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Draba verna

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Botanical Name : Draba verna
Family: Brassicaceae
Genus: Draba
Species: D. verna
Kingdom: Plantae
Order: Brassicales

Synonyms: Draba praecox, Erophila spathulata, Erophila verna, Erophila vulgaris

Common Names:Shadflower, Nailwort, Vernal whitlow grass, Early witlow grass or Whitlow-grass

Habitat: Draba verna grows  in the inland western U.S., most of Europe, including Britain, North Africa and temperate Asia.

Description:
It is a inconspicuous tiny, tiny plant with  only basal foliage which is small (1 to 2 inches long), pubescent with star shaped hairs, and from green to purple in color.
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Flowers occur in a raceme (typical of mustards), with each flower having 4 white petals.  Flowers are small (1 to 3 mm across).Typically  disappears before April.

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……Seed pods are  flattened, football shaped, about 3 mm long.  These can be used to distinguish this plant from Arabidopsis and Shepherd’s purse.

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Medicinal Uses:
The plant is used as a treatment for whitlows. According to Culpepper: A strong infusion of the whole plant, fresh gathered, is an excellent sweetener of the blood and juice, and good against scorbutic complaints in general  Those who wish to use it all the year, should make a syrup of its juice in the Spring, or beat the leaves into a conserve with sugar, for the dried plant loses all its virtues, and is only to be had fresh for a short time in the spring.

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/Draba_verna
http://oregonstate.edu/dept/nursery-weeds/weedspeciespage/draba/Draba_verna_whitlowgrass_page.html
http://www.herbnet.com/Herb%20Uses_UZ.htm

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Dipsacus fullonum

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Botanical  Name : Dipsacus fullonum
Family: Dipsacaceae
Genus: Dipsacus
Species: D. fullonum
Kingdom: Plantae
Order: Dipsacales

Syn :Dipsacus sylvestris

Common Names :Fuller’s teasel and wild teasel.Dipsacus sativus

Habitat : Dipsacus fullonum  is native to Eurasia and North Africa, but it is known in the Americas, southern Africa, Australia and New Zealand as an introduced species and often a noxious weed.

Description:
Dipsacus fullonum is an erect biennial with small prickles on the stem and distinctive spiny flower heads.  Common teasel may reach 6 1/2 feet in height and is primarily a weed of roadsides, pastures, hayfields, and occasionally rosettes can be found in turfgrass.

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The inflorescence is a cylindrical array of lavender flowers which dries to a cone of spine-tipped hard bracts. D. fullonum is the wild form of Fuller’s teasel; the cultivated form is generally recognised as a distinct species under the name Dipsacus sativus.This weed is found throughout the United States except in the northern great plains.

Seedling:  Cotyledons are oval to round in shape and occur on short petioles.  First true leaves are also oval to round in shape, have rounded or ‘scalloped’ teeth, and have an overall wrinkled appearance.

Leaves:  Plants initially produce a basal rosette of leaves and then flowering stems are produced during the second year.  Rosette leaves are oval in outline, have a wrinkled appearance, and have margins with rounded or ‘scalloped’ teeth.  Leaves that occur on the flowering stems are opposite, without petioles (sessile), and are lanceolate in outline.  Leaves that occur on the flowering stems are also ‘clasping’, with their leaf bases completely surrounding the stem.  All leaf midveins have short prickles on them

Stems: Flowering stems are produced during the second year of growth and are erect and branching near the upper portions of the plant.  Stems are angled and also have many small prickles that are turned downward on them.

Fruit:  An achene that is angled and approximately 2 to 3 mm long.

Flowers:  Flowers are egg-shaped in outline but cut off squarely at the base.  Flowers are approximately 1 1/4 to 4 inches long and consist of many individual white to lilac flowers that bloom in a circular pattern around the seedhead.  Individual flowers are from 10 to 15 mm long and occur on flower stalks (peduncles).  Several long, leaf-like bracts also branch out from the base of the flower and curve upward around the head.

Medicinal Uses:
Dipsacus fullonum root is not much used medicinally today, and its therapeutic applications are disputed.  It is thought to have diuretic, sweat-inducing, and stomach-soothing properties, cleansing the system and improving digestion.  Due to its apparent astringency, teasel is considered helpful in diarrhea.  It is also thought to increase appetite, to tone the stomach, and to act on the liver, helping with jaundice and gallbladder problems.  An infusion of the leaves has been used as a wash to treat acne. The plant has a folk history of use in the treatment of cancer, an ointment made from the roots is used to treat warts, wens and whitlows. There is no clear picture of teasel’s actions, but its closeness to the thistle family means it might well reward careful investigation.

