Month: November 2015

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Herbs & Plants

Saussurea affinis

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Botanical Name : Saussurea affinis
Family: Asteraceae or Compositae
Tribe: Cynareae
Genus: Saussurea
Kingdom: Plantae
Order: Asterales

Synonyms : Hemistepta lyrata. Bunge.

Common Name: Saussurea affinis, Some authorities now say that the correct name of this species is Hemistepta lyrata.

Habitat : Saussurea affinis is native to East Asia– China & Japan etc. It grows on mountain slopes and valleys, plains, hills, forest margins, forests, grassland, wasteland, farmland, riversidesand roadsides from near sea level to 3300 metres with LMH soil and N moisture levels.

Description:
Saussurea affinis is a Biennial plant.It can grow to a height of 0.6 meters and up to meters wide. The flowers are hermaphrodite (have both male and female organs) and are pollinated by Insects...CLICK & SEE THE PICTURES
Cultivation details :…..Succeeds in most soils in a sunny well-drained position.

Propagation:………It is suggested to sow the seed in situ in May. If seed is in short supply then sowing it in a pot in a cold frame would be advisable, planting out in the summer.

Edible Uses :
Edible Parts: Leaves………Leaves and young shoots. No more details are found.

Medicinal Uses:…Women’s complaints………..The juice of the root is given with other herbs in the treatment of diseases of women.

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:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saussurea
http://www.mygarden.net.au/gardening/saussurea-affinis/9248/1
http://www.pfaf.org/user/Plant.aspx?LatinName=Saussurea+affinis

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Corn marigold

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Botanical Name : Glebionis segetum
Family: Asteraceae
Genus: Glebionis
Species: G. segetum
Kingdom: Plantae
Order: Asterales

Synonyms: Chrysanthemum segetum

Common Name : Corn marigold , Field marigold and Corn daisy.

Habitat ;Glebionis segetum is native only to the eastern Mediterranean region but now naturalized in western and northern Europe as well as China and parts of North America. It is a weed of lime-free arable land in Britain.
Description: Glebionis segetum is a herbaceous perennial/annual plant growing to 80 cm tall, with spirally arranged, deeply lobed leaves 5–20 cm long. It is in flower from Jun to August, and the seeds ripen from Jul to September. The flowers are bright yellow, produced in capitulae (flowerheads) 3.5-5.5 cm in diameter, with a ring of ray florets and a centre of disc florets.

CLICK &  SEE  THE  PICTURES
The flowers are hermaphrodite (have both male and female organs) and are pollinated by Bees, flies, beetles, lepidoptera, self.The plant is self-fertile.

Cultivation:
Succeeds in ordinary garden soil, though it prefers a well-drained fertile soil in full sun. Grows well in sandy soils. Dislikes lime. Cultivated as a vegetable in China and Japan. There are several named varieties selected for their ornamental value.

Propagation:
Seed – sow spring in situ. The seed usually germinates within 10 – 18 days at 15°c. Autumn sowings succeed in mild areas[

Edible Uses:
Young shoots – cooked. Strongly aromatic, they contain coumarin. As a beverage, chrysanthemum is very popular as a summertime tea in southern China. Caution is advised, see the notes on toxicity below.

Medicinal Uses:
Chrysanthemum (mum) is a plant. It gets its name from the Greek words for “gold” and “flower.” People use the flowers to make medicine.

Chrysanthemum is used to treat chest pain (angina), high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes, fever, cold, headache, dizziness, and swelling.

In combination with other herbs, chrysanthemum is also used to treat prostate cancer.

CLICK & LEARN MORE : 
Known Hazards: One report suggests that the plant contains coumarin. If this is true it would be unwise to eat the leaves, especially if they are dried, since coumarin can prevent the blood from co-aggulating when there is a cut.
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.pfaf.org/user/Plant.aspx?LatinName=Chrysanthemum+segetum
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glebionis_segetum
http://www.webmd.com/vitamins-supplements/ingredientmono-904-CHRYSANTHEMUM.aspx?activeIngredientId=904&activeIngredientName=CHRYSANTHEMUM

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Anthemis arvensis

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Botanical Name : Anthemis arvensis
Family: Asteraceae
Tribe: Anthemideae
Genus: Anthemis
Species: A. arvensis
Kingdom: Plantae
Order: Asterales

Common Name : Corn Chamomile

Habitat : Anthemis arvensis is native to most of Europe, including Britain, south and east to N. Africa and W. Asia. It is a locally common calcicolous plant of arable land and waste places throughout Britain.

Description:
Anthemis arvensis is a annual plant , growing to 0.4 m (1ft 4in) by 0.3 m (1ft).
It is not frost tender. It is in flower from Jun to July, and the seeds ripen from Jul to August. The flowers are hermaphrodite (have both male and female organs) and are pollinated by Flies, beetles, self.The plant is self-fertile.
CLICK & SEE THE PICTURES : 

Stems – Herbaceous, erect to ascending, from fibrous roots, multiple from the base, branching, arachnoid pubescent (less so near base), carinate at apex, green to red in strong sun.

