Categories
Herbs & Plants

Trilisa odoratissima

Botanical Name : Trilisa odoratissima
Family: Asteraceae
Tribe: Eupatorieae
Genus: Trilisa
Kingdom: Plantae
Order: Asterales

Synonyms: Carphephorus odoratissimus (Trilisa odoratissima, Liatris odoratissima

Common Names : Deertongue , Vanilla Plant, Vanillaleaf

Habitat :Trilisa odoratissima is native to South-eastern N. America – North Carolina to Florida, west to Missouri. It grows low pinelands. Pine barrens.
Description:
Trilisa odoratissima is a perennial plant, growing to 1 m (3ft 3in). It is in flower in September. The flowers are hermaphrodite (have both male and female organs) and are pollinated by Insects….CLICK &  SEE  THE  PICTURES

Suitable for: light (sandy) and medium (loamy) soils. Suitable pH: acid, neutral and basic (alkaline) soils and can grow in very acid soils.
It can grow in semi-shade (light woodland) or no shade. It prefers moist soil.

Cultivation:
Grows well in any moderately good light soil. Plants grow in very acid soils in the wild.

Propagation :
Seed – sow in a greenhouse as soon as it is ripe in the autumn. When they are large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots and grow them on 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 in spring.

Edible Uses : The leaves are used as a flavouring, they have the scent of vanilla. Some caution is advised, see the notes below on toxicity.
Medicinal Uses:
The roots have been used for their diuretic effects and applied locally for sore throats and gonorrhea. It has also been used as a tonic in treating malaria. Demulcent, febrifuge, diaphoretic. A powerful stimulant, highly regarded by Native Americans as an aphrodisiac, and said to induce erotic dreams.

The leaves are demulcent, diaphoretic, diuretic and tonic. They are a folk remedy for coughs, malaria and neuroses. The leaves are high in coumarins and have been experimentally effective in the treatment of high-protein oedema. Some caution is advised, see notes below on toxicity.

Other Uses: This plant contains coumarin, and the leaves are used in the Southern States to flavor tobacco. Aromatic, stimulant, and tonic; used as a corrective. Dose 30 to 60 gr. (2 to 4 Gm.). The dried leaves have a scent like newly mown hay.

Known Hazards : The plant contains coumarins, this is what gives it the scent of newly mown hay. When used internally, especially from dried plants, it can act to prevent the blood from co-aggulating. Coumarins are implicated in liver disease and haemorrhage.

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/Trilisa
http://www.herbnet.com/Herb%20Uses_DE.htm
http://www.henriettes-herb.com/eclectic/sayre/trilisa.html
http://www.pfaf.org/user/Plant.aspx?LatinName=Trilisa+odoratissima

Categories
Herbs & Plants

Saussurea gracilis

 

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

Common Names : Saussurea gracilis

Habitat ; Saussurea gracilis is native to E. Asia – Japan, Korea. It grows in the mountains of central and southern Japan.

Description:
Saussurea gracilis is a perennial plant. The flowers are hermaphrodite (have both male and female organs) and are pollinated by Insects.
CLICK & SEE THE PICTURES

Cultivation & Propagation :

Suitable for: light (sandy), medium (loamy) and heavy (clay) soils. Suitable pH: acid, neutral and basic (alkaline) soils. It can grow in semi-shade (light woodland) or no shade. It prefers moist soil.

Seed – we have no information for this species but suggest sowing the seed in a cold frame in the spring. Surface sow, or only just cover the seed, and make sure that the compost does not dry out. Prick out the seedlings into individual pots when they are large enough to handle and grow them on in the greenhouse or cold frame for their first winter. Plant them out in late spring after the last expected frosts. Division in spring might be possible.
Edible Uses:…Leaves…..Young leaves – cooked. They are usually eaten with rice.

Medicinal Uses: Not known.
Resources:
http://www.pfaf.org/user/Plant.aspx?LatinName=Saussurea+gracilis

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

Categories
Herbs & Plants

Saussurea diamantica

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

Common Names : Saussurea diamantica

Habitat : Saussurea diamantica is native to E. Asia – Korea.

Description:
Saussurea diamantica is a perennial plant. The flowers are hermaphrodite (have both male and female organs) and are pollinated by Insects....CLICK & SEE THE PICTURES

.
Cultivation & Propagation :
Suitable for: light (sandy), medium (loamy) and heavy (clay) soils. Suitable pH: acid, neutral and basic (alkaline) soils. It can grow in semi-shade (light woodland) or no shade. It prefers moist soil.

Seed – we have no information for this species but suggest sowing the seed in a cold frame in the spring. Surface sow, or only just cover the seed, and make sure that the compost does not dry out. Prick out the seedlings into individual pots when they are large enough to handle and grow them on in the greenhouse or cold frame for their first winter. Plant them out in late spring after the last expected frosts. Division in spring might be possible.

