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Herbs & Plants

Scrophularia aquatica

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Botanical Name :Scrophularia aquatica
Family: Scrophulariaceae
Genus: Scrophularia
Kingdom: Plantae
Order: Lamiales

Synonyms: Water Betony. Fiddlewood. Fiddler. Crowdy Kit. Brownwort. Bishops’ Leaves.

Common Name:Water Figwort

Habitat : Scrophularia aquatica is native to South of Denmark in Europe, N. Africa, N. and W. Asia, eastward to the Himalayas, marks the present range of this species in the N. Temperate Zone.It is typically an aquatic plant growing by the side of tracts of water, being rooted in the mud, and a thorough hygrophyte. It is to be found by the sides of most rivers, streams, and other types of running water. It also frequents still waters, such as lakes, ponds, pools, and even ditches by the roadside. It is seldom found away from water.

Description:
Scrophularia aquatica is a perennial flowering plant. It is found only in damp ground, generally by the banks of rivers and ponds. It varies much in size, but on an average, the stems grow to a height of 5 feet. The general character of the stem is upright, though small lateral branches are thrown out from the rigid, straight, main stem, which is smooth and quadrangular, the angles being winged. The stems are often more or less reddish-purple in colour; though hollow and succulent, they become rigid when dead, and prove very troublesome to anglers owing to their lines becoming tangled in the withered capsules. The Figwort is named in Somersetshire, ‘Crowdy Kit’ (the word kit meaning a fiddle), or ‘Fiddlewood,’ because if two of the stalks are rubbed together, they make a noise like the scraping of the bow on violin strings, owing no doubt to the winged angles. In Devonshire, also, the plant is known as ‘Fiddler.’
CLICK & SEE THE PICTURES
The leaves are placed in pairs on the stem, each pair at right angles to the pair below it; all are on footstalks, the pairs generally rather distant from one another on the stem. The leaves are oblong and somewhat heartshaped; smooth, with very conspicuous veining. The flowers grow at the top of the stems, arranged in loose panicles, under each little branch of which is a little floral leaf, or bract. They are in bloom during July and August. The calyx has five conspicuous lobes, fringed by a somewhat ragged-looking, brown, membraneous border. The dark, greenish-purple, sometimes almost brown corolla is almost globular; the lobes at its mouth are very short and broad, the two upper ones stand boldly out from the flower, the two side ones taking the same direction, but are much shorter, and the fifth lobe turned sharply downward. The result is that the flowers look like so many little helmets. There are four anther-bearing stamens, and generally a fifth barren one beneath the upper lip of the corolla. The seed vessel when ripe is a roundish capsule opening with two valves, the edges of which are turned in, and contains numerous small brown seeds.

Wasps and bees are very fond of the flowers, from which they collect much honey.

The leaves are used, collected in June and July, when in best condition, just coming into flower, and used both fresh and dried.

Medicinal Uses:
Scrophularia aquatica has vulnerary and detergent properties, and has enjoyed some fame as a vulnerary, both when used externally and when taken in decoction.

In modern herbal medicine, the leaves are employed externally as a poultice, or boiled in lard as an ointment for ulcers, piles, scrofulous glands in the neck, sores and wounds. It is said to have been one of the ingredients in Count Matthei’s noted remedy, ‘AntiScrofuloso.’

In former days this herb was relied on for the cure of toothache and for expelling nightmare. It has also a reputation as a cosmetic, old herbalists telling us that:  ‘the juice or distilled water of the leaves is good for bruises, whether inward or outward, as also to bathe the face and hands spotted or blemished or discoloured by sun burning.’

