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Herbs & Plants

Gentiana andrewsii

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Botanical Name: Gentiana andrewsii
Family: Gentianaceae
Genus: Gentiana
Species: G. andrewsii
Kingdom: Plantae
Order: Gentianales

Common Name : Closed Bottle Gentian, Dakota gentian, Bottle gentian, Closed gentian

Habitat ; Gentiana andrewsii is native to Eastern N. America – Quebec to Manitoba, Georgia and Nebraska. It grows on meadows, damp prairies and low thickets.

Description:
Gentiana andrewsii is a herbaceous perennial flowering plant, growing to 0.6 m (2ft) by 0.3 m (1ft in). It blooms in late summer (August–October). The flowers are 2 to 4 cm long, typically a rich blue color and bottle shaped with closed mouths. The flowers are clustered at the top of the plant or in the axis of the top leaves. The stems are 30 to 60 cm long, lax in habit, producing sprawling plants with upturned ends ending with clusters of bee pollinated flowers. The foliage is hairless with a glossy sheen to it. Plants are fed upon by ground hogs and scale insects. This species can hybridize with Gentiana alba, producing upright growing plants with white flowers with blue edges. This gentian is considered a threatened species in the USA states of New York and Maryland……...CLICK  &  SEE  THE  PICTURES 

The flowers are hermaphrodite (have both male and female organs) and are pollinated by Bumblebees, butterflies.

Cultivation:
In general, gentians require a moist well-drained soil in a sheltered position, a certain minimum of atmospheric humidity, high light intensity but a site where temperatures are not too high. They are therefore more difficult to grow in areas with hot summers and in such a region they appreciate some protection from the strongest sunlight. Most species will grow well in the rock garden. This species is fairly easy to grow, succeeding in most humus-rich soils. It tolerates more shade (but not full shade) than most members of the genus, growing well in a woodland garden. Plants are intolerant of root disturbance. A moisture loving plant, preferring to grow with full exposure to the sun but with plenty of underground moisture in the summer, it grows better in the north and west of Britain.

Propagation:
Seed – best sown in early January in a light position in a cold frame. It can also be sown in late winter or early spring but the seed germinates best if given a period of cold stratification and quickly loses viability when stored, with older seed germinating slowly and erratically. It is advantageous to keep the seed at about 10°c for a few days after sowing, to enable the seed to imbibe moisture. Following this with a period of at least 5 – 6 weeks with temperatures falling to between 0 and -5°c will usually produce reasonable germination. It is best to use clay pots, since plastic ones do not drain so freely and the moister conditions encourage the growth of moss, which will prevent germination of the seed. The seed should be surface-sown, or only covered with a very light dressing of compost. The seed requires dark for germination, so the pots should be covered with something like newspaper or be kept in the dark. Pot up the seedlings into individual pots as soon as they are large enough to handle and grow on in light shade in the greenhouse for at least their first winter. The seedlings grow on very slowly, taking 2 – 7 years to reach flowering size. When the plants are of sufficient size, place them out into their permanent positions in late spring or early summer. Division in March. Most members of this genus have either a single tap-root, or a compact root system united in a single root head, and are thus unsuitable for division. Cuttings of basal shoots in late spring

Medicinal Uses:
The root is said to be an antidote to snakebites. An infusion of the roots has been used as a wash and also taken internally in the treatment of pain and headaches. An infusion of the roots has been used as drops for sore eyes. This N. American species has medicinal properties practically identical with the European gentians. The following notes are based on the general uses of G. lutea which is the most commonly used species in the West. Gentian root has a long history of use as a herbal bitter in the treatment of digestive disorders and is an ingredient of many proprietary medicines. It contains some of the most bitter compounds known and is used as a scientific basis for measuring bitterness. It is especially useful in states of exhaustion from chronic disease and in all cases of debility, weakness of the digestive system and lack of appetite. It is one of the best strengtheners of the human system, stimulating the liver, gall bladder and digestive system, and is an excellent tonic to combine with a purgative in order to prevent its debilitating effects. The root is anthelmintic, anti-inflammatory, antiseptic, bitter tonic, cholagogue, emmenagogue, febrifuge, refrigerant, stomachic. It is taken internally in the treatment of liver complaints, indigestion, gastric infections and anorexia. It should not be prescribed for patients with gastric or duodenal ulcers. The root is harvested in the autumn and dried for later use. It is quite likely that the roots of plants that have not flowered are the richest in medicinal properties.

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

Resources:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gentiana_andrewsii
http://www.pfaf.org/user/Plant.aspx?LatinName=Gentiana+andrewsii

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Herbs & Plants

Blackstonia perfoliata

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Botanical Name: Blackstonia perfoliata
Family: Gentianaceae
Genus: Blackstonia
Species: B. perfoliata
Kingdom: Plantae
Order: Gentianales

Synonyms : Chlora perfoliata.

