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Herbs & Plants

Potentilla simplex

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Botanical Name: Potentilla simplex
Family: Rosaceae
Genus: Potentilla
Species: P. simplex
Kingdom: Plantae
Order: Rosales

Common Names: Common cinquefoil, Old-field five-fingers, Oldfield cinquefoil

Habitat: Potentilla simplex is native to eastern North America from Ontario, Quebec, and Labrador south to Texas, Alabama, and panhandle Florida.It grows in dry open woods, prairie hillsides, roadsides, old fields and waste places.

Description:
otentilla simplex is a PERENNIAL growing to 0.1 m (0ft 4in) by 0.5 m (1ft 8in). It is a familiar plant with prostrate stems that root at nodes, with yellow flowers and 5-parted palmately pinnate leaves arising from stolons (runners) on separate stalks. Complete flowers bearing 5 yellow petals (about 4-10 mm long) bloom from March to June. It bears seed from April to July. It is commonly found in woodlands, fields, and disturbed areas.

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The flowers are hermaphrodite (have both male and female organs) and are pollinated by Insects.The plant is self-fertile.
Suitable for: light (sandy), medium (loamy) and heavy (clay) soils and prefers well-drained soil. Suitable pH: acid, neutral and basic (alkaline) soils. It can grow in semi-shade (light woodland) or no shade. It prefers moist soil.

Pollinators include mason bees, small carpenter bees, cuckoo bees, halictid bees, syrphid flies, tachinid flies, blow flies, and others. Less common pollinators are wasps and butterflies. Rabbits and groundhogs eat the foliage.

Cultivation:
Easily grown in a well-drained loam, preferring a position in full sun but tolerating shade[1]. Prefers an alkaline soil but tolerates a slightly acid soil. Plants grown in rich soils produce more foliage at the expense of flowering. Hardy to about -25°c. Members of this genus are rarely if ever troubled by browsing deer.
Propagation:
Seed – sow early spring or autumn in a cold frame. When they are large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots and grow them on in the greenhouse for their first winter. Plant them out into their permanent positions in late spring or early summer, after the last expected frosts. Division in spring. Larger divisions can be planted out direct into their permanent positions. We have found that it is better to pot up the smaller divisions and grow them on in light shade in a cold frame until they are well established before planting them out in late spring or early summer.

Edible Uses: Young shoots and leaves are edible as a salad or pot herb.

Medicinal Uses:
The plant is mildly astringent and antiseptic. A decoction is used as a gargle for loose teeth and spongy gums. An infusion of the roots has been used in the treatment of dysentery.
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/Potentilla_simplex
http://www.pfaf.org/User/Plant.aspx?LatinName=Potentilla+simplex

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Herbs & Plants

Potentilla norvegica

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Botanical Name : Potentilla norvegica
Family: Rosaceae
Genus: Potentilla
Species: P. norvegica
Kingdom: Plantae
Order: Rosales

Synonyms: Potentilla monspeliensis.

Common Name : Norwegian Cinquefoil

Habitat : Norwegian cinquefoil is native to much of Europe, Asia, and parts of North America, and it can be found in other parts of the world as an introduced species. Its natural habitat is arable fields, gardens, banks, hedgerows, wasteland, logging clearings, loading areas and occasionally shores, often on sandy or gravelly soils

Description:
Norwegian cinquefoil is usually an annual but may be a short-lived perennial. It produces a basal rosette of leaves from a taproot, then a green or red stem growing erect up to about 50 cm (20 in) in maximum length, and branching in its upper parts. The leaves are stalked and are either divided into five leaflets, or have three leaflets with the terminal leaflet being divided into three lobes. The basal leaves have narrow, sharp-tipped stipules while the upper leaves have elliptical stipules which are longer than the leaf stalks. Each leaflet is up to 5 cm (2 in) long and is widely lance-shaped with toothed edges. The inflorescence is a cyme of several flowers. Each flower has five rounded yellow petals no more than 4 mm (0.2 in) long inside a calyx of hairy, pointed sepals with reddish tips. There are twenty stamens, a separate gynoecium and many pistils. The calyx lengthens after flowering and the fruit is a cluster of pale brown achenes.
It is in flower from Jun to September. The flowers are hermaphrodite (have both male and female organs) and are pollinated by Insects.The plant is self-fertile.

