Category: Herbs & Plants

Sharp-Lobed Hepatica

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Botanical Name:Hepatica acutilobasm
Family:Buttercup (Ranunculaceae)

Common name(s): Sharp-lobed hepatica, heart liverleaf, sharp-lobed liverwort, spring beauty, may-flower
Other Name:Liverwort, Herbally,

Range & Habitat: Sharp-Lobed Hepatica is occasional in wooded areas of central and northern Illinois; it is uncommon or absent in southern Illinois (see Distribution Map). Habitats include upland deciduous woodlands, rocky bluffs, the slopes of bluffs, and limestone cliffs (where some shade occurs). Sharp-Lobed Hepatica occurs in high quality wooded areas where the original flora is largely intact. Sometimes it is cultivated as a rock garden plant. While Sharp-Lobed Hepatica is native to North America, the typical variety of Hepatica, Hepatica nobilis nobilis, occurs in Eurasia.
Grows in moist woods, blooming in early spring.

Description: This native perennial plant is about 3-6″ tall. It consists of a tuft of basal leaves that develops during the late spring and persists through the winter. These leaves are up to 3″ long and across; they have slender petioles up to 6″ long. Each leaf is palmately divided into 3 lobes; the lobes are oval-ovate and approximately the same size. The smooth upper surface of each leaf can be green, brownish green, reddish brown, or contain patches of the preceding colors; usually, the upper surface is more green during the summer, but become reddish brown during the winter. The leaf margins are smooth; for var. acuta, the tips of the lobes are rather pointed in mature leaves.
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A mature plant will produce a tuft of flowers on long stalks during early to mid-spring, by which time the basal leaves that persisted during the winter may have withered away. Each flower occurs on a naked hairy stalk about 3-4″ long; this stalk is often reddish green or reddish brown. The flower may be erect or it may nod on its stalk. Each flower is up to 1″ across, consisting of 5-11 petal-like sepals, a green cluster of carpels in its center, and numerous white stamens surrounding the carpels. The sepals are white, pastel pink, or pastel blue; each sepal is oblong-oval in shape. At the base of each flower, there are 3 leafy bracts that are lanceolate, ovate, or oval in shape. These bracts are reddish green or reddish brown, hairy across the outer surface, and shorter than the sepals. The blooming period occurs during early to mid-spring and lasts about 2-3 weeks for a colony of plants; however, individual flowers are short-lived. The carpels turn brown and become beaked achenes that are often pubescent. The root system consists of a tuft of fibrous roots. This plant spreads by reseeding itself.

Foilage: Broad and heart-shaped, the leaves get up to 2″ in breadth and width. They tend to be dark green and leathery with a smooth surface above, although the undersides are covered with dense hairs.
In autumn, the leaves turn shades of russet and purple to persist through winter. It is critical that the leaves remain during the winter months, as the plant continues to use them as a source of nourishment.

Taxonomic description: 3-lobed, acute or acutish, toothed or lobed again, 2″ long and broad leathery. Basal and long-stalked, densely pubescent below and smooth above.

Flowers:Ranging from pale pink or lavender-purple to pure white, these flowers seem to last forever. First opening in mid-March in the Chicago area, they last up to two months before fading. At up to 1″ in diameter, they’re fairly noticeable. Interestingly enough, this species has no petals, but instead presents showy bracts surrounding a large number of delicate sepals, which in turn frame dainty yellow stamens.

Taxonomic description: 1/2 to 1″ across, pale pink-purple or white, in spring. Apetalous, but 6-15 oblong or oval, obtuse, sepals and numerous small yellow stamens central. Perfect, calyx 3-lobed. Borne singularly on upright stalks.

Fruit:Supposedly a favorite of chipmunks, the fruit is present appears in early summer. Oblong and sharp-pointed, they can get up to 2″ long and are covered with silky hairs.

Taxonomic description: 2″ long hairy, oblong, and acute achenes in early summer.

