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Herbs & Plants

Caralluma fimbriata

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Botanical Name : Caralluma fimbriata
Family: Apocynaceae
Subfamily: Asclepiadoideae
Genus: Caralluma
Species: C. fimbriata
Kingdom: Plantae
Order: Gentianales

Common Names: Caralluma

Habitat  :  Caralluma fimbriata is native to Asia, the Mediterranean, and Africa.

Description:
Caralluma fimbriata plants are shrubs that tend to grow in small groups to form clumps. The plant can be identified with its angular stems and its leaves are somewhat underdeveloped which look like spines. The flowers of this plant are star shaped and they grow in summer or fall. Its flowers are of many different colors like purple, black, red or yellow. Another distinguishable feature of this plant is that it has an unpleasant smell.
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Edible Uses:
Traditional Uses
In urban India, Caralluma fimbriata grows as a roadside shrub. Some people use this wild plant as boundary marker in their gardens. Traditionally, in rural India, various tribes used it as a vegetable for regular consumption. It is consumed in raw form or is cooked with salt and spices. It can also be preserved as pickles. Its unique qualities of appetite suppression and thirst quenching abilities have been known to many for centuries. For this reason, tribesmen used to pack this plant as a portable food and carry it along with them, when they went for hunting. They also referred to it as ‘famine food’ as this plant could help them to sustain for days together.

Constituents:  pregnane ester glycosides in the aerial parts and leaves of certain species. in addition to these compounds, fiber, proteins, lipids, fatty acids, and aromatic compounds.

Medicinal Uses:

Properties: * Appetite Depressant/Obesity

Caralluma fimbriata has a number of traditional ethnobotanical uses that include: diabetes, leprosy, rheumatism, paralysis, joint pain, migraines, fever, malaria, and inflammation. The species C. fimbriata and C. adscendens var. fimbriata have been used in traditional Indian medicine in this manner. In addition, C. tuberculata has been used as a digestive aid and to treat diabetes. Today most interest is centered on caralluma’s use as an appetite suppressant. Caralluma works in much the same way as hoodia; both hoodia and caralluma contain preganane glycosides thought to aid in weight loss. 1

Caralluma Fimbriata Plant as a Weight Loss Supplement :
Today, one of the most popular uses of Caralluma herb is to prepare the extract, which is included in different weight loss diets. The extract contains concentrated form of the raw ingredients of the plant, which acts as an excellent appetite suppressant. Various research studies have been conducted to understand the mechanism of its weight loss properties. The active ingredients of this herb are pregnane glycosides, megastigmane glycosides, flavone glycosides and saponins. These phytochemicals play a major role controlling body weight. Pregnane glycosides have the ability to block the activities of a number of enzymes such as citrate lyase, etc. This kind of blockage affects formation of fat in the body. In this way, it ensures that no fat is accumulated in the body at all. In this condition, the body is forced to use up its fat reserves. Thus, lots of calories are burned in the process. On the other hand, the components of this herb have inhibitory effects over the hypothalamus in the brain. This part of the brain controls the feeling of thirst and hunger in the human body. When these sensations are suppressed, it facilitates in better appetite control. It has two other positive effects on the body. One is that it improves stamina and endurance really well. Secondly, it has the ability to decrease blood sugar level in the body.

Side Effects of Caralluma Fimbriata Extract:
Studies have found that this plant does not have any toxic component in it that can cause any harm to human health. Even its extract does not have any major side effects. Soon after starting consumption of the plant extract, some people may get minor gastrointestinal problems like upset stomach, flatulence, constipation, etc. Usually, these problems disappear after a few days once the body gets used to the supplement. However, pregnant women and breastfeeding mothers should avoid using this plant extract.

After reading all these qualities of Caralluma fimbriata plant, if you are planning to utilize it for its weight loss properties, then you must keep two things in mind. Firstly, there are several weight loss products that claim to have Caralluma fimbriata extract in them as a component. The amount of extract present in various weight loss products often varies, which in turn can give you varied results. And the second and most important thing is, like in case of any other supplement, it is always advisable to consult your doctor before using this plant extract. The doctor will decide whether it is suitable for you or not and will also recommend the correct dosage for you.

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.buzzle.com/articles/caralluma-fimbriata-plant.html
http://www.anniesremedy.com/herb_detail540.php
http://www.ask.com/wiki/Caralluma_fimbriata?o=3986&qsrc=999

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Herbs & Plants

Arrowleaf Balsamroot

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Botanical Name :Arrowleaf Balsamroot

Family: Asteraceae
Tribe: Heliantheae
Genus: Balsamorhiza
Species: B. sagittata
Kingdom: Plantae
Order: Asterales

Common Name :Balsamorrhiza sagittata

Habitat : Arrowleaf Balsamroot  is native to much of western North America from British Columbia to California to the Dakotas, where it grows in many types of habitat from mountain forests to grassland to desert scrub. It is drought tolerant.