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

Cultivation:
Easily grown in a well-drained loam, preferring a position in full sun but tolerating shade. Prefers an alkaline soil but tolerates a slightly acid soil. An annual, biennial or short-lived perennial plant. Members of this genus are rarely if ever troubled by browsing deer.
Propagation:
Seed – sow early spring or autumn in a cold frame. When they are large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots and grow them on in the greenhouse for their first winter. Plant them out into their permanent positions in late spring or early summer, after the last expected frosts. Division in spring. Larger divisions can be planted out direct into their permanent positions. We have found that it is better to pot up the smaller divisions and grow them on in light shade in a cold frame until they are well established before planting them out in late spring or early summer.

Medicinal Uses:
The root is astringent. A decoction of the root has been gargled, or the root has been chewed, in the treatment of sore throats. A cold infusion of the whole plant has been used to relieve pain. The plant has been burnt and the fumes used to treat sexual infections. All the above uses are recorded for the sub-species P. norvegica monspeliensis. (L.)Aschers.&Graebn.

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/Potentilla_norvegica
http://www.pfaf.org/User/Plant.aspx?LatinName=Potentilla+norvegica

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Herbs & Plants

Myricaria squamosa

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Botanical Name: Myricaria squamosa
Kingdom : Plants
Division: vascular plants
Class: Dicotyledonous angiosperms
Order: Tamaricales
Family: Tamaricaceae
Genus: Klådrissläktet
Species: Myricaria squamosa
Habitat : Myricaria squamosa is native to E. Asia – Himalayas from Afghanistan to central Nepal and eastern Tibet. It grows along the sides of rivers and streams in the lower subalpine to upper alpine zones.

Description:

Myricaria squamosa is a deciduous Shrub. It is erect, 1-5 m tall, much branched in upper part. Old branches purple-brown, red-brown, or gray-brown; branches of current year yellowish green to red-brown. Leaves lanceolate, ovate-lanceolate, oblong, or narrowly ovate, 1.5-5(-10) × 0.5-2 mm, base slightly enlarged, margin narrowly membranous, apex obtuse or acute. Racemes lateral on old branches, solitary or several clustered in axils, dense before anthesis, later elongating and lax, with many imbricate scales at base; scales broadly ovate or elliptic, submembranous; bracts elliptic, broadly ovate, or obovate-oblong, 4-6(-8) × 3-4 mm, equaling or exceeding calyx, rarely shorter than calyx, base narrow, acuminate, margin broadly membranous or submembranous, apex obtuse or acute. Pedicels 2-3 mm. Sepals ovate-lanceolate, oblong, or narrowly elliptic, 2-4 × 0.5-1 mm, margin broadly or narrowly membranous, apex acute or obtuse. Petals purple-red or pink, obovate or narrowly elliptic, 4-5 × ca. 2 mm, base narrow, apex obtuse, often incurved. Filaments ca. 2/3 united. Ovary conic, 3-5 mm. Capsule conic, ca. 1 cm. Seeds narrowly elliptic or narrowly obovate, ca. 1 mm, apex awned; awns more than 1/2 white villous. Fl. and fr. May-Aug. 2n = 24.

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The flowers are hermaphrodite (have both male and female organs)Suitable for: light (sandy), medium (loamy) and heavy (clay) soils and prefers well-drained soil. Suitable pH: acid, neutral and basic (alkaline) soils and can grow in very alkaline soils.
It cannot grow in the shade. It prefers moist soil.
Cultivation:
We have very little information on this species and do not know if it will be hardy in Britain, though judging by its native range it should succeed outdoors in most parts of the country. The following notes are based on the general needs of the genus. Prefers a fertile well-drained soil in full sun with shelter from cold drying winds. Tolerates chalk soils.
Propagation:
Seed – sow early spring in a cold frame and only just cover the seed. 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. Cuttings of half-ripe wood, July/August in a frame. Cuttings of mature wood of the current seasons growth, November to January in a sandy propagating mix in an open frame.