Cultivation: The preference is dappled sunlight during the spring and light shade during the summer. The basal leaves should be left undisturbed during the winter. The soil should be well-drained, loamy, and can contain some rocky material, including pieces of limestone; a thin-layer of decaying leaves is also beneficial.

Medicinal uses: Hepatica has been used as a liver remedy, though not used in modern medicine. So named according to doctrine of signatures.
Although Hepatica is no longer popular as an herbal remedy, it does act as a mild astringent and diuretic. It is also supposed to stimulate gall bladder production, resulting in limited success as a laxative.
Although the leaves will stop bleeding, they are also extremely irritating to the skin and should not be placed on open wounds. Large doses can produce symptoms of poisoning.

However, not too long ago Hepatica was viewed as the cure-all for most ailments. The Greeks named the plant ‘heper’, meaning liver (named after the leaf shape), and prescribed it for liver disorders. It was believed that a dose of liverleaf cured all liver diseases or their symptoms: freckles, indigestion, or cowardice.

In North America, Native Americans used the plant as a tea to soothe coughs, irritated throats, and as a wash for sore breasts.

By the 1820’s Hepatica had fallen into disuse throughout Europe, but its popularity in America was rapidly growing. In 1859 it was the prime ingredient in “Dr. Roder’s Liverwort and Tar Sirup”, and was often used as a cure for kidney problems. In the 1883 over 450,000 pounds of dried leaves were harvested for export or domestic use, although its effectiveness was often a reason for debate amongst doctors. For this reason it eventually fell into disuse once again.

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.illinoiswildflowers.info/woodland/plants/hepatica.htm
http://www.hort.net/profile/ran/hepac/

Tags Biology, Flora and Fauna, Illinois, Leaf, Leaf shape, North America, Perennial plant, Plantae

Herbs & Plants

Greek Valerian

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Botanical Name: Polemonium reptans
Family: Polemoniaceae
Other Names: Abscess Root, Blue Bells, Jacob’s Ladder, Creeping Jacob’s Ladder, False Jacob’s Ladder, Greek Valerian, Onechte Jacobsladder, Polemonie Fausse, Sweatroot

Habitat: Greek Valerian is a Subshrub, grows in moist low or rocky woods, at the bases of bluffs and slopes, along wooded streams and in ravines and valleys. Jacob’s Ladder or Greek Valerian grows wild from New York to Minnesota, south to Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi, Arkansas, and Oklahoma.

Description: Polemonium reptans has attractive leaves and clusters of beautiful small 1/2 inch wide pale blue bell shaped flowers.Each of the Greek valerian flowers has five petals that are united to form a bell-shaped corolla with flared lobes, and has five stamens and one pistil.

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A perennial native herb found growing in rich woods, damp ground and along shady river banks in Eastern N. America from New York to Minnesota, south to Kansas and Georgia. Cultivation: Greek Valerian is easily cultivated from seed or root division, it prefers moist, well drained, sandy soil in a shady position. It has slender, creeping roots, and can multiply very quickly. The stems are multiple as many as 10 to one plant they are branched and grow to 12 inches high. Leaves form a rosette at the base, and grow in alternate pairs on the stem, they are pinnate with six to eight opposite pairs of leaflets. The nodding, blue to purple flowers grow in loose, terminal clusters. Greek Valerian flowers bloom from March to May. Gather roots in fall, whole plants in spring. Dry for later herb use. The flowers are edible, taste good in salad.

Medicinal Uses: Greek Valerian roots have been used for kidney troubles and as a diuretic. It is used in alternative medicine, the roots are alterative, astringent, diaphoretic, expectorant and pectoral, and can be taken as an infusion with water or as a medicinal tincture with alcohol, in the treatment of coughs, colds, bronchitis, laryngitis, tuberculosis, feverish and inflammatory diseases, including abscess and skin conditions. A decoction of the whole plant is used as a hair rinse. The plant is rarely used in herbalism today.

