Tag: Eurasia

Categories
Herbs & Plants

Potentilla reptans

[amazon_link asins=’B01A2UOPBW,B0195NI4QE,B00R9BY8CO,B018MSO8HM,B01AN5WJEG,B00RBJF4PO,B01419HFGW’ template=’ProductCarousel’ store=’finmeacur-20′ marketplace=’US’ link_id=’deb00f23-7bfa-11e7-9eff-b9bbe5e2976d’]

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

Synonyms:  Cinquefoil. Five Fingers. Five-Finger Blossom. Sunkfield. Synkefoyle.

Common Names :Five-leaf Grass,Five-leaved or Five Fingers, Creeping cinquefoil, European cinquefoil or creeping tormentil, Jacob’s Ladder or Greek Valerian, Potentilla  canadensis

Habitat:  Potentilla reptans is  native to Eurasia and Northern Africa and naturalized elsewhere.It grows in dry sunny locations in meadows, pastures and waste ground, usually on basic or neutral soils.

Description:
Potentilla reptans is a creeping perennial plant with large yellow flowers(about 2 cm in diameter) like the Silverweed and it blooms in June – August, each one growing on its own long stalk, which springs from the point at which the leaf joins the stem. The rootstock branches at the top from several crowns, from which arise the long-stalked root-leaves and thread-like, creeping stems, which bear stalked leaves and solitary flowers. These stem-runners root at intervals and as they often attain a length of 5 feet, the plant is rapidly propagated, spreading over a wide area. It grows freely in meadows, pastures and by the wayside.
click to see the pictures
The name Five-leaved or Five Fingers refers to the leaves being divided into five leaflets. Each of these is about 1 1/2 inch long, with scattered hairs on the veins and margin, the veins being prominent below. The margins of the leaflets are much serrated. In rich soils the leaflets are often six or seven. Out of a hundred blossoms once picked as a test, eighty had the parts of the corolla, calyx and epicalyx in fives, and the remaining twenty were in sixes.

Cultivation:
Easily grown in a well-drained loam, preferring a dry position in full sun but tolerating shade . Prefers an alkaline soil but tolerates a slightly acid soil. The plant spreads vigorously by means of runners and can be invasive with new runners up to 1.5 metres long being produced each year. Members of this genus are rarely if ever troubled by browsing deer. The flowers are partially closed in dull weather and close completely of a night time. When closing, self-fertilisation is affected because the anthers are caused to touch the stigmas.

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 or autumn. 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 leaves are eaten raw. A useful addition to salads.

Medicinal Uses:

 Parts Used: Herb, root.

Antispasmodic; Astringent; Febrifuge; Odontalgic.

Both the roots and the herb are antispasmodic, astringent and febrifuge. An infusion of the dried herb is used in the treatment of diarrhoea etc, it is also used as a gargle for sore throats and is used externally as an astringent lotion. A concentrated decoction of the root relieves toothache.

The outer bark of the root has been used as a remedy for diarrhea and internal hemorrhages.  The powder also makes an astringent for mouth sores and relieves diarrhea.  Taken with honey, it relieves sore throats, coughs and fever. A decoction made by boiling  one ounces of root in a quart of water until the liquid is reduced to one pint, or an infusion of one ounce of the dried leafy tops, steeped for 10 or 15 minutes in a pint of water, are both suggested in old herbals.

Other Uses:
The herb is used in cosmetic.The plant is an ingredient in many anti-wrinkle cosmetic preparations for the skin.The flowers attract butterfly.

