: N.O. Scrophulariaceae
Synonyms:  Veronica Virginica. Veronica purpurea. Paederota Virginica. Eustachya purpurea and Eustachya alba. Culveris Root. Culver’s Physic. Physic Root. Leptandra-Wurzel.
Common Names: Culvers-root, blackroot, bowmansroot, beaumont root, Brinton root, tall speedwell, tall veronica, physic-root, whorlywort.

Parts Used: The dried rhizome, roots.
Habitat:This common native herb is found abundantly in moist rich woods, mountain valleys, meadows, and thickets from Nova Scotia to British Columbia and south to Alabama, Missouri, and Nebraska.

Description:
This tall, herbaceous perennial was included by Linnaeus in the genus Veronica, but was later assigned by Nuttall to the genus Leptandra, a nomenclature followed by present-day botanists. Slender-stemmed herb from 3 to 7 feet in height. The long, narrow, pointed leaves, which are arranged around the stem at intervals, in groups of from three to nine, are 3 to 6 inches in length and 1 inch or less in width. The tube-shaped flowers, produced from June to September, are borne in several densely crowded, slender, terminal, spikelike heads from 3 to 9 inches long. The flowers are usually white, but at times are pink to bluish or purple.

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It has a simple, erect stem, 3 or 4 feet high or more, smooth and downy, furnished with leaves in whorls and terminating in a long spike of white flowers, 6 to 10 inches long. The leaves, of which there are from four to seven in each whorl, are lanceolate, pointed and minutely serrate, and stand on short footstalks. A variety with purple flowers has been described as a distinct species under the name of Leptandra purpurea.  The rhizome and roots are nearly odourless, the taste bitter and rather acrid, and are generally used dried. The rhizome is of horizontal growth, nearly cylindrical, somewhat branched, externally dark brown to purplish brown, smooth and faintly longitudinally wrinkled, and showing stem bases at intervals of 1/2 to 1 1/2 inch. The rootlets, rising from the under portion, are wiry and brittle when dry.

Constituents: The roots contain volatile oil, saponins, sugars,  extractive  tannic acid, gum, resin, a crystalline principle, a saccharine principle resembling mannite, and a glucoside resembling senegin. Both the crystalline principle and the impure resin obtained by precipitating with water a tincture of the root have been called Leptandrin and is said to be the active principle. The properties are extracted by both water and alcohol. An ester of p-methoxycinnamic acid, a phytosterol verosterol, and some dimethoxycinnamic acid are also obtained.

Collection & Harvesting :
Black root, which was introduced to European herbalism via the Seneca Indians, should be dug up in the autumn and stored for a year before use.

Medicinal Action and Uses: The fresh root is a violent cathartic and may also be emetic. The dried root is milder and less certain. Leptandrin excites the liver gently and promotes the secretion of bile without irritating the bowels or purging. As it is also a tonic for the stomach, it is very useful in diarrhoea, chronic dysentery, cholera infantum, and torpidity of the liver.

The accounts of its use are conflicting, perhaps owing to the difference in the action of the root in its dry and fresh states. There appears to be a risk of the fresh root producing bloody stools and possibly abortion, though a decoction may be useful in intermittent fever. It has been stated that the dried root has been employed with success in leprosy and cachetic diseases, and in combination with cream of tartar, in dropsy.

Dosages: 15 to 60 grains. Of the impure resin, 2 to 4 grains. Of the powdered extract, U.S.P., 4 grains. Of the fluid extract, 15 minims as a laxative. Leptandrin, 1/4 to 2 grains.

Disclaimer:The information presented herein is intended for educational purposes only. Individual results may vary, and before using any supplements, it is always advisable to consult with your own health care provider

Resources:

http://www.botanical.com/botanical/mgmh/b/blaroo53.html

http://www.herbs2000.com/herbs/herbs_black_root.htm

http://chestofbooks.com/flora-plants/The-Herb-Hunters-Guide/Culvers-Physic-Veronica-virginica-L.html

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