Valerian (Valeriana officinalis), a safe and effective natural sedative, calms both mind and body. Clinical research demonstrates that standardized Valerian extract effectively relieves anxiety-related insomnia and suggests that Valerian extract may be comparable to some prescription anti-anxiety drugs for relieving anxiety. Unlike many drugs, however, Valerian is not addictive or habit-forming when taken in recommended doses.

Folklore:
Formerly used internally in the treatment of a wide range of conditions ranging from headaches to fevers and epilepsy-Culpepper says of it:

‘It is under Mercury, and is alexipharmic, sudorific, and cephalic, and useful in malignant fevers and pestilential distempers; it helps in nervous complaints, headaches, trembling, palpitations of the heart, vapours, etc. It is good in hysteric cases, and epilepsies have been cured by the use of this herb.’
Because Greek Valerian has a smell that attracts cats it was believed by witch hunters to be planted only by witches for the pleasure of their familiars. It was also used for the bites of venomous snakes and insects.

Recipe:
Infusion: Add 1 tsp. dried root to 1 cup water steep for 10 min. take in tbls. doses throughout the day, for coughs, colds, congestion.

Resources:
http://www.easywildflowers.com/quality/pol.rep.htm
http://plants.usda.gov/java/profile?symbol=PORE2&photoID=pore2_003_avp.tif
http://seredyn.com/formula_valerian.html?gclid=CM70gIbyx5cCFQkvpAodeCWFTA
http://www.all-creatures.org/picb/wfshl-greekvalerian.html

Tags Alternative Medicine, Herbalism, Insomnia, Medicine, Minnesota, New York, Polemonium, Valerian

Herbs & Plants

Goat’s Rue

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Botanical Name:Tephrosia virginiana
Family: Fabaceae
Subfamily: Faboideae
Kingdom: Plantae
Division: Magnoliophyta
Class: Magnoliopsida
Order: Fabales
Tribe: Loteae
Genus: Galega
Species: G. officinalis
Parts used: The aboveground parts (talks, leaves and flowers) are collected and dried during the flowering period.

Other Names: American Garden Rue, Catgut, Devil’s Shoestring, Rabbit-pea, Horey turkey peas, Virginia Pea, Virginia Tephrosia, Cheese renet, herba ruta caprariae
Common Names:Galega officinalis, French lilac, Italian fitch or professor-weed.
Habitat:Goat’s rue originates from Europe and Middle East. Goat’s rue is native to Europe and eastern Asia. It was introduced to the western U.S. in the late 1800s as a possible forage crop.Goat’s rue is planted as fodder for animals. Goat’s rue is said to increase the milk production of goats, hence its name. Juice from Goat’s rue was used to clot milk for cheese production. There are also reports of cattle which died after eating goat’s rue.

Now, Native to Eastern N. America from New Hampshire to Florida, west to Texas and Manitoba. Found growing in dry sandy woods, openings, fields, and roadsides.

Description & Cultivation:Goat’s rue is a leguminous perennial herb with a height up to 1 meter. The erect stems bear pinnately compound leaves consisting of several pairs of lance shaped leaflets. The legume flowers are white or pink and produce small cylindrical pods.
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Goat’s Rue is fairly easy to grow, it is a deep rooted plant, requiring a moist, deep, light or medium very well-drained soil in a sunny position. Goat’s Rue has a symbiotic relationship with soil bacteria, these bacteria form nodules on the roots and fix nitrogen. Some of this nitrogen can be used by other plants growing nearby. Goat’s Rue is 1 to 2 ft. tall, covered with silky silver hairs. Root is long and tough, stems erect and branched. Leaves are alternate, compound (pinnately) and divided into 8-14 pairs of narrow oblong leaflets and one leaflet at the tip. Flower clusters are terminal racemes atop the plant. Each of the large flowers is pea like, 1/2 to 3/4 in. long, yellowish at the top, and purplish-pink below. When cultivated there may be 20 to 30 flowers per raceme and up to 200 flowers per plant. The flowers have a faint but definite pleasant aroma and bees visit them often for nectar. Flowers blooms from May through August. The root is a source of the natural insecticide ‘rotenone’, especially effective against flying insects but relatively harmless to animals. Cattle do graze on it but the plant is said to be toxic in large or strong doses. Gather after flowers bloom, dry for later herb use. Plant is not edible.

