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Sourwood

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Botanical Name : Oxydendrum arboreum
Family: Ericaceae
Genus: Oxydendrum DC.
Species: O. arboreum
Kingdom: Plantae
Order: Ericales

Common Names : Sourwood or sorrel tree

Habitat :Sourwood is native to eastern North America, from southern Pennsylvania south to northwest Florida and west to southern Illinois; it is most common in the lower chain of the Appalachian Mountains. The tree is frequently seen as a component of oak-heath forests.

Description:
Sourwood is a small tree or large shrub, growing to 10–20 m tall (30 to 65 feet) with a trunk up to 50 cm (20 inches) diameter. Occasionally on extremely productive sites, this species can reach heights in excess of 30 meters and 60 cm diameter. The leaves are spirally arranged, deciduous, 8–20 cm (3-8 inches) long and 4–9 cm (2.5 to 3.5 inches) broad, with a finely serrated margin; they are dark green in summer, but turn vivid red in fall. The flowers are white, bell-shaped, 6–9 mm ( 1/4 to 1/3 inch) long, produced on 15–25 cm (6-10 inches) long panicles. The fruit is a small woody capsule. The roots are shallow, and the tree grows best when there is little root competition; it also requires acidic soils for successful growth. The leaves can be chewed (but should not be swallowed) to help alleviate a dry-feeling mouth.

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The bark is gray with a reddish tinge, deeply furrowed and scaly. Branchlets at first are light yellow green, but later turn reddish brown. The wood is reddish brown, with paler sapwood; it is heavy, hard, and close-grained, and will take a high polish. Its specific gravity is 0.7458, with a density of 46.48 lb/cu ft.

The winter buds are axillary, minute, dark red, and partly immersed in the bark. Inner scales enlarge when spring growth begins. Leaves are alternate, four to seven inches long, 1.5 to 2.5 inches wide, oblong to ablanceolate, wedge-shaped at the base, serrate, and acute or acuminate. Leaf veins are Feather-veined, the midrib is conspicuous. They emerge from the bud revolute, bronze green and shining, and smooth; when full grown, they are dark green, shining above, and pale and glaucous below. In autumn, they turn bright scarlet. Petioles are long and slender, with stipules wanting. They are heavily laden with acid.

In June and July, perfect, cream-white flowers are borne in terminal panicles of secund racemes seven to eight inches long; rachis and short pedicels are downy. The calyx is five-parted and persistent; lobes are valvate in bud. The corolla is ovoid-cylindric, narrowed at the throat, cream-white, and five-toothed. The 10 stamens are inserted on the corolla; filaments are wider than the anthers; anthers are two-celled. The pistil is ovary superior, ovoid, and five-celled; the style is columnar; the stigma is simple; the disk is ten-toothed, and ovules are many.

The fruit is a capsule, downy, five-valved, five-angled, and tipped by the persistent style; the pedicels are curving

Medicinal Uses:
Indians boiled the leaves and gave feverish patients the liquid to drink; they also used this tea to treat the urinary ailments of older men.  A poultice of leaves mixed with bark was used to reduce swellings.  The leaves have also been considered a tonic. A tea made from the leaves has been used in the treatment of asthma, diarrhea, indigestion and to check excessive menstrual bleeding.  The bark has been chewed in the treatment of mouth ulcers.The leaves are also a laxative.

Other Uses:
The sourwood is perfectly hardy in the north and a worthy ornamental tree in lawns and parks. Its late bloom makes it desirable, and its autumnal coloring is particularly beautiful and brilliant. The leaves are heavily charged with acid, and to some extent have the poise of those of the peach.

It is renowned for nectar, and for the honey which is produced from it. Juice from its blooms is used to make sourwood jelly. The shoots were used by the Cherokee and the Catawba to make arrowshafts.