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.botanical.com/botanical/mgmh/f/fivele20.html
http://digedibles.com/database/plants.php?Potentilla+reptans
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Potentilla_reptans

http://www.herbnet.com/Herb%20Uses_C.htm

Related articles
Enhanced by Zemanta
Categories
Herbs & Plants

Ranunculus acris

[amazon_link asins=’B00NBUEJ7Q,B06XNWFV6K,B019NFXK6S,B00O4CH6Q6,B01C0SH7MI,B0722SQ386,B06XXT7BF8,B01KG6AT3A,B00GUH0VDS’ template=’ProductCarousel’ store=’finmeacur-20′ marketplace=’US’ link_id=’e41c8adf-67d5-11e7-90f9-891bd911be2d’][amazon_link asins=’B002Q7UF2I,B015J5SA9I,B000H4HQWO,1844230317,B0718Z3PGQ’ template=’ProductCarousel’ store=’finmeacur-20′ marketplace=’US’ link_id=’b9eef6d9-67d5-11e7-9cf6-6b286254b0d3′]

Botanical Name :Ranunculus acris
Family: Ranunculaceae
Genus: Ranunculus
Species: R. acris
Kingdom: Plantae
Division: Magnoliophyta
Class: Magnoliopsida
Order: Ranunculales

Synonyms: Gold Cup. Grenouillette.

Common names: Meadow buttercup, tall buttercup and giant buttercup.

Habitat:  This Buttercup is a native of meadows and pastures in all the northern parts of Europe, and is  more common buttercups across Europe and temperate Eurasia. This plant normally grows in damp meadows and pastures, usually on calcareous or circum-neutral soils. Also found on damp rock ledges, in gullies and occasionally on mountain top detritus

Description:
Ranunculus acris is a perennial flowering plant, growing to 1 m (3ft 3in).The leaves vary a good deal in form, according to their position on the plant: the lower leaves are on long petioles (foot-stalks) and are comprised of numerous wide-spreading and deeply divided segments; the upper leaves are small, composed of few segments, simple in form and few in number. The root is perennial, though the plant itself dies down each autumn, and has many long, white fibres.

click to see the pictures…>…..(01)……...(1).…...(2).…….(3).…...(4).…….(5).….….(6).…...(7)...

It is in flower from May to July. The flowers are hermaphrodite (have both male and female organs) and are pollinated by Bees, flies, beetles, lepidoptera. The petals of the flower are bright, shining yellow; the calyx is composed of five greenish-yellow spreading sepals. The centre of the flower, as in other Buttercups, is a clustering mass of stamens round the smooth, green immature seed-vessels, which develop into a round head of numerous small bodies called achenes. It is not frost tender.

Cultivation:  
Prefers a moist loamy soil. Grows well in marshy soils. Plants are hardy to at least -20°c. A good plant for the summer meadow. It spreads rapidly by means of runners and is often a weed in lawns or gardens. A polymorphic species, there is at least one named variety. ‘Flore Pleno‘ is a double-flowered form that does not spread by runners and so is unlikely to become a nuisance in the garden. A greedy plant, inhibiting the growth of nearby plants, especially legumes.

Propagation:  
Seed – sow spring in situ. You are very unlikely to need to encourage this plant. Division in spring. Very easy, though probably totally unnecessary, larger divisions can be planted out direct into their permanent positions.

Edible Uses:Leaves are cooked and used as greens. Some caution is advised, see the notes on Known Hazards below.

Medicinal Uses:

Part Used-: Whole herb.
The whole plant is acrid, anodyne, antispasmodic, diaphoretic and rubefacient. The plant has been crushed and applied as a poultice to the chest to relieve colds and chest pains. The fresh leaves have been used as a rubefacient in the treatment of rheumatism etc. The flowers and the leaves have been crushed and sniffed as a treatment for headaches. An infusion of the roots has been used in the treatment of diarrhoea. The poulticed root is also rubefacient and was applied to boils and abscess. The plant sap has been used to remove warts. The sap has also been used as a sedative. The flowers are used in Tibetan medicine, where they are considered to have an acrid taste and a heating potency. Their use is said to promote heat, dissolve tumours and draw out serous fluids. They are used in the treatment of disorders brought about by rotting sores or wounds. Use with caution, the whole plant is extremely acrid and can cause intense pain and burning of the mouth, mucous membranes etc.