Medicinal Uses:
The entire plant is used in Tibetan medicine, where it is considered to have an astringent taste and a cooling potency. Antitussive and febrifuge, it localizes poison, ripens pimples and dries up serous fluids. It is used in the treatment of inflammation due to poisoning, the spreading of fever from various infections, pimples that do not ripen, coughing, accumulation of serous fluids in bone joints, and meat poisoning

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://sv.wikipedia.org/wiki/Myricaria_squamosa
http://www.efloras.org/florataxon.aspx?flora_id=2&taxon_id=200014291
http://www.pfaf.org/User/Plant.aspx?LatinName=Myricaria+squamosa

Categories
Herbs & Plants

Inula royleana

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Botanical Name : Inula royleana
Family: Asteraceae
Genus: Inula
Species: I. racemosa
Kingdom: Plantae
Order: Asterales

Other name :  Inula Racemosa

Habitats; Inula royleana is native to E. Asia – Himalayas from Pakistan to Kashmir. It grows on scrub and grassy clearings in forests, 2100 – 4000 metres. Exposed dry slopes, 3100 – 3600 metres in Kashmir.

Description:
Inula royleana is a perennial plant growing to 0.6 m (2ft) by 0.5 m (1ft 8in).
It is in flower from Aug to October, and the seeds ripen from Aug to October. The flowers are hermaphrodite (have both male and female organs) and are pollinated by Bees, flies, self.The plant is self-fertile.

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Suitable for: light (sandy), medium (loamy) and heavy (clay) soils and can grow in heavy clay soil. Suitable pH: acid, neutral and basic (alkaline) soils. It cannot grow in the shade. It prefers moist soil.

Cultivation:
Succeeds in a sunny position in ordinary garden soil. Requires a moist well-drained soil in sun or partial shade. Grows well in heavy clay soils. This species is hardy to about -20°c. Plants take some years to become fully established.

Propagation:
Seed – sow spring or autumn 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 or autumn.

Medicinal Uses:
The plant is disinfectant. It is also considered to be poisonous. The root has been used to adulterate the roots of Saussurea lappa. It contains 3% of an alkaloid that produces a fall in blood pressure and stimulates tone and peristaltic movements in the intestines.
Other Uses:
Disinfectant; Insecticide; Parasiticide.

Used as a parasiticide. The plant is insecticidal.
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/Inula_racemosa
http://www.pfaf.org/user/Plant.aspx?LatinName=Inula+royleana

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Herbs & Plants

Digitalis ferruginea

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Botanical Name: Digitalis ferruginea
Family: Plantaginaceae
Genus: Digitalis
Species: D. ferruginea
Kingdom: Plantae
Order: Lamiales

Synonyms: Witches’ Gloves. Dead Men’s Bells. Fairy’s Glove. Gloves of Our Lady. Bloody Fingers. Virgin’s Glove. Fairy Caps. Folk’s Glove. Fairy Thimbles.

Common Names: Rusty Foxglove
(Norwegian) Revbielde.
(German) Fingerhut.

Habitat : Digitalis ferruginea is native to Hungary, Romania, Turkey and the Caucasus. It grows on Woods, grassy clearings, rocky slopes and scrub to 2700 metres.
Description:
Digitalis ferruginea is a biennial or short-lived perennial plant growing to 1.2 m (3 ft 11 in), which forms a rosette of oblong dark green leaves and carries spikes of brown, tubular flowers in summer.

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The flowers are hermaprodite (have both male and female organs) and are pollinated by Bees.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 dry or moist soil and can tolerate drought.

Cultivation:
Landscape Uses:Border, Container, Massing, Specimen, Woodland garden. An easily grown plant, succeeding in ordinary garden soil, especially if it is rich in organic matter. It also succeeds in dry soils and, once established, is drought tolerant. It prefers semi-shade but succeeds in full sun if the soil is moist. Plants are hardy to about -15°c. This species is a short-lived perennial and is best grown as a biennial[188]. Members of this genus are rarely if ever troubled by browsing deer and rabbits. Special Features: Attractive foliage, Suitable for cut flowers.
Propagation:
Seed – surface sow early spring in a cold frame. The seed usually germinates in 2 – 4 weeks at 20°c. When they are large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots and plant them out in the summer. Another report says that the seed is best sown in the autumn.

Medicinal Uses:

The leaves are cardiac, stimulant and tonic. They are often used in the treatment of certain heart complaints.

Known Hazards: All parts of the plant are poisonous.

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/Digitalis_ferruginea
http://www.pfaf.org/user/Plant.aspx?LatinName=Digitalis+ferruginea

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