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/Oxydendrum
http://www.herbnet.com/Herb%20Uses_RST.htm

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Smilax lanceolata

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Botanical Name : Smilax lanceolata
Family: Smilacaceae (greenbriers)
Synonyms: S. lanceolata, S. domingensis
Common Name: greenbrier,Red China Root

Habitat :Grows in southeastern U. S., mostly on the Coastal Plain.  Usually found in floodplain forests.

Description:
High-climbing woody vine. Stems green, round in cross-section, with few or no prickles, usually with many short side branches. Leaves thin, leathery, evergreen, ovate to lance-ovate, acute to acuminate, base rounded or cuneate, 2.5-5 cm (1-2 in) long. Inflorescence umbels in numerous leaf axils. Flowers numerous, small, greenish. Fruits black, 1-3 seeded, 5-7 mm (0.2-0.3 in) in diamete

 

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LEAVES: evergreen, lance-shaped, 2 to 5 inches long, 3/4 to 2 inches wide; deep green shiny upper surface, often variegated, green lower surface; 5 veins, rarely 7; young leaves may have minute blunt teeth along margins

FLOWER: April to July; jasmine-like odor

FRUIT: matures in second year, 1/4 inch, blackish-red berry, 2 seeds

FORM: dark-greenish or reddish brown, splotched with gray; few internode spines, never on fruiting canes, spines at nodes

Medicinal Uses:
Chop and boil a small handful of roots in 3 cups of water to use as a pleasant tasting blood tonic and for fatigue, anemia, acidity, toxicity, rheumatism, and skin conditions.  Drink with milk, cinnamon, and nutmeg to strengthen and proliferate red blood cells.

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.biosurvey.ou.edu/shrub/smsm.htm
http://www.rnr.lsu.edu/plantid/webtour/species/lancegbr/lancegbr.htm
http://www.herbnet.com/Herb%20Uses_RST.htm

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Carpenter’s Square

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Botanical Name :Scrophularia marilandica
Family: Scrophulariaceae – Figwort family
Genus: Scrophularia L. – figwort
Species :Scrophularia marilandica L. – carpenter’s square
Kingdom : Plantae – Plants
Subkingdom: Tracheobionta – Vascular plants
Superdivision: Spermatophyta – Seed plants
Division: Magnoliophyta – Flowering plants
Class: Magnoliopsida – Dicotyledons
Subclass: Asteridae
Order:  Scrophulariales

Common Names:Late Figwort, Maryland Figwort, Carpenter’s Square, or Eastern Figwort

Habitat :Carpenter’s Square is native to throughout eastern and central North America, where it is found growing in dry woods from Manitoba and Quebec south to Texas and Florida.

Description:
Carpenter’s Square is a perennial  flowering plant, grows 1.5-3 m tall, with opposite, ovate leaves up to 15 cm long and 9 cm broad. The flowers are rounded, 8-9 mm long, with a cup-like mouth that look somewhat like a horse’s mouth with a bad overbite; they are a deep reddish-purple color on the inside, with a greenish to almost brown cast on the outside. They are commonly visited by hummingbirds in late summer...CLICK & SEE THE PICTURES
• Flower size: 1/4 inch across
• Flower color: brown
• Flowering time: July to August
Cultivation:
Succeeds in most moist soils.

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 the summer. Division in spring. Larger divisions can be planted out direct into their permanent positions. We have found it best to pot up the smaller divisions and grow them on in a lightly shaded position in a cold frame, planting them out once they are well established in the summer.

Medicinal Uses:

Alterative, appetizer, diaphoretic, vermifuge and vulnerary. A tea made from the roots is diuretic, emmenagogue and tonic. It has been used in the treatment of irregular menses, fevers and piles. A poultice made from the roots is a folk remedy for cancer. Carpenter’s square is said to have similar properties to the knotted figwort, S. nodosa. These properties are:- Knotted figwort is a plant that supports detoxification of the body and it may be used as a treatment for various kinds of skin disorders. The whole plant is alterative, anodyne, anti-inflammatory, diuretic, mildly purgative and stimulant. It is harvested as the plant comes into flower in the summer and can be dried for later use. A decoction is applied externally to sprains, swellings, burns, inflammations etc, and is said to be useful in treating chronic skin diseases, scrofulous sores and gangrene. The leaves can also be applied fresh or be made into an ointment. Internally, the plant is used in the treatment of chronic skin diseases (such as eczema, psoriasis and pruritis), mastitis, swollen lymph nodes and poor circulation. It should not be prescribed for patients with heart conditions. The root is anthelmintic.