The juice of the leaves takes away warts, and bruised together with the roots will act as a caustic. In violent headaches where pain is confined to one part, a plaster made of them often affords instant relief, and they have been used in gout with great success.

The fresh leaves formed part of a famous cure for cancer, practised by a Mr. Plunkett in 1794.

Thornton, in his Herbal of 100 years ago, says if a decoction of the plant be poured on ground containing worms, ‘they will be forced to rise from their concealment.’

Known Hazards:   All parts of the plant are poisonous, the toxins can be destroyed by heat or by drying. The plant has a strongly acrid juice that can cause blistering to the skin.

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/user/Plant.aspx?LatinName=Ranunculus+acris
http://www.botanical.com/botanical/mgmh/c/croup120.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ranunculus_acri

Related articles
Enhanced by Zemanta
Categories
Herbs & Plants

Plantago coronopus

[amazon_link asins=’B00BKLJ9XM,B015J7OB76,B071GCZRLC,B01LWJXUWA,B071ZF8QJ8,B06WGQYVZJ,B01N9KHBU5,B01N4F5XMP,B01MTO7X9A’ template=’ProductCarousel’ store=’finmeacur-20′ marketplace=’US’ link_id=’719f9455-894d-11e7-8ef8-a74651567176′]

Botanical Name : Plantago coronopus
Family: Plantaginaceae
Genus: Plantago
Species: P. coronopus
Kingdom: Plantae
Order: Lamiales

Common Name : Minutina, Erba stella, Buck’s horn plantain

Habitat :Plantago coronopus is native to Eurasia and North Africa but it can be found elsewhere, including the United States, Australia, and New Zealand as an introduced species.It grows in sandy or gravelly soils and cracks in rocks, in sunny places in dry soils usually near the sea.

Description:
Plantago coronopus  is an annual or biennial herb producing a basal rosette of narrowly lance-shaped leaves up to 25 centimeters long. The leaves are edged with small lance-shaped lobes. The inflorescences grow erect to about half a meter in maximum height. They have dense spikes of flowers which sometimes curve.It is in flower from May to July, and the seeds ripen from Jul to August. The flowers are hermaphrodite (have both male and female organs) and are pollinated by Wind.The plant is self-fertile. Each flower has four whitish lobes each measuring about a millimeter long.

click tom see the pictures..>....(01).....(1).…....(2)..……(3).….…(4).….
It is hardy to zone 6 and is not frost tender.  It is noted for attracting wildlife.

This plant is suitable for   light (sandy) and medium (loamy) soils and prefers well-drained soil. Suitable pH: acid, neutral and basic (alkaline) soils. It cannot grow in the shade. It prefers dry or moist soil. The plant can tolerate maritime exposure.

Edible Uses:
Young leaves – raw or cooked. High yielding. One of the nicer tasting members of this genus, the leaves are fairly tender and have a slight bitterness. Some people blanch the leaves in boiling water for a few seconds before using them in salads in order to make them more tender. This leaf is one of the ingredients of ‘misticanze’, a salad mixture of wild and cultivated leaves that originated in the Marche region of Italy.

Cultivation:
Succeeds in any moderately fertile soil in a sunny position. A polymorphic species. This plant has sometimes been cultivated for its edible leaves. An important food plant for many caterpillars.

Propagation:
Seed – sow spring in a cold frame. When they are large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots and plant them out in early summer. A sowing can be made outdoors in situ in mid to late spring if you have enough seeds.

Medicinal Uses:
Antiperiodic;  Laxative;  Ophthalmic.

The leaves are antiperiodic and ophthalmic. They are used as a remedy for ague and sore eyes. Plantain seeds contain up to 30% mucilage which swells up in the gut, acting as a bulk laxative and soothing irritated membranes. Sometimes the seed husks are used without the seeds.

