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Yuan Zhi

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Botanical Name : Polygala tenuifolia
Family: Polygalaceae
Genus: Polygala
Species: P. tenuifolia
Kingdom: Plantae
Order: Fabales

Common Names : Chinese Senega, Yuan Zhi,polygala, Chinese senega root,Thinleaf Milkwort Root,Polygala root,thin-leaf milkwort root

Other Names:Chinese Senega, Flax, Klapperschlangen, Milkwort, Mountain Polygala, Polygalae radix, Rattlesnake Root, Senaga Snakeroot, Seneca, Seneca Snakeroot, Senega, Senega Snakeroot, Seneka, Snake Root. Polygala glomerata; Polygala japonica; Polygala reinii; Polygala senega, synonym Polygala senega latifolia; Polygala tenuifolia.

Habitat : Polygala tenuifolia is native to  E. Asia – Korea, Mongolia, Manchuria. Grows in the  Hillsides, roadsides and meadows. Dry meadows and stony slopes.

Description:
Polygala tenuifolia is a perennial herb,  growing to 0.2 m (0ft 8in) by 0.2 m (0ft 8in).  It is hardy to zone 6. The flowers are hermaphrodite (have both male and female organs)

CLICK & SEE THE PICTURES

The plant prefers light (sandy), medium (loamy) and heavy (clay) soils and requires well-drained soil.The plant prefers acid, neutral and basic (alkaline) soils..It can grow in semi-shade (light woodland) or no shade.It requires moist soil.

Cultivation:
Prefers a moderately fertile moisture-retentive well-drained soil, succeeding in full sun if the soil remains moist throughout the growing season, otherwise it is best in semi-shade. Dislikes shade according to another report. Plants are hardy to at least -15°c.

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

Edible Uses
Edible Parts: Leaves;  Root.

Young leaves – cooked. Root – cooked. The core is removed and the root is boiled in several changes of water.

Medicinal Uses :
Cardiotonic;  Expectorant;  Haemolytic;  Kidney;  Sedative;  Tonic.

Yuan Zhi is used primarily as an expectorant. It is one of the 50 fundamental herbs used in traditional Chinese medicine, where it is called yuan zhi .

Yuan Zhi contains triterpenoid saponins, these promote the clearing of phlegm from the bronchial tubes. The plant is used mainly as an expectorant and stimulant to treat bronchial asthma, chronic bronchitis and whooping cough. The root is antibacterial, cardiotonic, cerebrotonic, expectorant, haemolytic, hypotensive, sedative and tonic. It acts mainly as a tonic for the heart and kidney energies. It is taken internally in the treatment of coughs with profuse phlegm, bronchitis, insomnia, palpitations, poor memory, anxiety, depression and nervous tension. Externally it is used to treat boils and carbuncles. The root is harvested in the autumn and dried for later use. The leaves are used as a tonic for the kidneys.

Medical study:
A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, parallel-group study of the extract of dried roots of Polygala tenuifolia in healthy adults produced memory-enhancing effects. A similar trial with elderly humans also found significant cognitive improvement.

A number of in vitro experiments have examined the use of the herb in Alzheimer’s disease, memory disorder, depression, amnesia, cognitive defects, neurotoxicity, degenerative disease,and dementia among others. Results have been encouraging

Known Hazards : Although no specific mention has been seen for this species, at least one member of this genus is said to be poisonous in large quantities.

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.pfaf.org/user/Plant.aspx?LatinName=Polygala+tenuifolia
http://www.plantsystematics.org/imgs/mmy8/r/Polygalaceae_Polygala_tenuifolia_25750.html
http://www.mdidea.com/products/new/new09801.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polygala_tenuifolia

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Chimaphila maculata

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Botanical Name ; Chimaphila maculata
Family: Ericaceae
Genus: Chimaphila
Species: C. maculata
Kingdom: Plantae
Order: Ericales

Common Names : Spotted Wintergreen,Striped wintergreen and Striped prince’s pine, Pipsissewa

Habitat :Chimaphila maculata is   native to eastern North America and Central America, from southern Quebec west to Illinois, and south to Florida and Panama.  It can be found in sandy habitats, well-drained upland forests, oak-pine woods, and similar mesic habitats. It is very tolerant of acidic soil.