A poultice was used to treat skin diseases such as impetigo and cradle cap. The entire plant was used as a tonic, to break a fever by increasing perspiration, to increase urine flow, and to cure intestinal worms. The bark of the plant and the roots were used as treatments for tuberculosis, scabies, and open wounds. The plant was used at various times to increase menstrual flow and treat hemorrhoids. A poultice made from the roots is a folk remedy for cancer. Carpenter’s square is said to have similar properties to the knotted figwort, S. nodosa: supports detoxification of the body and it may be used as a treatment for various kinds of skin disorders.

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://plants.usda.gov/java/profile?symbol=SCMA2
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scrophularia_marilandica
http://www.ct-botanical-society.org/galleries/scrophulariamari.html
http://www.herbnet.com/Herb%20Uses_C.htm

http://www.pfaf.org/user/Plant.aspx?LatinName=Scrophularia+marilandica

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Bulbous Buttercup

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

Common Names: Bulbous Buttercup,St Anthony’s turnip

Habitat :The native range of Bulbous Buttercup is Western Europe between about 60oN and the Northern Mediterranean coast. It grows in both the eastern and western parts of North America as an introduced weed Bulbous buttercup grows in lawns, pastures and fields in general, preferring nutrient-poor, well-drained soils. Although it doesn’t generally grow in proper crops or improved grassland, it is often found in hay fields  and in coastal grassland.

Description:
Bulbous Buttercup  is a perennial weed of the Buttercup Family. It has attractive yellow flowers, and deeply divided, three-lobed long-petioled basal leaves. Bulbous buttercup is known to form tufts.

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The stems are 20-60 cm tall, erect, branching, and slightly hairy flowering.  There are alternate and sessile leaves on the stem. The flower forms at the apex of the stems, and is shiny and yellow with 5-7 petals. The flowers are 1.5-3 cm wide. The plant blooms from April to July.

Chemical constituents:
This plant, like other buttercups, contains the toxic glycoside ranunculin. It is avoided by livestock when fresh, but when the plant dries the toxin is lost, so hay containing the plant is safe for animal consumption.

Medicinal Uses:
In spite of its toxic nature, this plant is listed as an herbal remedy used in homeopathy for subepidermal blistering of the skin, especially in summer

The root has been placed in a tooth cavity to act as a painkiller.  A decoction of the plant has been used in the treatment of venereal disease.  It is directly applied to remove warts.  The juice is topically applied to rheumatic and gouty joints to relieve these conditions.  A tincture may be both externally applied and taken internally to treat shingles and sciatica

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/Ranunculus_bulbosus
http://www.herbnet.com/Herb%20Uses_AB.htm
http://luirig.altervista.org/schedeit/pz/ranunculus_bulbosus.htm

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Bentham’s Cornel (Cornus capitata)

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Botanical Name : Cornus capitata
Family : Cornaceae
Genus : Cornus
Kingdom: Plantae
Order: Cornales
Species: C. capitata
Synonyms: Benthamia capitata – (Wall.)Nakai.,Benthamia fragifera – Lindl.,Benthamidia capitata – (Wall.)Hara.,Dendrobenthamia capitata – Hutch.
Common Names :   Bentham’s cornel, Himalayan flowering dogwood, and evergreen dogwood.

Habitat : It is native to the low-elevation woodlands of the Himalayas in China, India, and surrounding nations and it is naturalized in parts of Australia and New Zealand. It is grown elsewhere as an ornamental.