Leaves – Alternate, pinnately divided. Divisions of leaf pinnatifid. Ultimate leaf divisions acute, minutely mucronate. Leaves to 5cm long, 2cm broad, sparse pubescent and punctate (use lens) adaxially, arachnoid pubescent below. Petiole with fimbriate divisions.

Inflorescence – Single pedunculate flower clusters terminating stems.

Involucre – 1.2cm in diameter, 4-5mm tall. Phyllaries in one or two series, slightly imbricated, to 5mm long, 2mm broad, scarious, with a green midvein, arachnoid pubescent externally, glabrous internally.

Ray flowers – Pistillate, fertile, +/-15 per head. Ligule white, -1.5cm long, 5-6mm broad, glabrous, 2-3-notched at apex, oblong. Corolla tube to 2mm long, greenish. Style bifurcate, exserted. Achene 1.5mm long in flower, light green, glabrous, truncate at base. Pappus none.

Disk flowers – Disk to 1.2cm broad, becoming globose with age. Corolla -3mm long, translucent at base, becoming yellow at apex, 5-lobed, expanded in apical 1/2. Lobes acute, to .6mm long, recurved. Stamens 5, adnate at base of corolla tube constriction. Filaments very short. Anthers yellow, included, 1.1mm long, connate around style. Style barely exserted beyond anthers, translucent-yellow. Stigmatic portion of style .5mm long. Achene translucent in flower, 1.3mm long, glabrous. Pappus none. Receptacle conic. Chaff thin, translucent, 3mm long, .4mm broad, slightly folded, glabrous, acuminate, linear.

Cultivation:
Prefers a sunny position and a well-drained soil that is neutral to slightly acid. Succeeds in heavy clay soils.

Propagation:
Seed – best sown outdoors as soon as it is ripe. Most of the seed germinates in the autumn.

Medicinal Uses:
This species is considered to be one of the best febrifuge species indigenous to France. The flowers and leaves are used. Employed in fevers, colds, and to produce perspiration.

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/Anthemis_arvensis
http://www.herbnet.com/Herb%20Uses_C.htm
http://missouriplants.com/Whitealt/Anthemis_arvensis_page.html
http://www.pfaf.org/user/Plant.aspx?LatinName=Anthemis+arvensis

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Cephalanthus occidentalis

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Botanical Name : Cephalanthus occidentalis
Family: Rubiaceae
Subfamily: Cinchonoideae
Tribe: Naucleeae
Genus: Cephalanthus
Species: C. occidentalis
Kingdom: Plantae
Order: Gentianales

Common Names: Button Bush, Common buttonbush, Button Willow, Honey Bells

Habitat :Cephalanthus occidentalis is native to Eastern N. America – Nova Scotia to Florida, west to Minnesota and California. It is a lowland species, growing along the edges of streams, rivers, lakes, swamps and wet floodplains.

Description:
Cephalanthus occidentalis is a deciduous shrub or small tree that averages 1–3 m (3.3–9.8 ft) in height, but can reach 6 m (20 ft). The leaves are opposite or in whorls of three, elliptic to ovate, 7–18 cm (2.8–7.1 in) long and 4–10 cm (1.6–3.9 in) broad, with a smooth edge and a short petiole. The flowers are arranged in a dense spherical inflorescence 2–3.5 cm (0.79–1.38 in) in diameter on a short peduncle. Each flower has a fused white to pale yellow four-lobed corolla forming a long slender tube connecting to the sepals. The stigma protrudes slightly from the corolla. The fruit is a spherical cluster of achenes (nutlets)....CLICK & SEE THE PICTURES 

Cultivation:
Easily grown in moist, humusy soils in full sun to part shade. Grows very well in wet soils, including flood conditions and shallow standing water. Adapts to a wide range of soils except dry ones. Pruning is usually not necessary, but may be done in early spring to shape. If plants become unmanageable, however, they may be cut back near to the ground in early spring to revitalize.

Propagation :
Seed – It is  suggested  to sow  the seed as soon as it is ripe in an acid compost in a cold frame. Sow stored seed in late winter in a cold frame. When they are large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots and grow them on in a cold frame for at least their first winter. Plant them out into their permanent positions in late spring or early summer, after the last expected frosts. Cuttings of soft or semi-ripe wood, July in a frame. Layering.

Medicinal Uses:
Button bush was often employed medicinally by native North American Indian tribes who used it to treat a range of ailments. It is little used in modern herbalism. A tea made from the bark is astringent, emetic, febrifuge and tonic. A strong decoction has been used to treat diarrhoea and dysentery, stomach complaints, haemorrhages etc. It has been used as a wash for eye inflammations. A decoction of either the roots or the fruits have been used as a laxative to treat constipation The leaves are astringent, diaphoretic, diuretic and tonic. A tea has been used to check menstrual flow and to treat fevers, kidney stones, pleurisy etc. The plant has a folk reputation for relieving malaria. The inner bark has been chewed in the treatment of toothaches.

Other Uses:
Buttonbush is cultivated as an ornamental plant for a nectar source or ‘honey plant’ and for aesthetics in gardens and native plant landscapes, and is planted on slopes to help control erosion. Buttonbush is a suitable shrub for butterfly gardens. Wood – light, tough.