Description:
Chimaphila maculata is an evergreen Shrub growing to 0.3 m (1ft) by 0.5 m (1ft 8in) at a slow rate.It has has dark green, variegated leaves 2-7 cm in length, and 6-26 mm in width. The variegation of the leaves arises from the distinct white veins contrasted with the dark green of the leaf. The stems emerge from creeping rhizomes. The nearly round flowers, which appear in late July to early August, are found on top of tall stalks. They are white or pinkish and are insect pollinated. The flowers mature to small (6 to 8 mm in diameter) capsules baring the seeds of the plant, which are dispersed by the wind. It is in leaf 12-Jan It is in flower from Jun to August. The flowers are hermaphrodite (have both male and female organs)

Click to see the pictures…..>…….(01)..…(1).……(2)..…....(3).…….…………………………………………..

The evergreen leaves have a white stripe along the central vein, giving it one of its common names, Striped Wintergreen. This is not the best common name, since it leads to confusion with Wintergreen, Gaultheria procumbens. Chimaphila maculata is common throughout NC. Another species, C. umbellata, has all-green leaves and is found in a few counties in the central Piedmont and northern Coastal Plain.
Cultivation:
Requires a light moist but well-drained lime-free soil and shade from direct sunlight. This species is difficult to propagate and grow in cultivation, mainly because it has certain mycorrhizal associations in the wild and these are necessary if the plant is to thrive. It is best to use some soil collected from around an established plant when sowing seed or planting out into a new position. The plant has wide-spreading fibrous feeding roots and will often die or fail to increase in size if these are disturbed. The flowers are deliciously scented. Special Features: North American native.
Propagation:
Seed – very difficult to germinate, see the notes in cultivation details. It is best sown on moist sphagnum peat. As soon as they are large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots and grow them on in a shady position 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. Rather difficult because the plant is very sensitive to root disturbance. It is best attempted in the spring as the plant comes into growth. Cuttings of softwood, June in a frame. Use some soil from around an established plant.

Edible Uses:  The leaves are used as a snack, being nibbled for their refreshing qualities. In Mexico the herb is used as a catalyst in the preparation of ‘tesguino’, an alcoholic beverage produced from sprouted maize.

Medicinal Uses:

The plant is analgesic, antibacterial, astringent, diaphoretic, diuretic, febrifuge, rubefacient, stimulant and tonic. The plant has an antiseptic influence on the urinary system and is sometimes used in the treatment of cystitis. An infusion of the plant has been drunk in the treatment of rheumatism and colds. A poultice of the root has been used to treat pain whilst the plant has also been used as a wash on ulcers, scrofula and cancers. All parts of the plant can be used, though only the leaves are officinal. The plant is loaded with the biologically active compounds arbutin, sitosterol and ursolic acid. Arbutin hydrolyzes to the toxic urinary antiseptic hydroquinone.

Pipsissewa was an important herb among Native Americans, who used it for various problems, including rheumatism. It induced sweating. The Pennsylvania Dutch used it as a tonic and diuretic for kidney complaints and rheumatism. Internally used for urinary infections, prostates, urethritis, kidney stones, arthritis and rheumatism. It is mainly used in an infusion for urinary tract problems such as cystitis and urethritis. It has also been prescribed for more serious conditions such as gonorrhea and kidney stones. By increasing urine flow, it stimulates the removal of waste products from the body and is therefore of benefit in treating rheumatism and gout. It is also a lymphatic catalyst. The fresh leaves may be applied externally to rheumatic joints or muscles, as well as to blisters, sores and swellings. In tests on animals, pipsissewa leaves appear to lower blood sugar levels. Solvent in diluted alcohol, boiling water.

The leaves and fruit have been used to increase urine flow, as a tonic, and for treating diarrhea, syphilis, nervous disorders, and ulcers. The plant has an antiseptic influence on the urinary system and is sometimes used in the treatment of cystitis. An infusion of the plant has been drunk in the treatment of rheumatism and colds. A poultice of the root has been used to treat pain while the plant has also been used as a wash on ulcers, scrofula and cancers. All parts of the plant can be used, though only the leaves are officinal.

Other Uses:  The plants stoloniferous root system, and dwarf spreading habit make it a god ground cover, though it is a difficult plant to establish and grow well.

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/Chimaphila_maculata
http://www.herbnet.com/Herb%20Uses_RST.htm
http://www.duke.edu/~cwcook/trees/chma.html

http://www.herbnet.com/Herb%20Uses_OPQ.htm

http://www.pfaf.org/user/Plant.aspx?LatinName=Chimaphila+maculata

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Tradescantia virginiana

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Botanical Name : Tradescantia virginiana
Family: Commelinaceae
Genus: Tradescantia
Species: T. virginiana
Kingdom: Plantae
Order: Commelinales

Synonyms: T. virginica.