Description:
This is an evergreen tree growing to 12 meters in height and 12meters width. The leaves are gray-green and pale and fuzzy underneath, and several centimeters long.Flowers bloom in late spring to early summer (June-July). The showy parts of the dogwood “flower” are the four (infrequently 6), pointed, petal-like, bracts (each to 1.5” x 3.0”) that surround a center cluster of insignificant, greenish-white, true flowers. Bracts are creamy white to pale yellow. Flowers are followed by fleshy, edible, strawberry-like berries that ripen in clusters in fall. In addition to being a good food source for birds, the fruit is also ornamentally attractive. This dogwood is also commonly called Himalayan strawberry tree in reference to the fruits. Genus name comes from the Latin word cornu meaning horn in reference to the toughness of the wood. Specific epithet comes from the Latin word caput meaning head in reference to the mounding flowers and fruits. The infructescence is a small aggregate of several individual fruits fused into a red body 2 or 3 centimeters across. It is edible but sometimes bitter. There are several varieties and hybri

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It is hardy to zone 8. It is in leaf all year, in flower from June to July, and the seeds ripen from September to November. The flowers are hermaphrodite (have both male and female organs) and are pollinated by Insects.
The plant prefers light (sandy), medium (loamy) and heavy (clay) soils and can grow in heavy clay soil. The plant prefers acid, neutral and basic (alkaline) soils and can grow in very alkaline soil. It can grow in semi-shade (light woodland) or no shade. It requires moist soil. The plant can tolerate maritime exposure.

Cultivation :
An easily grown plant, it succeeds in any soil of good or moderate fertility, ranging from acid to shallow chalk. Grows well in heavy clay soils. Succeeds in full sun or light shade. Prefers semi-shade. This species is hardy to between -5 and -10°c, it grows very well in S.W. England, self-sowing and fruiting prolifically in Cornish woodland gardens and doing well by the coast where it tolerates sea winds. Plants are not hardy in the London area, being killed even when on a south-facing wall. Another report says that it succeeds as far north as Edinburgh. Squirrels are very fond of this fruit. This species has been known to hybridize with C. kousa, the cultivar ‘Norman Hadden’ could be such a hybrid. Plants in this genus are notably resistant to honey fungus.

Propagation
Seed – best sown as soon as it is ripe in a cold frame or in an outdoors seedbed if there is sufficient seed. The seed must be separated from the fruit flesh since this contains germination inhibitors. Stored seed should be cold stratified for 3 – 4 months and sown as early as possible in the year. Scarification may also help as may a period of warm stratification before the cold stratification. Germination, especially of stored seed, can be very slow, taking 18 months or more. Prick out the seedlings of cold-frame sown seeds into individual pots as soon as they are large enough to handle and grow the plants on for their first winter in a greenhouse, planting out in the spring after the last expected frosts. Cuttings of half-ripe side shoots, July/August in a frame. Cuttings of mature wood of the current year’s growth, taken with a heel if possible, autumn in a cold frame. High percentage. Layering of new growth in June/July. Takes 9 months.


Edible Uses
Edible Parts: Fruit.

Fruit – raw or cooked. A bitter-sweet flavour, tasting like an over-ripe banana. The fruit can also be used in preserves. The fruit is about 25mm in diameter, it is fleshy with a number of seeds and a tough slightly bitter skin[K]. Our experience is that some trees can produce quite pleasant tasting fruits, but many others produce fruit with a distinct and unpleasant bitterness. The fruit ripens in late autumn to early winter and will fail to ripe properly if the weather is very cold.

Medicinal Actions &  Uses
Astringent.

The bark is used medicinally. No further information is given, though the bark is a source of tannin which is used as an astringent.

Other Uses
Fuel; Tannin; Wood.

The branches and leaves are a source of tannin. Wood – very hard, close grained but warps when being seasoned. Used mainly for fuel and for making tools..

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?Cornus+capitata
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cornus_capitata
http://www.mobot.org/GARDENINGHELP/PLANTFINDER/plant.asp?code=C938

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