Distribution:
In 1891, goat’s rue was introduced to Cache County, Utah, for use as a forage crop. It escaped cultivation and is now a weed and agricultural pest, though it is still confined to that county. As a result it has been placed on the Federal Noxious Weed List in the United States. It was collected in Colorado, Connecticut and New York prior to the 1930s, and in Maine and Pennsylvania in the 1960s, but no more collections have been made in these areas since and the populations are presumed to have died out. It has also been found in Argentina, Chile, Ecuador, and New Zealand.

Phytochemicals: Goat’s Rue contains the following phytochemicals: Galegine, Peganine, Vasicinone, Luteolin, Carnavine, Saponins, Flavonoids, Tannins

Medicinal Uses & Properties
Goat’s rue is a diaphoretic, galactagogue and hypoglycaemic. The phytochemical galegin lowers the blood sugar levels and explains why goat?s rue is used to treat diabetes mellitus. Studies have shown that extracts from goat’s rue inhibits the transport of glucose in the cells. It is not recommended to use goat?s rue for self medication of diabetes because diabetes is a serious condition and it?s difficult to standardize the strength of the active components.
Goat’s rue has also diuretic properties. Goat’s rue is also used to treat skin problems such as skin ulcers and to increase the milk production of nursing mothers.

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Goat’s Rue was much used by Native Americans who considered it to be an aphrodisiac and most useful in restoring manhood to those with impotency and as a female herb to restore a woman’s beauty and health. The root is used in alternative medicine as an antirheumatic, anthelmintic, diaphoretic, diuretic, emmenagogue, febrifuge, galactagogue, pectoral, restorative and tonic. A medicinal herb tea is used to treat rheumatism, bladder problems, fever, hard coughs, impotency, to expel intestinal worms, irregular menstruation and to increase the flow of breast milk. Goat’s Rue is used cosmetically in hand and foot bathes. Experimentally, the root has shown both anticancer and cancer-causing activity. research on this herb and its chemical constituents is ongoing and early results are proving to show it may be useful in Diabetes, Alzheimer’s and many other disorders. The root is a source of the insecticide ‘rotenone’ found to be especially effective against flying insects but appears to be relatively harmless to animals.
Folklore:
Used by Indians to poison fish. A medicinal tea made from the roots is said to make children muscular and strong. A cold herb tea was used for male potency. Goat’s Rue earned the names Devil’s Shoestring and Catgut from its tough rootstocks. A decoction of the roots has been used as a hair shampoo to prevent hair loss.

Goat’s Rue has been known since the Middle Ages for relieving the symptoms of diabetes mellitus. Upon analysis, it turned out to contain guanidine, a substance that decreases blood sugar by decreasing insulin resistance.

Chemical derivatives from the biguanide class of medication include metformin (Glucophage, commonly prescribed for diabetics) and the older, withdrawn agent phenformin.

Goat’s Rue is also cited by the SAS Survivial Guide by John “Lofty” Wiseman, as having a sedative effect on fish. The roots and flowers are the most potent, but the most common method is to simply crush the entire plant and throw into a body of water with restricted flow. The fish that then float to the top are safe to consume.

Resources:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Galega_officinalis
http://www.phytochemicals.info/plants/goat-rue.php

http://threatsummary.forestthreats.org/threats/threatSummaryViewer.cfm?threatID=258

Tags Conditions and Diseases, Devil, Diabetes mellitus, Flower, Galega officinalis, Goat, Health, Herbalism, Medication, Middle East, Native Americans in the United States, New Hampshire, Plant, Root, United States

Herbs & Plants

Feverfew

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Botanical Name:Tanacetum parthenium
Family: Asteraceae
Kingdom: Plantae
Division: Magnoliophyta
Class: Magnoliopsida
Order: Asterales
Genus: Tanacetum
Species: T. parthenium
Other Names: Altamisa, Amargosa, Bachelor’s Button, Feverfew, Flirtwort, Manzanilla, Featherfew, Featherfoil, Wild Chamomile

synonyms: Chrysanthemum parthenium (L.) Bernh. and Pyrethrum parthenium (L.) Sm.