Common Name:Spiderwort, Virginia spiderwort

Habitat : Tradescantia virginiana is native to the eastern United States.It is fairly common in central and southern Illinois, while it is uncommon or absent in northern and extreme western Illinois (see Distribution Map). Habitats include moist to mesic black soil prairies, sand prairies, savannas, thickets, openings and edges of woodlands, sandstone cliffs, and powerline clearances through woodland areas. This plant usually doesn’t stray far from areas with trees and shrubby vegetation.

Description:
Tradescantia virginiana is a herbaceous perennial forb/herb, with alternate, simple leaves, on tubular stems. The flowers are blue, purple, or white, borne in summer.This plant is up to 2½’ tall and unbranched, except for 1 or 2 small side stems near the inflorescence. The central stem is round and glabrous, although scattered long hairs may occur where the leaves wrap around the stems, or a little below. The leaves are dark green or olive green, up to 12″ long and 1″ across, with parallel venation and smooth margins. They are linear to broadly linear, but wider at the base and narrowing to a pointed tip. They often bend downward toward the middle….

CLICK TO SEE PICTURES..>.…(1).…….(2)………(3)

At the apex of the central stem or side stems, is a small cluster of violet flowers. They often droop from their slender hairy pedicels. These are subtended by two leaf-like bracts that are up to 6″ long and slightly more than ½” across. Each flower is about 1″ across and has 3 rounded violet petals. Toward the center, there are 6 yellow stamens and spidery violet hairs. Each flower opens up during the morning and closes during the early afternoon on sunny days, but may remain open longer on cloudy days or when it remains in the shade. There is no floral scent. The blooming period occurs from late spring to mid-summer, and lasts about 1½ months. During this time, the flowers bloom sporadically, rather than all at once. The seed capsules split open into 3 parts, each releasing 3-6 oval to oblong, brown seeds. The seeds normally fall only a short distance from the mother plant. The root system is fleshy and fibrous, producing occasional offshoots nearby.

Cultivation:
Tradescantia virginiana  likes most moist soils but can adapt to drier garden soils. Plants may be propagated from seed but they are more easily started from cuttings or divisions.It likes partial sun and moist to mesic conditions. It also tolerates light shade, and full sun if the soil is sufficiently moist. Growth is best in fertile loamy soil, but some sand or gravel is acceptable. During droughts, the tips or outer lengths of the leaves may turn yellow or brown. This plant is easy to grow and rarely troubled by foliar disease.

Propagation:
Seed – sow spring in a cold frame. When they are large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots and grow them on in the greenhouse for their first winter. Plant them out into their permanent positions in late spring or early summer, after the last expected frosts. Division in spring or autumn. Cuttings of young shoots, July in a frame. They root easily and quickly.

Edible Uses: Leaves – raw or cooked. The very young shoots and leaves can be chopped and added to salads or cooked as a potherb. Flowers – raw. They make an attractive edible garnish.

Medicinal Uses:
Traditionally, the root of spiderwort was used by the Cherokees as a folk cancer remedy. A tea of the root was considered laxative.  It was also mashed, and applied as a poultice on insect bites.  A tea of the leaves was drunk by the Cherokees for stomachache from overeating.  The root of T. occidentalis served the Meskwaki as a diuretic.  Insanity was treated with spiderwort. A gum exudes from the root.  The treatment consisted of making an incision on the head, then inserting a piece of the gum into the wound as a remedy for craziness.

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/Tradescantia_virginiana
http://www.illinoiswildflowers.info/savanna/plants/va_spiderwort.htm
http://www.herbnet.com/Herb%20Uses_RST.htm

http://www.pfaf.org/user/Plant.aspx?LatinName=Tradescantia+virginiana

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Vernonia fasciculata

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Botanical Name : Vernonia fasciculata
Family : Asteraceae (Aster Family)
Common Name : Prairie ironweed, Common ironweed, Smooth ironweed

Habitat :Smooth Ironweed is fairly common in in the northern half of Illinois, but uncommon elsewhere in the state . Habitats include wet to moist black soil prairies, riverbottom prairies, marshes, sloughs along railroads, and edges of fields. Smooth Ironweed is found in wetland habitats to a greater extent than other species of Ironweeds.