Description:
Arrowleaf Balsamroot is a taprooted perennial herb growing a hairy, glandular stem 20 to 60 centimeters tall. The branching, barky root may extend over two meters deep into the soil. The basal leaves are generally triangular in shape and are large, approaching 50 centimeters in maximum length. Leaves farther up the stem are linear to narrowly oval in shape and smaller. The leaves have untoothed edges and are coated in fine to rough hairs, especially on the undersides.

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The inflorescence bears one or more flower heads. Each head has a center of long yellowish tubular disc florets and a fringe of bright yellow ray florets, each up to 4 centimeters long. The fruit is a hairless achene about 8 millimeters long. Grazing animals find the plant palatable, especially the flowers and developing seed heads.

Edible Uses:  All of the plant can be eaten. It can be bitter and pine-like in taste. The seeds were particularly valuable as food or used for oil

Medicinal Uses:
The root of the plant is sometimes used as an expectorant and mild immunostimulant.  Native Americans used the sticky sap as a topical antiseptic for minor wounds.  Medicinally, the Indians used the large coarse Balsamroot leaves as a poultice for burns. The roots were boiled and the solution was applied as a poultice for wounds, cuts and bruises. Indians also drank a tea from the roots for tuberculosis and whooping cough.  As an antibacterial the tincture may be applied to infections and hard to heal wounds. The tincture of the root and bark may be used internally or externally for bacterial problems. Perhaps the most common use for arrowleaf balsamroot is as an immune system enhancer. Use the tincture as you would Echinacea, taking 1 tsp. twice daily to strengthen the immune system.
Many Native American groups, including the Nez Perce, Kootenai, Cheyenne, and Salish, utilized the plant as a food and medicine.

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/Balsamorhiza_sagittata
http://www.herbnet.com/Herb%20Uses_AB.htm
http://www.fs.fed.us/wildflowers/plant-of-the-week/images/arrowleafbalsamroot/balsamorhiza_sagittata_lg.jpg

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Prairie Clover

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Botanical Name : Dalea purpurea
Family :Fabaceae – Pea family
Genus: Dalea L. – prairie clover
Species: Dalea purpurea Vent. – purple prairie clover
Kingdom :Plantae – Plants
Subkingdom: Tracheobionta – Vascular plants
Superdivision: Spermatophyta – Seed plants
Division :Magnoliophyta – Flowering plants
Class :Magnoliopsida – Dicotyledons
Subclass; Rosidae
Order :Fabales

Synonyms: Petalostemon violaceum. Michx.

Common Name : Clover, Velvet Prairie,Prairie Clover

Habitat :Native in Eastern and central United States. It grows in dry desert and alluvial soils to 2000 metres. Sandy prairies in Texas.

Description:
Purple prairie clover is a perennial forb, 8 to 35 inches (20-90 cm) tall, with a woody stem. The numerous leaves are 0.4-1.6 inches (1-4 cm) long, with 3 to 7 leaflets. The inflorescence is a 0.4- to 2.6-inch (1-7 cm) spike located at the ends of the branches. Branches are numerous, usually 3 per stem, but sometimes as many as 10 to 12. The mature purple prairie clover has a coarse, nonfibrous root system with a strong woody taproot that is 5.5 to 6.5 feet (1.7-2.0 m) deep. The taproot gives rise to several minutely branched lateral roots. The fruit is a 1- to-2-seeded pod enclosed in bracts

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Bloom Time: June – August
Bloom Color: Rose/Purple

Cultivation :
Requires a well-drained soil in full sun. A deep-rooted plant, it prefers a sandy loam with added leaf mould. This species is well-suited to informal and naturalistic plantings, especially as part of a collection of native species. Plants are monocarpic, living for a number of years without flowering and then dying after flowering. The stems, leaves and flowers are dotted with glands, making the plant look blistered. This species has a symbiotic relationship with certain soil bacteria, these bacteria form nodules on the roots and fix atmospheric nitrogen. Some of this nitrogen is utilized by the growing plant but some can also be used by other plants growing nearby.

Propagation :
Seed – pre-soak for 12 hours in warm water and sow in early spring in a greenhouse. When they are large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots and plant them out into their permanent positions in the summe

Edible Uses:
Edible Parts: Root.
 Tea.…….The root was used for chewing. A pleasant sweet flavour. The dried leaves are a tea substitute

Medicinal Uses:
This was one of the favored plants of the Native Americans of the prairies. A tea made from the leaves was applied to open wounds and a tea made from the bruised leaves steeped in hot water was used to aid in the healing of wounds as well. Some tribes pulverized the root and made a tea from that powder that was a very healthy drink and a preventative medicine. Some tribes used the entire plant as a prophylactic. Early settlers mixed the bark of the white oak tree and the flowers of this species to make a medicine for diarrhea.  The Chippewa Indians made a decoction of the leaves and blossoms to be used in the treatment of heart problems. The Meskwaki Indians used it to treat diarrhea, and they also made an infusion of the roots in the treatment of measles. The Navajo used the plant to treat pneumonia.

A poultice of the steeped bruised leaves has been applied to fresh wounds. A decoction of the leaves and blossoms has been used in the treatment of heart problems, diarrhoea. An infusion of the roots has been used in the treatment of measles.
Other Uses: Broom……The tough, elastic stems have been made into brooms.