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://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plantago_coronopus
http://www.pfaf.org/user/Plant.aspx?LatinName=Plantago+coronopus

Related articles
Categories
Herbs & Plants

Oxalis stricta

[amazon_link asins=’B015J5SCGO,B00FK3WLS6,B00566441E’ template=’ProductCarousel’ store=’finmeacur-20′ marketplace=’US’ link_id=’5901ce34-71b1-11e7-847e-49d94cd5390e’]

Botanical Name : Oxalis stricta
Family: Oxalidaceae
Genus: Oxalis
Species: O. stricta
Kingdom: Plantae
Order: Oxalidales

Common Names:Common yellow woodsorrel (or simply yellow woodsorrel), Common yellow oxalis, upright yellow-sorrel, lemon clover, or more ambiguously and informally “sourgrass” or “pickle plant”

Habitat : Oxalis stricta is native to North America, parts of Eurasia, and has a rare introduction in Britain. It tends to grow in woodlands, meadows, and in disturbed areas.

Description:
Oxalis stricta is a herbaceous plant grows as both a perennial and annual. Erect when young, this plant later becomes decumbent as it lays down, and branches regularly. It is not to be confused with similar plants which are also often referred to as “yellow woodsorrel”.
CLICK & SEE THE PICTURES

Leaves:  Arranged alternately along the stem, long-petiolated, and divided into 3 heart-shaped leaflets.   Leaf margins are smooth but fringed with hairs.

Stems:  Green to pink, weak, branched at base, more prostrate than erect to 20 inches tall, varying from smooth to pubescent.

Roots:  Long, slender rhizomes occur with a fibrous root system.

Flowers:  Occur in clusters that arise from long stalks at the leaf axils.  Individual flowers consist of 5 yellow petals that are 4 to 9 mm long.

Fruit:  A capsule that is cylindrical and pointed with flat sides, sparsely hairy. Each capsule is approximately 3/4 inch long.  Seed disperse from capsules by explosively ejecting up to 13 feet from the parent plant.

Commonly considered a weed of gardens, fields, and lawns, it grows in full sun or shade. The alternate leaves of this plant are divided into three heart-shaped leaflets (a typical trait of other species of Oxalis) that can grow up to 2 cm wide. These leaves curl up at night (exhibiting nyctinasty), and open in the day to perform photosynthesis. The mature seed capsules open explosively when disturbed (a very similar trait to that of the mature seed capsules or fruits of plants found in the genus Impatiens) and can disperse seeds up to 4 meters (about 13 feet) away. The flowers of the plant are hermaphroditic, blooming from July to October.

Identifying Characteristics:  A weed of greenhouses and ornamentals with leaves that are divided into 3 heart-shaped leaflets with small yellow flowers.  Yellow woodsorrel may be distinguished from Creeping Red Woodsorrel (Oxalis corniculata) by the presence of underground rhizomes versus the aboveground stolons of creeping red woodsorrel.  Also, creeping woodsorrel has a more prostrate growth habit and often has more reddish-purple leaves than yellow woodsorrel.

O. stricta generally requires dry or moist, alkaline soils, preferring sandy and loamy dirt to grow in. It requires well-drained soil and can grow in nutritionally poor grounds. It does not do well in shade

Edible Uses:
The leaves and flowers of the plant are sometimes added to salads for decoration and flavoring. These can also be chewed raw (along with other parts of the plant, but not the root) as a thirst quencher. The green pods are pleasant raw, having a juicy crisp texture and a tartness similar to rhubarb in flavour.

The leaves can be used to make a flavored drink that is similar in taste to lemonade, and the whole plant can be brewed as a tisane that has an aroma somewhat like that of cooked green beans.

The juices of the plant have been extracted from its greens as a substitute to common vinegar.

Oxalis stricta contains large amounts of vitamin c.