Description:
Vernonia fasciculata is a perennial plant. It grows   2-4′ tall and unbranched. The central stem is round, hairless, and white, light green, or reddish purple. The alternate leaves are up to 5″ long and ½” across. They are narrowly lanceolate, narrowly ovate, or linear. Their margins are serrated, while the upper and lower leaf surfaces are hairless. The lower leaf surface also has a prominent central vein, and black dots may be present. The leaves are sessile against the stem, or they have short petioles. The central stem terminates in a flat-topped cluster of magenta compound flowers (i.e., a corymb). This flower cluster is quite dense, rather than loose and spreading. The flowering stalks may be slightly pubescent. A compound flower consists of 15-30 disk florets with a short cylinder of green bracts underneath. These bracts are appressed together like fish scales, and they are often slightly ciliate. The cylinder of bracts spans about 1/5″ across. A disk floret is magenta, with 5 spreading lobes and a prominent divided style. The blooming period occurs from late summer to early fall, and lasts about a month. There is no noticeable floral scent. The flowers are replaced by achenes that have a pappus of hair-like scales. These achenes can be blown several feet from the mother plant by gusts of wind. The root system is spreading and fibrous.

CLICK &  SEE  THE  PICTURES
Cultivation: The preference is full sun, moist conditions, and fertile soil. Partial sun and slightly moister or drier conditions are also tolerated. This plant can withstand occasional flooding for short periods of time. The foliage is not bothered by pests and disease to any significant extent.

Medicinal Uses:
The root is bitter tonic used to improve the blood.Particularly useful in female  complaints, amenorrhea,dysmenorrhea,leucorrhea and menorrhagia. Considering a certain remedy for chills and intermitent and bilious fevers, and also valuable in scorfula, diseases of the skin and in constitunal syphilis. Some herbalist employed in the treatment of dyspepsia.

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.herbnet.com/Herb%20Uses_IJK.htm
http://www.illinoiswildflowers.info/prairie/plantx/sm_ironweedx.htm
http://www.wildflower.org/plants/result.php?id_plant=VEFA2
http://wisplants.uwsp.edu/scripts/Detail.asp?spcode=VERFASsFAS

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Common Greenbriar

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Botanical Name : Smilax rotundifolia
Family: Smilacaceae
Genus: Smilax
Species: S. rotundifolia
Kingdom: Plantae
Subkingdom: Tracheobionta
Order: Liliales

Synonyms:
Smilax rotundifolia L.

SMROC Smilax rotundifolia L. var. crenulata Small & A. Heller
SMROQ Smilax rotundifolia L. var. quadrangularis (Muhl. ex Willd.) Alph. Wood

Common Name :Common Greenbriar,Bamboo Brier,roundleaf greenbrier

Habitat : Native to the Eastern United States.Common greenbriar grows in roadsides, landscapes, clearings and woods. When it is growing around a clearing, it often forms dense and impassable thickets . It grows throughout the Eastern United States, as far north as Illinois, south to Florida and as far west as Texas .

Description:
Common Greenbriar is a common woody vine. Common greenbriar climbs other plants using green tendrils growing out of the petioles

 

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Leaf: Alternate, simple, rounded to cordate, 2 to 5 inches long, parallel veined, entire margins, shiny green above, paler below.

Flower: Monoecious; small light yellow-green, borne in small round clusters in late spring.

Fruit: Dark blue to black berries, borne in clusters, often covered with a powdery, waxy bloom; maturing in late summer and persist over winter.

Twig: Stout, green, usually sharply 4-angled with many scattered, stiff prickles, climbs with tendrils; very tough and stiff but new spring sprouts are tender and edible.

Bark: Remaining green for a long period of time, turning brown on old stems.

Form: Most often a climbing vine, but may also form a small, tangled bush.

Edible Uses:
The young shoots of common greenbriar are reported to be excellent when cooked like asparagus . The young leaves and tendrils can be prepared like spinach or added directly to salads . The roots have natural gelling agent in them that can be extracted and used as a thickening agent

Medicinal Uses:
The stem prickles have been rubbed on the skin as a counter-irritant to relieve localized pains, muscle cramps and twitching.  A tea made from the leaves and stems has been used in the treatment of rheumatism and stomach problems.  The parched and powdered leaves have been used as a dressing on burns and scalds. The wilted leaves have been used as a poultice on boils. A tea made from the roots is used to help the expelling of afterbirth

Resources:
http://dendro.cnre.vt.edu/dendrology/syllabus/factsheet.cfm?ID=127
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Smilax_rotundifolia
http://plants.usda.gov/java/profile?symbol=SMRO&photoID=smro_003_ahp.tif

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