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.mobot.org/gardeninghelp/plantfinder/plant.asp?code=J970
http://www.prairienursery.com/store/index.php?main_page=product_plant_info&products_id=197
http://www.herbnet.com/Herb%20Uses_C.htm
http://www.fs.fed.us/database/feis/plants/forb/dalpur/all.html#DISTRIBUTION AND OCCURRENCE
http://plants.usda.gov/java/profile?symbol=DAPU5&photoID=dapu5_4v.jpg

http://www.pfaf.org/user/Plant.aspx?LatinName=Dalea+purpurea

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Herbs & Plants

Calliopsis

Botanical Name :Coreopsis tinctoria
Family: Asteraceae
Genus: Coreopsis
Species: C. tinctoria
Kingdom: Plantae
Order: Asterales

Common Name :Calliopsis ,:Plains coreopsis, golden tickseed

Habitat :Calliopsis is common to much of the United States, especially the Great Plains and southern states .

Description:
Calliopsis is an annual forb. The small, slender seeds germinate in fall (overwintering as a low rosette) or early spring. Growing quickly, plants attain heights of 12 to 40 inches (30–100 cm). Leaves are pinnately-divided, glabrous and tending to thin at the top of the plant where numerous 1- to 1.5-inch (2.5-to 4-cm) flowers sit atop slender stems. Flowers are brilliant yellow with maroon or brown centers of various sizes. Flowering typically occurs in mid-summer.

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Cultivation:
Plains coreopsis grows well in many types of soil, but seems to prefer sandy or well-drained soils. Although somewhat drought-tolerant, naturally growing plants are usually found in areas with regular rainfall. It is often grows in disturbed areas such as roadsides or cultivated fields. Preferring full sun, it will also grow in partial shade.

Because of its easy growing habits and bright, showy flowers such as Roulettte (tiger stripes of gold on a deep mahogany ground), Plains coreopsis is increasingly used for landscape beautification and in flower gardens.

Medicinal Uses:
Native Americans chewed the leaves for toothache, and applied a poultice of them to skin sores and bruises.  The powdered root in warm water was used as a wash for sore eyes.  A tea made of the root was used for stomachache, diarrhea, and fever. This plant is an effective astringent and hemostatic, with its effects lasting the length of the intestinal tract and therefore of use in dysentery and general intestinal inflammations.  It may be used as a systemic hemostatic; when drunk after a sprain or major bruise or hematoma will help stabilize the injury and facilitate quicker healing.  The tea will also lessen menstrual flow.  A few leaves in a little water or a weak tea is a soothing eyewash.

Other Uses:This plant is used mainly for landscape beautification.  It has potential for use in cultivated, garden situations, in naturalized prairie or meadow plantings, and along roadsides.

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.

Sources:
http://www.herbnet.com/Herb%20Uses_C.htm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plains_coreopsis
http://plants.usda.gov/java/profile?symbol=COTI3&photoID=coti3_004_ahp.tif

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Castilleja linariaefolia

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Botanical Name : Castilleja linariaefolia
Family  : Scrophulariaceae / Orobanchaceae
Genus
;  Castilleja

KingdomPlantae
Order: Lamiales
Species: 
C. linariifolia

Synonym:Castilleja linearis/Castilleja traainii

Common Name: Wyoming Indian Paintbrush

Habitat :Native to United States and is the state flower of Wyoming. South-western N. America.   It grows on dry plains and hills, usually with sagebrush, and in hills to 3,000 metres.

Description:
Castilleja linariaefolia  is a  perennial   herbaceous   plant , grows up to 1 meter in height and has linear leaves which are between 20 and 80 mm in length and have up to 3 lobes. The flowers, which consist of a red to yellow calyx and yellow-green floral tube, appear in panicles or spikes between June and September in its native range.

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It is hardy to zone 0. The flowers are hermaphrodite (have both male and female organs)This plant is attractive to bees, butterflies and/or birds. Drought-tolerant; suitable for xeriscaping.

Cultivation:The plant prefers light (sandy), medium (loamy) and heavy (clay) soils. The plant prefers acid, neutral and basic (alkaline) soils. It can grow in semi-shade (light woodland) or no shade. It requires moist soil: Self-sows freely; deadhead if you do not want volunteer seedlings next season. Seed does not store well; sow as soon as possible

Propagation: From seed; direct sow after last frost

Edible Uses
Flowers

Medicinal Uses
Treats skin diseases, kidney disorders and leprosy. A decoction of the plant has been used in the treatment of excessive menstrual discharge and other menstrual difficulties, and also to prevent conception. A decoction of the leaves has been used during pregnancy in order to keep the baby small and thus lead to an easier labour. The root is cathartic. A decoction has been used as a blood purifier. When taken over a long period of time, a decoction of the root is said to be an effective treatment for venereal disease. The plant has been used to treat stomach aches.

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/database/plants.php?Castilleja+linariaefolia
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Castilleja_linariifolia

http://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/go/73750/index.html

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