Medicinal Uses:
Medicinally, in moderate dosages, wood sorrel is cooling (refrigerant, febrifuge), diuretic, stomachic (soothing to the stomach, relieves indigestion), astringent, and catalytic. It’s also attributed with blood cleansing properties and is sometimes taken by cancer patients. A poultice of the plant has been used to treat swellings.An infusion of the plant hason of the plant has been used in the treatment of fevers, stomach cramps and nause been used in the treatment of fevers, stomach cramps and nausea.

Other uses: An orange dye can be obtained by boiling the whole plant.

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/Oxalis_stricta
http://www.herbnet.com/Herb%20Uses_UZ.htm

http://www.ppws.vt.edu/scott/weed_id/oxast.htm

http://www.bio.brandeis.edu/fieldbio/Wildflowers_Kimonis_Kramer/PAGES/YELLOWWOODSORREL_PAGE_FINAL.html

Related articles
Categories
Herbs & Plants

Epilobium hirsutum

[amazon_link asins=’B00THLZREW,B015J5TD0I,B007SM5F4Y,B009ZV007I’ template=’ProductCarousel’ store=’finmeacur-20′ marketplace=’US’ link_id=’bb390348-0480-11e7-bfa5-ff5d87bf579d’][amazon_link asins=’B015J5TD0I’ template=’ProductCarousel’ store=’finmeacur-20′ marketplace=’US’ link_id=’9f416ef0-0480-11e7-9430-b3a15fca58f0′]

 

Botanical Name:Epilobium hirsutum
Family: Onagraceae
Genus: Epilobium
Species: E. hirsutum
Kingdom: Plantae
Order: Myrtales

Common Names: Great willowherb, Great hairy willowherb or hairy willowherb. Local names include Codlins-and-cream, Apple-pie and Cherry-pie.

Habitat : Epilobium hirsutum is native to Eurasia, where it is found in moist waste ground of the Mediterranean region, Europe, Asia, and Africa.It is absent from much of Scandinavia and north-west Scotland. It has been introduced to North America and Australia.  Common habitats include marshland, ditches and the banks of rivers and streams. It is widespread, often forming large, long-lived colonies in England, Wales, and Ireland. In Scotland it is confined to the east coast. Intolerant of shade, hairy willow-herb is found in damp and waste places to elevations of 2500 meters (8100 feet).It grows on the stream banks, marshes, drier parts of fens etc, to 360 metres.

Description:
It is a tall, perennial plant, reaching up to 2 metres in height. The robust stems are branched and have numerous hairs. The hairy leaves are 2-12 cm long and 0.5-3.5 cm wide. They are long and thin and are widest below the middle. They have sharply-toothed edges and no stalk. The large flowers have four notched petals. These are purple-pink and are usually 10-16 mm long. The stigma is white and has four lobes. The sepals are green.

click to see the pictures…>…...(01)........(1).……(2)..…..(3).….…(4)....(5)..

It flowers from June to September, with a peak in July and August. The flowers are normally pollinated by bees and hoverflies. A number of insects feed on the leaves including the elephant hawkmoth, Deilephila elpenor.

Edible Uses: Tea..…..The leaves are used to make a tea. This is often drunk in Russia, where it is called ‘kaporie tea’. The leaves are also sometimes sucked for their salty taste. Edible leaves. No more details are given in the report but caution is advised, see the notes below on toxicity.

Medicinal Uses:
The leaves of Epilobium hirsutum have been used as astringents, but there are some reports of violent poisoning with epileptic-like convulsions as a result of its use. This remedy has been discarded by professional herbalists as the use of the leaves has been associated with poisonings and convulsions.

Known Hazards : One report says that the plant might be poisonous. Another says that it causes epileptiform convulsions

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/Epilobium_hirsutum
http://www.kingcounty.gov/environment/animalsAndPlants/noxious-weeds/weed-identification/hairy-willowherb.aspx
http://www.herbnet.com/Herb%20Uses_UZ.htm

http://www.pfaf.org/user/Plant.aspx?LatinName=Epilobium+hirsutum

Related articles
Enhanced by Zemanta
css.php