Known Hazards : The leaves contain glucosides and can be toxic in large doses. Symptoms include vomiting, convulsions, chronic spasms and muscular paralysis

Resources:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cephalanthus_occidentalis
http://www.herbnet.com/Herb%20Uses_C.htm
http://www.pfaf.org/user/Plant.aspx?LatinName=Cephalanthus+occidentalis
http://www.missouribotanicalgarden.org/PlantFinder/PlantFinderDetails.aspx?kempercode=g830

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Arctium minus

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Botanical Name : Arctium minus
Family: Asteraceae
Tribe: Cynareae
Genus: Arctium
Species: A. minus
Kingdom: Plantae
Order: Asterales

Common Names : Lesser Burdock, Burweed, Louse-bur, Common burdock,, Button-bur, Cuckoo-button, or Wild rhubarb

Habitat : Arctium minus is native to Europe, but has become an invasive weed in Australia, North and South America, and other places. It grows in waste ground, edges of woods, roadsides etc.

Description:
Arctium minus is a binnial plant.   It can grow up to 1.5 meters (1 to 5 feet) tall and form multiple branches. It is large and bushy. Flowers are prickly and pink to lavender in color. Flower heads are about 3/4 inches (2 cm) wide. The plant flowers from July through October. The flowers resemble and can be easily mistaken for thistles, but burdock can be distinguished by its extremely large (up to 50 cm) leaves and its hooked bracts. Leaves are long and ovate. Lower leaves are heart-shaped and have very wavy margins. Leaves are dark green above and woolly below. It grows an extremely deep taproot, up to 30 cm (12 in) into the ground.
CLICK & SEE THE PICTURES 

The plant produces purple flowers in its second year of growth, from July to October. Outer bracts end in hooks that are like Velcro. After the flower head dries, the hooked bracts will attach to humans and animals in order to transport the entire seedhead.

The flowers are hermaphrodite (have both male and female organs) and are pollinated by Bees, lepidoptera, self.The plant is self-fertile.  It is noted for attracting wildlife.

Cultivation :
Succeeds on most soils, preferably moist. Prefers a sunny position. Prefers partial shade according to another report. A polymorphic species. A good butterfly plant.

Propagation :
Seed – best sown in situ in autumn.

Edible Uses
Edible Parts: Leaves; Root; Seed; Stem.
Edible Uses: Coffee.

Root – raw or cooked. The best roots are obtained from young plants. Usually peeled and sliced. The roasted root is a coffee substitute. Young leaves and leaf stems – raw or cooked. Used as a potherb]. Mucilaginous. It is best to remove the rind from the stem. Young flowering stem – peeled and eaten raw or cooked like asparagus. Seed sprouts.
Medicinal Uses:

Alterative; Antibacterial; Antifungal; Aperient; Blood purifier; Carminative; Cholagogue; Diaphoretic; Diuretic; Hypoglycaemic.

Burdock is one of the foremost detoxifying herbs in both Chinese and Western herbal medicine. Arctium lappa is the main species used, though this species has similar properties. The dried root of one year old plants is the official herb, but the leaves and fruits can also be us. It is used to treat conditions caused by an ‘overload’ of toxins, such as throat and other infections, boils, rashes and other skin problems. The root is thought to be particularly good at helping to eliminate heavy metals from the body. The plant is antibacterial, antifungal and carminative. It has soothing, mucilaginous properties and is said to be one of the most certain cures for many types of skin diseases, burns, bruises etc. It is used in the treatment of herpes, eczema, acne, impetigo, ringworm, boils, bites etc. The plant can be taken internally as an infusion, or used externally as a wash. Use with caution. One-year old roots are alterative, aperient, blood purifier, cholagogue, depurative, diaphoretic, diuretic and stomachic. The seed is alterative, antibacterial, antifungal, antiphlogistic, depurative, diaphoretic, diuretic and hypoglycaemic. It is used in the treatment of colds with sore throat and cough, measles, pharyngitis, acute tonsillitis and abscesses. The crushed seed is poulticed onto bruises. The seed is harvested in the summer and dried for later use. The seed contains arctiin, this excites the central nervous system producing convulsions an increase in respiration and later paralysis. It also lowers the blood pressure by dilating the blood vessels. The leaves are poulticed onto burns, ulcers and sores.

Other Uses:..Paper.…..A fibre is obtained from the inner bark and is used to make paper. It is about 0.9mm long. The stems are harvested in late summer, the leaves are removed and the stems steamed in order to strip off the fibre. The fibres are then cooked for two hours in soda ash before being put in a ball mill for 2 hours. The resulting paper is a light tan/ brown colour.

Known Hazards :Although no reports of toxicity have been seen for this plant, some caution is advised due to the following report for the closely related A. lappa[K]. Care should be taken if harvesting the seed in any quantity since tiny hairs from the seeds can be inhaled and these are toxic.

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/Arctium_minus
http://www.herbnet.com/Herb%20Uses_C.htm
http://www.pfaf.org/user/Plant.aspx?LatinName=Arctium+minus

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