Medicinal Uses: Nothing known

Resources:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glebionis_segetum
http://www.pfaf.org/user/Plant.aspx?LatinName=Saussurea+diamantica

Categories
Herbs & Plants

Liatris squarrosa

Botanical Name : Liatris squarrosa
Family: Asteraceae
Tribe: Eupatorieae
Genus: Liatris
Species: L. squarrosa
Kingdom: Plantae
Order: Asterales

Synonyms : L. squarrulosa. Laciniaria scariosa.

Common Names: Scaly blazingstar, Scaly blazing star, Alabama blazing star

Habitat : Liatris squarrosa is native to Eastern N. America – Ontario to Pennsylvania, Virginia, Florida, South Dakota and Texas. It grows in dry open woods, clearings and fields, chiefly argillaceous. Usually found on sandy soils.

Description:
Liatris squarrosa is a perennial plant, growing to 0.9 m (3ft).
It is in flower from Aug to September, and the seeds ripen in October. The flowers are hermaphrodite (have both male and female organs) and are pollinated by Bees.It is noted for attracting wildlife.

Stems – To +60cm tall, erect, simple, single or multiple from a corm, herbaceous, glabrous to pilose (the hairs multicellular), terete, typically light green with darker vertical lines.
Leaves – Alternate, sessile, linear and grasslike, scabrous or not, glabrous to strigose hairy, entire, reduced upward, to +20cm long, 4-12mm broad. Veins of the leaves appearing parallel. Hairs multicellular as on the stem.

Involucre – To +/-1.8cm long (tall), +/-7mm in diameter, cylindric or slightly wider near the base. Phyllaries imbricate, the longest to -1.5cm long, 2-4mm broad, glabrous to pubescent externally, glabrous internally, with ciliate margins apically, abruptly short acuminate to acuminate at the apex, often dark purple at the apex in strong sun. The apices of the phyllaries somewhat to greatly spreading (depending on the variety).

Disk flowers – 10-60 per flowerhead. Corolla green basally, purplish in the apical half, 5-lobed, to 1.4cm long (including the lobes), glabrous externally, pubescent internally. Lobes to +/-4mm long, -1mm broad, acute, linear, with punctate glands externally (use a lens to see). Stamens 5, adnate at the middle of the corolla tube. Filaments white, glabrous, -2mm long. Anthers brown, connate around the style, 3mm long, mostly included. Style white basally, purple in the apical half, glabrous, +/-2cm long total, divided in the apical half, well exserted beyond the corolla. Pappus of purplish plumose bristles to +/-9mm long, uniseriate. The shaft of the bristle is purple the plumose hairs are white. Achene in flower ribbed, +/-5mm long, +/-1.2mm broad, antrorse pubescent.

CLICK & SEE THE PICTURES

Cultivation:
Grows well in a moderately good light soil.Tolerates poor soils. Plants are prone to rot overwinter in wet soils. A good bee plant. Rodents are very fond of the tubers so the plants may require some protection.

Propagation:
Seed – best sown as soon as it is ripe in autumn in a greenhouse. Sow stored seed as soon as possible in the year in a greenhouse. Prick out the seedlings into individual pots when they are large enough to handle and grow the plants on in the greenhouse for their first year. Plant them out into their permanent positions in early summer. Division in spring. Larger clumps can be replanted direct into their permanent positions, though it is best to pot up smaller clumps and grow them on in a cold frame until they are rooting well. Plant them out in the spring. Basal cuttings taken in spring as growth commences. Harvest the shoots when they are about 10cm long with plenty of underground stem. Pot them up into individual pots and keep them in light shade in a cold frame or greenhouse until they are rooting well. Plant them out in the summer.

Medicinal Uses:

Diuretic; Poultice; Tonic.

The root is diuretic and tonic. A poultice made from the roots is applied to snake bites.

Other Uses:.…Repellent……….The plant is used as an insect repellent in the clothes cupboard
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/Liatris_squarrosa
http://www.missouriplants.com/Pinkalt/Liatris_squarrosa_page.html
http://www.pfaf.org/user/Plant.aspx?LatinName=Liatris+squarrosa

Categories
Herbs & Plants

Liatris scariosa

[amazon_link asins=’B01FUXSQCU,B00INIQT9M,B01LJX365C,B077MJ13GK,B00S9OOPKA,B0006YQQNU,B01D3MXMBK,B071Z43RFG,B00J5IPAL2′ template=’ProductCarousel’ store=’finmeacur-20′ marketplace=’US’ link_id=’7c1cff38-2b3b-11e8-bc2d-693409e4a592′][amazon_link asins=’B07B5VX5DZ,B077PXQTP3,B078SZ7JRK,B075V47X12,B06XZB86ZP,B077JDR19G,0717172619,B079ZV4KWL,B01JRFAZ2G’ template=’ProductCarousel’ store=’finmeacur-20′ marketplace=’US’ link_id=’1e6d3b52-2b3b-11e8-a916-19a0faffa740′]