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:
http://www.botanical.com/botanical/mgmh/f/figwat14.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scrophularia
http://chestofbooks.com/flora-plants/flowers/British-Wild-Flowers-1/Water-Figwort-Scrophularia-Aquatica-L.html#.U_FuI9tXv_s

Categories
Herbs & Plants

Antirrhinum

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Botanical Name :Antirrhinum
Family: Plantaginaceae
Genus: Antirrhinum
Kingdom: Plantae
Phylum: Angiosperms
Order: Lamiales

Common Names :snapdragons or dragon flowers

Habitat :Antirrhinum  resemblance to the face of a dragon that opens and closes its mouth when laterally squeezed. They are   native to rocky areas of Europe, the United States, and North Africa

Description:
Snapdragons are often considered as cold-season annual plants and do best in full or partial sun, in well drained soil (although they do require regular watering. They are classified commercially as a range of heights: dwarf (6-8 inches), medium (15-30 inches) and tall (30-48 inches).

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Snapdragon is a typical example of incomplete dominance by the red allele with the anthocyanin pigment. Any cross between red-flowered and white-flowered snapdragons, give an intermediate and heterozygous phenotype with pink flowers, that carries both the dominant and recessive alleles.

Antirrhinum used to be treated within the family Scrophulariaceae, but studies of DNA sequences have led to its inclusion in a vastly enlarged family Plantaginaceae. The taxonomy of this genus is unresolved at present. At one extreme, the USDA Plants Database recognises only the Old World species of sect. Antirrhinum in the genus, listing only A. majus (the garden snapdragon, the only species in the section naturalised in North America).[3] At the other, Thompson (1988) places 36 species in the genus; many modern botanists accept this circumscription. New species also continue to be discovered (see e.g. Romo et al., 1995).

Recent research in the molecular systematics of this group, and related species, by Oyama and Baum (2004), has confirmed that the genus as described by Thompson is monophyletic, provided that one species (A. cyathiferum) is removed to a separate genus, and two others (previously listed as Mohavea confertiflora and M. breviflora) are included. The species list at the right follows these conclusions. It is widely agreed that this broad group should be subdivided into three or four subgroups, but the level at which this should be done, and exactly which species should be grouped together, remain unclear. Some authors continue to follow Thompson in using a large genus Antirrhinum, which is then divided into several sections; others treat Thompson’s genus as a tribe or subtribe, and divide it into several genera.

If the broad circumscription is accepted, its sections are as follows:

*Section Antirrhinum: about 20 Old World species of perennial plants, the type Antirrhinum majus, mostly native to the western Mediterranean region with a focus on the Iberian Peninsula.

*Section Orontium: two to six species, also Mediterranean. The species in this section, including the type Lesser Snapdragon A. orontium, are often treated in the genus Misopates.

*Section Saerorhinum: about 16 New World species, mostly annual plants and mostly native to California, though species are found from Oregon to Baja California Sur and as far east as Utah. Like other authors, Thompson placed A. cyathiferum in this section, but Oyama and Baum, following earlier authors, suggest that it should be reclassified in genus Pseudorontium, while Mohavea confertiflora and M. breviflora should be included. Some authors classify the species in this section into the genera Sairocarpus, Howelliella and Neogaerrhinum.

The Garden Snapdragon is an important garden plant; cultivars of this species have showy white, crimson, or yellow bilabiate flowers. It is also important as a model organism in botanical research, and its genome has been studied in detail.

While Antirrhinum majus is the plant that is usually meant of the word “snapdragon” if used on its own, many other species in the genus, and in the family Scrophulariaceae more widely, have common names that include the word “snapdragon”.

Several species of Antirrhinum are self-incompatible, meaning that a plant cannot be fertilised by its own pollen. Self-incompatibility in the genus has been studied since the early 1900s. Self-incompatibility in Antirrhinum species is controlled gametophytically and shares many important features with self-incompatibility systems in Rosaceae and Solanaceae.

Medicinal Action and Uses:  The plant has bitter and stimulant properties, and the leaves of this and several allied species have been employed on the Continent in cataplasms to tumours and ulcers.Preparations made from leaves and flowers are used to reduce fever and inflammation. In a poultice, it be applied to the body surface to treat burns, infections and hemorrhoids.