Parts Used: Leaves and flowers in extract, infusion, and dried in capsules.
Habitat: Native to southwest Europe and was brought to America originally as an ornamental. It is commercially cultivated in Japan, Africa and Europe. Greek and European herbalists traditionally used it to reduce fevers.

Description: Feverfew is a hearty perennial that will produce an abundant supply of blossoms. It prefers full sun or partial shade and well-drained average soil.Feverfew is a traditional medicinal herb which is found in many old gardens, and is also occasionally grown for ornament. The plant grows into a small bush up to around 18 inches high, with citrus-scented leaves and is covered by flowers reminiscent of daisies. It spreads rapidly, and they will cover a wide area after a few years.

You may click to see pictures of Feverfew

The leaves have a refreshing aromatic aroma. Growing to 2 1/2 feet the stem is upright, erect, hairy, finely furrowed and branching. Strongly aromatic leaves are alternate, hairless, toothed, light green about 4 inches long, and divided into broad, lobed segments. The lower leaves are bipinnate with oval shaped leaflets. Many daisy-like flower heads (composite) bloom June-August, with white ray flowers surrounding nearly flat yellow centers, growing to about 1 inch across. Gather entire plant in bloom, dry for later use.

Cultivation: A very easily grown plant, it succeeds in an ordinary garden soil, plants can even be grown in walls.

Medicinal Uses: Feverfew is edible and medicinal. has a good reputation as alternative medicine and extensive research has proved it to be of special benefit in the treatment of certain types of migraine headaches and rheumatism or arthritis. The plant is rich in sesquiterpene lactones, the principal one being parthenolide. Parthenolide helps prevent excessive clumping of platelets and inhibits the release of certain chemicals, including serotonin and some inflammatory mediators. Constituents of Feverfew are Volatile oils, containing pinene and several pinene derivatives, bornylacetate and angelate, costic acid, b-farnesine and spiroketalenol ethers. Other constituents include essential oils, flavonoid glycosides, pinene derivatives and costic acid. Feverfew should be taken regularly to receive maximum benefit and protection from migraines. The leaves and flowering heads are antiinflammatory, antispasmodic, aperient, bitter, carminative, emmenagogue, sedative, stimulant, stomachic, vasodilator and vermifuge. An infusion made from the whole plant is used in the treatment of arthritis, colds, fevers, as a sedative and to regulate menses. Also used as a foot bath for swollen feet. Applied externally as a tincture, the plant is used in the treatment of bruises. Chewing several leaves a day has proven to be effective in preventing some migraine headaches. Feverfew’s sedative properties make it useful in hysterical complaints, nervousness, low spirits, and is a general tonic. Also said to be good as a syrup for coughs, wheezing and breathing difficulties. The dried flower buds are said to have the same properties as pyrethrum, and used as an insecticide. An essential oil from the plant is used in perfumery.

Parthenion is the Greek word for girl. Feverfew is Elizabethan English and comes from febrifuge, an old medical term for a medicine that reduces fever. Feverfew is an effective remedy for migraine. Parthenolide appears to inhibit the release of the hormone serotonin that triggers migraine. It has also been shown to reduce fever, hence the name Feverfew.

Feverfew has been used for reducing fever, for treating headaches, arthritis and digestive problems. It is hypothesized that by inhibiting the release of serotonin and prostaglandins, both of which are believed to aid the onset of migraines, feverfew limits the inflammation of blood vessels in the head. This would, in theory, stop the blood vessel spasm which is believed to contribute to headaches. The active ingredients in feverfew include parthenolide and tanetin. Capsules or tablets of feverfew generally contain at least 205 mcg. parthenolide; however, it might take four to six weeks before they become effective, and feverfew is not a remedy for acute migraine attacks. Parthenolide has also been found recently in 2005 to induce cell death in leukemia cancer stem cells.