Botanical Name: Liatris scariosa
Family : Asteraceae or Compositae
Genus: Liatris
Species:  Liatris scariosa (L.) Willd. var. novae-angliae (Lunell)
Division:  Magnoliophyta – Flowering Plants
Class : Magnoliopsida
Sub Class : Asteridae
Order : Asterales

Synonyms : L. squarrulosa. Laciniaria scariosa.

Common Names: Devil’s Bite, New England blazing star, Savanna Blazingstar

Habitat : Liatris scariosa is native to South-eastern N. America. It grows in dry stony soils on prairies and open forest glades.

Description:
Liatris scariosa is a perennial plant. It grows 2½–5′ tall, erect, and unbranched. The central stem is medium green, glabrous to short-pubescent, and terete. Numerous alternate leaves are arranged densely around the stem; they are widely spreading. The lower leaves are up to 12″ long and 1½” across; they are broadly linear to elliptic oblong in shape. The middle to upper leaves become gradually smaller as they ascend the stem, becoming linear in shape and as little as 3″ long. All of the leaves are medium green and their margins are smooth; they are usually hairless, except for their margins, which are often slightly ciliate. The lower leaves usually have petioles, while the middle to upper leaves are sessile. The inflorescence consists of a narrow raceme of flowerheads up to 2′ long. The flowerheads begin to bloom from the top of inflorescence, then they gradually bloom below until the bottom is reached. Each inflorescence has 10-40 flowerheads. Each flowerhead is located at the apex of an ascending stalk (peduncle) about ½–3½” long; a stalk may branch to produce 2-3 flowerheads, but this is atypical. At the base of each stalk, there is a sessile leafy bract that resembles the upper leaves. Both the central stalk and lateral stalks of the raceme are short-pubescent .

Individual flowerheads span 1-2″ across, consisting of 25-80 pink disk florets and no ray florets. The tubular disk florets have 5 spreading narrow lobes. The bifurcated styles are light pink and strongly exerted from the disk florets, providing the flowerheads with a shaggy appearance. At the base of each flowerhead, there are scale-like floral bracts (phyllaries) that are arranged together in about 5 overlapping series; they are ascending to slightly spreading, but neither recurved nor appressed. Individual floral bracts are oval or obovate in shape and ciliate along their margins; they become dark reddish purple when their flowerheads bloom, otherwise they are dull green. The blooming period occurs from late summer to mid-fall and lasts about 1½ months. The disk florets are replaced by bullet-shaped achenes, which have tufts of barbed tawny hairs. The root system consists of a bulb-like corm with fibrous roots. Vegetative offsets are produced from new corms.
It is in flower from Aug to September, and the seeds ripen in October. The flowers are hermaphrodite (have both male and female organs) and are pollinated by Bees.It is noted for attracting wildlife….CLICK & SEE THE PICTURES

Cultivation :
Grows well in a moderately good light soil. Tolerates poor soils. Plants are prone to rot overwinter in wet soils. There are several named varieties, selected for their ornamental value. A good bee plant. Rodents are very fond of the tubers so the plants may require some protection.

Propagation ;
Seed – best sown as soon as it is ripe in autumn in a greenhouse. Sow stored seed as soon as possible in the year in a greenhouse. Prick out the seedlings into individual pots when they are large enough to handle and grow the plants on in the greenhouse for their first year. Plant them out into their permanent positions in early summer. Division in spri. Larger clumps can be replanted direct into their permanent positions, though it is best to pot up smaller clumps and grow them on in a cold frame until they are rooting well. Plant them out in the spring. Basal cuttings taken in spring as growth commences. Harvest the shoots when they are about 10cm long with plenty of underground stem. Pot them up into individual pots and keep them in light shade in a cold frame or greenhouse until they are rooting well. Plant them out in the summer.

Medicinal Uses:
Appetizer; Diuretic; Poultice; Tonic.

The root is appetizer, diuretic and tonic. It is used in the treatment of abdominal complaints, kidney and bladder problems. A poultice made from the powdered roots is applied to snake bites and external inflammations.

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.newyork.plantatlas.usf.edu/Plant.aspx?id=492
http://www.pfaf.org/user/Plant.aspx?LatinName=Liatris+scariosa
http://www.illinoiswildflowers.info/savanna/plants/sv_blazingstar.htm

css.php