It was valued in olden times like the Toadflax as a preservative against witchcraft.

The numerous seeds yield a fixed oil by expression, said to be little inferior to olive oil, for the sake of which it has been cultivated in Russia.

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/Antirrhinum
http://www.botanical.com/botanical/mgmh/s/snapdr58.html

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Categories
Herbs & Plants

Aureolaria pedicularia

Botanical Name : Aureolaria pedicularia
Family : Scrophulariaceae – Figwort family
Genus : Aureolaria Raf. – false foxglove
Species: Aureolaria pedicularia (L.) Raf. – fernleaf yellow false foxglove
Kingdom : Plantae – Plants
Subkingdom : Tracheobionta – Vascular plants
Superdivision:  Spermatophyta – Seed plants
Division: Magnoliophyta – Flowering plants
Class: Magnoliopsida – Dicotyledons
Subclass : Asteridae
Order : Scrophulariales

Common Names :Feverweed ,Fern-Leaf False Foxglove

Habitat: Aureolaria pedicularia is occasional in sandy areas of NE Illinois and rare to absent elsewhere in the state . Habitats include sandy upland forests, sandy upland savannas, sandy thickets, and stabilized sand dunes near Lake Michigan. In all of these habitats, Oak trees are typically present, particularly Quercus velutina (Black Oak).

Description:
Aureolaria pedicularia is an annual or biennial flowering plant that initially forms a rosette of basal leaves, followed by a much-branched flowering plant that is about 1-4′ tall. The basal leaves and opposite leaves of the flowering plant are similar to each other, except that the former are longer in length and less deltoid in outline. The stems are light green to pale purplish green, terete, and moderately to densely covered with spreading glandular hairs. The opposite leaves are up to 3″ long and 2″ across; they are medium green to purplish green, lanceolate to ovate-deltoid in outline, and bipinnatifid with 3-7 pairs of primary lobes. Usually, the opposite leaves are short-hairy, especially on their lower surfaces. They are mostly sessile, although lower leaves have short petioles. The outer stems terminate in small clusters of 1-3 flowers. Individual flowers are 1¼–1½” long; each flower has a trumpet-shaped yellow corolla, a short green calyx with 5 teeth, 4 stamens, and a single slender style. The calyx is covered with glandular hairs and its teeth are pinnatifid. Along the outer rim of the corolla, there are 5 rounded lobes; they are widely spreading. Within the corolla, there are 1-3 thick lines of reddish brown streaks or dots. The pedicels of the flowers are ½–2″ long and glandular hairy. The blooming period occurs from late summer to early fall and lasts about a month. On an individual plant, several flowers can be in bloom at the same time. There is no noticeable floral scent. Each flower is replaced by an ovoid seed capsule about ½” long that has a slender beak at its apex. Each capsule contains many seeds. The root system consists of a taproot and small feeder roots; the latter parasitize the roots of Oak trees for water and nutrients. This wildflower reproduces by reseeding itself…

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The flowers are cross-pollinated primarily by bumblebees, which suck nectar and collect pollen. Other possible floral visitors include other long-tongued bees and the Ruby-Throated Hummingbird. The flea beetles Capraita circumdata and Kuschelina horni feed on Aureolaria spp. (False Foxgloves). The caterpillars of a Noctuid Moth, Rhodoecia aurantiago, bores into the seed capsules of these species, and the aphid Aphis gerardiae has been observed to suck juices from Fern-Leaf False Foxglove specifically.

Cultivation: The preference is partial to full sun, mesic to dry conditions, and sandy soil. It is desirable that a host plant (e.g., an Oak) be present in the vicinity.

Medicinal Uses:
It has been used in herbal remedies for its diaphoretic and sedative properties.  Used principally in febrile and inflammatory diseases; a warm infusion produces a free and copious perspiration in a short time. Dose of the infusion, from 1 to 3 fluid ounces.