Recently, feverfew has been used by Aveeno skincare brand to calm red and irritated skin.

The herb has a long history of use in traditional and folk medicine as a treatment for disorders often controlled by aspirin, such as fever, headaches and some of the accompanying symptoms such as nausea and depression.

Recently feverfew has been gaining fame as a effective treatment for migraine headaches. It may also help ease diseases caused by chronic inflammation such as arthritis. It is an aromatic plant with a strong and lasting odor, it has been used externally as an insect repellent and for treating insect bites.

It is the combination of ingredients in the feverfew plant that brings such effective relief. It works to inhibit the release of two inflammatory substances, serotonin and prostaglandins, both believed to contribute to the onset of migraines. By inhibiting these amines as well as the production of the chemical histamine, the herb controls inflammation that constricts the blood vessels in the head, and prevents blood vessel spasms which may contribute to headaches.

The plant is rich in sesquiterpene lactones, the principal one being parthenolide. Other constituents include essential oils, flavonoid glycosides, pinene derivatives and costic acid. Feverfew should be taken regularly to receive maximum benefit and protection from migraines.

The tea, drunk cold, may also relieve skin perspiration associated with migraines, and has been used to stimulate appetite, and improve digestion and kidney function.

Clinical tests have shown the use of feverfew may reduce of frequency and severity of headaches. It may be more effective than other nonsteroidal antiinflammatories (NSAIDS), like aspirin. Additional benefits include lower blood pressure, less stomach irritation and a renewed sense of well-being.

It may also relieve dizziness, tinnitus, and painful or sluggish menstruation. Its extracts have been claimed to relieve asthma, coughs, dermatitis and worms.

Common Use: The herb has historically been used as remedy for headache, inflammation and as a general substitute for ailments treated with aspirin. Its most popular use is for the prevention of migraine headaches and associated symptoms. Pregnant women should not use the herb, and some people have developed mouth ulcers or experienced loss of taste from eating the fresh leaves.

The herb has been used since Roman times to induce menstruation. It is given in difficult births to aid expulsion of the placenta. It has not been shown to cause uterine contractions, but because of its history in promoting menstruation pregnant women should probably not use it.

In South America where feverfew is naturalized, it has been effective for colic, stomachahe, morning sickness and kidney pains. In Costa Rica, it has also been employed as a digestive aid and emmenagogue. Mexicans have used it as a sitz bath to regulate menstruation as well as an antispasmodic and tonic.

Feverfew is useful for cats as an alternative to aspirin, which is toxic to felines. Use a glycerin-based tincture or a cooled tea with a dose of 12-20 drops of the tincture or ? tsp of a strong tea for each 20 pounds of the animal?s weight, twice daily. Pets can be bathed in a cooled tea as a flea rinse.

CAUTION:Adverse effects include: gastrointestinal distress, mouth ulcers, and antiplatelet actions. Feverfew should not be used during pregnancy because of the stimulant action on the womb. The fresh leaves may cause mouth ulcers in sensitive people.

Recipe
Infusion: TO 1 oz. of dry herb add a pint of boiling water, allowed to cool, take in half cup doses 3 times a day.
The dried flowers and plant are used as a flavoring in cooking to give food a deliciously aromatic bitter taste.

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.kcweb.com/herb/feverfew.htm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Feverfew
http://www.herbalextractsplus.com/feverfew.cfm

http://www.piam.com/mms_garden/plants.html

http://www.pfaf.org/user/Plant.aspx?LatinName=Tanacetum+parthenium

Tags Asteraceae, Blood vessel, Conditions and Diseases, Essential oil, Feverfew, Flower, Headache, Health, Herbalism, Inflammation, Japan, Medicine, Migraine, Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug, Parthenolide, Plant

Herbs & Plants

Rabbit Tobacco

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Botanical Name: Pseudognaphalium obtusifolium
Family:   Asteraceae
Genus:   Pseudognaphalium
Species:   P. obtusifolium
Kingdom:Plantae
Order:   Asterales

Common Name: Rabbit Tobacco, Sweet Everlasting, Sweet White Balsam, Fragrant Life Everlasting, Fuzzy Gussy , Gnaphalium Obtusifolium. Indian Posy, Cat’s Foot Gnaphalium obtusifolium,

Habitat: Found in Dry open areas.Native plant of the eastern United States. Most of eastern North America. Arlington Texas.