Common Name : Yellow Wort

Habitat : Blackstonia perfoliata is native to Europe, including Britain, south from Holland and Germany east to Morocco and W. Asia. It grows on the alcareous grassland and on dunes.

Description:
Blackstonia perfoliata is an annual flowering plant. It grows from ten to fifty centimetres, (four to twenty inches), tall with stiff, branching stems. The leaves are glaucous, opposite and entire, the upper ones perfoliate, being united at the base. It bears terminal cymes of bright yellow, stalked flowers, one to one and a half centimetres across. The calyx is deeply divided into 6-10 linear lobes or sepals, spirally arranged, free or nearly free from each other at the base and shorter than the corolla. The petals number six to ten and form a short tube. There are six to ten adherent stamens and a two-lobed stigma. It is in flower from Jun to October . The flowers are hermaphrodite (have both male and female organs) and are pollinated by Self.The plant is self-fertile. CLICK & SEE THE PICTURES : 

Cultivation:
A native plant, we do not have any details on its cultivation but it should succeed in a summer meadow or in a sunny position in a well drained soil. It prefers calcareous soils in the wild.

Propagation :
Seed – sow early spring in seed pots in a cold frame and plant out as soon as the plants are large enough to handle. When well sited, the plant should self-sow. If you have sufficient seed it should be possible to sow the seed in situ in the spring.

Medicinal Uses: Not known
Other Uses:..…Dye……A yellow dye is obtained from the plant extract

 

Resources:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blackstonia_perfoliata
http://www.pfaf.org/user/Plant.aspx?LatinName=Blackstonia+perfoliata

Categories
Herbs & Plants

Swertia Radiata

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Botanical Name : Swertia radiata
Family: Gentianaceae
Genus: Frasera
Species: F. speciosa
Kingdom: Plantae
Order: Gentianales

Synonims:Frasera speciosa

Common Name :Cebadilla,Monument plant, Elkweed, and Deer’s ears.Green Gentian

Habitat : It is native to the western United States, where it grows in mountain forests, woodlands, and meadows. the northwestern United States, where it grows in open areas in mountain habitat.

Description:
It is a perennial herb growing from a woody base surrounded by rosettes of large leaves that measure up to 50 centimeters long by 15 wide. It produces a single erect stem which can reach two meters in height. The stem bears whorls of lance-shaped, pointed leaves smaller than those at the base. The plant is monocarpic, growing for several years and only flowering once before it dies. Flowering is synchronized among plants in a given area, with widespread, picturesque blooms occurring periodically. The inflorescence is a tall, erect panicle with flowers densely clustered at the top and then spread out in interrupted clusters below. Each flower has a calyx of four pointed sepals and a corolla of four pointed lobes each one to two centimeters long. The corolla is yellow-green with purple spots and each lobe has two fringed nectary pits at the base. There are four stamens tipped with large anthers and a central ovary.

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Cultivation: Requires a moist but well-drained position and a stony peaty soil. Requires an acidic soil. A very ornamental plant.

Propagation: Seed – sow spring in a greenhouse. When they are large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots and grow them on in the greenhouse for at least their first winter. Plant them out into their permanent positions in late spring or early summer, after the last expected frosts. Division in late winter

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. See the notes above on toxicity.

Medicinal Uses;
An infusion of the dried, powdered leaves, or the root, has been used in the treatment of diarrhea. 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.  Primarily a medicine for the digestive tract.  Similar to Gentian in its effect, it is more energetic and irritating.  A stimulant to stomach and small intestinal secretions and contractions, it makes a bitter tonic especially useful for the elderly. The dried root is powdered, 6-8 tablespoons added to a pint of brandy and it is steeped for at least a week; a tablespoon is taken before meals.  A pinch of the powder in sweetened water has a similar effect.  One-half to one teaspoon of the root powder boiled in water will act as a laxative-cathartic.  More than a teaspoon can act as an irritant to the large intestine, and in any respect, Cebadilla should be used as a laxative only occasionally.  The root can also serve as a fungicide for athlete’s foot and the like.  Sometimes effective as a tincture for ringworm, but care should be taken when used on children it can irritate the skin.  In New Mexico the powdered root is melted in lard and applied on the scalp to kill lice or rubbed on the legs to kill scabies.

Other Uses:…..Parasiticide...….The root, when ground into a powder and then mixed with oil, has been used as a parasiticide in order to kill lice.

Known Hazards :  When used medicinally, large doses of the powdered root have proved fatal.

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://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frasera_speciosa
http://www.herbnet.com/Herb%20Uses_C.htm
http://www.worldbotanical.com/swertia.htm

http://www.yosemitehikes.com/wildflowers/monument-plant/monument-plant.htm

http://www.pfaf.org/user/Plant.aspx?LatinName=Frasera+speciosa

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