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://plants.usda.gov/java/profile?symbol=AUPE2
http://www.illinoiswildflowers.info/savanna/plants/fernleaf_foxglove.htm
http://www.duke.edu/~jspippen/plants/aureolaria.htm
http://www.herbnet.com/Herb%20Uses_FGH.htm

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Herbs & Plants

Carpenter’s Square

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Botanical Name :Scrophularia marilandica
Family: Scrophulariaceae – Figwort family
Genus: Scrophularia L. – figwort
Species :Scrophularia marilandica L. – carpenter’s square
Kingdom : Plantae – Plants
Subkingdom: Tracheobionta – Vascular plants
Superdivision: Spermatophyta – Seed plants
Division: Magnoliophyta – Flowering plants
Class: Magnoliopsida – Dicotyledons
Subclass: Asteridae
Order:  Scrophulariales

Common Names:Late Figwort, Maryland Figwort, Carpenter’s Square, or Eastern Figwort

Habitat :Carpenter’s Square is native to throughout eastern and central North America, where it is found growing in dry woods from Manitoba and Quebec south to Texas and Florida.

Description:
Carpenter’s Square is a perennial  flowering plant, grows 1.5-3 m tall, with opposite, ovate leaves up to 15 cm long and 9 cm broad. The flowers are rounded, 8-9 mm long, with a cup-like mouth that look somewhat like a horse’s mouth with a bad overbite; they are a deep reddish-purple color on the inside, with a greenish to almost brown cast on the outside. They are commonly visited by hummingbirds in late summer...CLICK & SEE THE PICTURES
• Flower size: 1/4 inch across
Flower color: brown
• Flowering time: July to August
Cultivation:
Succeeds in most moist soils.

Propagation:
Seed – sow spring in a cold frame. When they are large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots and plant them out in the summer. Division in spring. Larger divisions can be planted out direct into their permanent positions. We have found it best to pot up the smaller divisions and grow them on in a lightly shaded position in a cold frame, planting them out once they are well established in the summer.

Medicinal Uses:

Alterative, appetizer, diaphoretic, vermifuge and vulnerary. A tea made from the roots is diuretic, emmenagogue and tonic. It has been used in the treatment of irregular menses, fevers and piles. A poultice made from the roots is a folk remedy for cancer. Carpenter’s square is said to have similar properties to the knotted figwort, S. nodosa. These properties are:- Knotted figwort is a plant that supports detoxification of the body and it may be used as a treatment for various kinds of skin disorders. The whole plant is alterative, anodyne, anti-inflammatory, diuretic, mildly purgative and stimulant. It is harvested as the plant comes into flower in the summer and can be dried for later use. A decoction is applied externally to sprains, swellings, burns, inflammations etc, and is said to be useful in treating chronic skin diseases, scrofulous sores and gangrene. The leaves can also be applied fresh or be made into an ointment. Internally, the plant is used in the treatment of chronic skin diseases (such as eczema, psoriasis and pruritis), mastitis, swollen lymph nodes and poor circulation. It should not be prescribed for patients with heart conditions. The root is anthelmintic.

A poultice was used to treat skin diseases such as impetigo and cradle cap. The entire plant was used as a tonic, to break a fever by increasing perspiration, to increase urine flow, and to cure intestinal worms. The bark of the plant and the roots were used as treatments for tuberculosis, scabies, and open wounds. The plant was used at various times to increase menstrual flow and treat hemorrhoids. A poultice made from the roots is a folk remedy for cancer. Carpenter’s square is said to have similar properties to the knotted figwort, S. nodosa: supports detoxification of the body and it may be used as a treatment for various kinds of skin disorders.

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://plants.usda.gov/java/profile?symbol=SCMA2
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scrophularia_marilandica
http://www.ct-botanical-society.org/galleries/scrophulariamari.html
http://www.herbnet.com/Herb%20Uses_C.htm

http://www.pfaf.org/user/Plant.aspx?LatinName=Scrophularia+marilandica

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