Description:
Plant Type: This is a herbaceous plant, it is a annual which can reach 80cm in height (30inches). It is sometimes a biennial. The plant is covered with a cottony down.These annual herbs reach a height of 1 to 3 feet and have erect stems with brown, shriveled leaves persisting into winter and stems covered with felt-like hairs in summer.Erect, cottony stem bears branched clusters of whitish-yellow, round, fragrant flower heads. The leaves are 1 to 3 inches long, and alternate. The flowers, minute in whitish heads, appear in late summer to fall.

Leaves: The leaves are alternate. Each leaf is entire, narrow and, like the rest of the plant, wooly
Flowers: The flower parts are not discernable with the naked eye and are up to 1cm long (0.4 inches) and are up to 0.5cm wide (0.2 inches). They are whitish to light brown. Blooms first appear in mid summer and continue into mid fall.

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Everlastings in abandoned fields or seasonally mowed areas especially slopes for it is not fond of low or damp areas. The plant is slightly aromatic and has a distinctive color and form. Even in the dead of winter it is easy to spot. Harvested while still fresh the flowers will remain intact for a long time.

The Cherokee named it rabbit tobacco because they believe it was the rabbit who took attended the plant.Unmistakable by its creamy appearance in the still green background of the early fall meadows. Leaves long, elliptical and silver green colored. Plant up to one meter high. Unusual fragrance. Can be smoked for respiratory ailments or made into a relaxing tea. A common tobacco substitute used by young boys in rural areas.

Lore: There are many accounts of Everlasting being smoked in place of tobacco by Native Americans and settlers alike and the smoke held a spiritual or mystic power for many Indians. The Cheyenne dropped the leaves on hot coals and used the smoke to purify gifts to the spirits. Cheyenne warriors chewed the leaves and rubbed there body’s with it to strengthen and protect them in battle. The Menomini used the smoke after a death to keep the ghost of a the dead from bringing nightmares and bad luck to the surviving family members. The Potawatomi and the Chippewa use the smoke to drive away sprits (witches) from their dwellings. The Cherokees used it in sweat baths. It was also thought by many tribes that the smoke had a restorative power that could revive the unconscious or paralyzed.(Erichsen-Brown) The fresh juice has some reputation as an aphrodisiac(Newcomb) though how it is used or how much I, sadly, do not know.

Medical Uses: Everlasting is certainly astringent and is commonly thought to be sedative, diuretic and a very mild pain reliever. Both the smoke and a leaf tea have been use to treat various throat and bronchial conditions from colds to asthma and especially for coughs. It is also used for diarrhea. Sores on the skin and in the mouth are poulticed with it as are bruises and it has been highly recommended for burns.

Similar Species: Clammy Everlasting (P. macounii) is very similar. The leaves are wider at the base and clasp the stem whereas the leaves or Sweet Everlasting taper slightly at the base.

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Pearly Everlasting (Anaphalis margaritacea) (note that it is a different genus) also is very similar. It has wider flower heads that are almost pure white. It is a perennial. This plant is often used in dried flower arrangements. Male and female flowers are on different plants. It’s range extends only as far south as the Virginias.
Less similar are members of the Antennaria genus Pussytoes .

Resources:
http://2bnthewild.com/plants/H64.htm
http://www.termpaperslab.com/term-papers/48712.html
http://www.wildflower.org/plants/result.php?id_plant=PSOB3

.https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pseudognaphalium_obtusifolium