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.ppws.vt.edu/scott/weed_id/diwsi.htm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dipsacus_fullonum
http://www.herbnet.com/Herb%20Uses_RST.htm

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Geranium robertianum

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Botanical Name :Geranium robertianum
Kingdom: Plantae
Division: Magnoliophyta
Class: Magnoliopsida
Order: Geraniales
Family: Geraniaceae
Genus: Geranium
Species: G. robertianum

Common Name :Herb Robert ,Herb Robert, Red Robin, Death come quickly, or (in North America) Robert Geranium

Habitat:Geranium robertianum is found throughout Europe, Asia, and North Africa where it grows on a variety of soils, rocks, tree trunks, and decaying organic matter such as logs (Falinska and Pironznikow 1983). It is a component of   virtually all forest types there. In the Pacific Northwest it is primarily found west of the Cascade crest although it extends along the Columbia River in Klickitat County. In some western counties it is widespread, although  still expanding fast into new territory. In other areas it appears in only a few to no populations.

Geranium robertianum can grow at altitudes of up to 1,500 metres (4,921 ft).

English: Herb Robert (Geranium robertianum). P...
English: Herb Robert (Geranium robertianum). Photo by sannse, Tapeley Park, Instow, North Devon, 14 May 2004.  (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Description:
Geranium robertianum is both a winter and spring annual. The light green leaves are deeply dissected. In late fall the foliage turns red. The stems fork and are brittle at the joints. They are pubescent and under high light conditions are red and up to 25 cm long. The roots are shallow. The pink flowers are perfect with five petals that are 7-10 mm. The receptacle is elongated into a structure called a “torus”. The fruit is a capsule. The seeds are brown and about two mm long. Herb Robert propagates by seed. A distinguishing characteristic of the species is the pungent odor of the crushed leaves and another common name for this plant is stinky Bob.

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In Great Britain is commonly found in hedgerows. It has been introduced into other temperate parts of the world, probably through its use as a ornamental plant, such as in the San Francisco Bay Area in California. In the state of Washington, it is known as Stinky Bob and classified as a noxious weed.(WSNWCB 2005, p. 8)(WSNWCB 2007)

 

Constituents:
The active ingredients are tannins, bitters, and essential oils.

Medininal Uses:
In the past Herb Robert was used mostly in veterinary medicine, especially fore the treatment of blood in the urine and infectious diseases.  An application for melancholy and sadness was recommended.  It stimulated the metabolism. It is now occasionally employed in much the same way as American cranesbill as an astringent and wound healer.  More investigation is needed as according to one authority it is also effective against stomach ulcers and inflammation of the uterus, and it has potential as a treatment for cancer.  To treat chronic inflammation in the gastrointestinal trace, try administering Herb Robert in the form of a medicinal wine.  A simple one is made by filling a large jar half and half with freshly plucked, chopped Herb Robert and a good red wine.  Let the mixture stand for two weeks before straining it into a corked bottle.  Sip by snifter before meals.  For external applications, the freshly pressed juice of Herb Robert is best.  You can either apply the juice directly to the area being treated or use it In compresses.  Herb Robert is available as “Herba Geranii Robertiani and the homeopathic mother tincture “Geranium robertianum is prepared from the fresh flowering plant.

In traditional herbalism, Herb Robert is used as a remedy for toothache and nosebleeds. An infusion made from the whole plant, minus the root, has been used for its diuretic and tonic effect and as a remedy for dysentery. It is also used on wounds for healing and to prevent scarring, having both an antiseptic and a styptic effect.

Other Uses:
Freshly picked leaves have an odor resembling burning tires when crushed, and if they are rubbed on the body the smell is said to repel mosquitoes.

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.nwcb.wa.gov/weed_info/Written_findings/Geranium_robertianum.html
http://www.kingcounty.gov/environment/animalsAndPlants/noxious-weeds/weed-identification/herb-robert.aspx
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geranium_robertianum
http://www.herbnet.com/Herb%20Uses_FGH.htm

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Trifolium repens

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Botanical Name : Trifolium repens
Family: Fabaceae
Subfamily: Faboideae
Genus: Trifolium
Kingdom: Plantae
Order: Fabales

Common Name :white clover

Habitat : Trifolium repens native to Europe, North Africa, and West Asia. It has been widely introduced worldwide as a pasture crop, and is now also common in most grassy areas of North America and New Zealand. Also grown in spring and summer.

Description:
It is a herbaceous, perennial plant. It is low growing, with heads of whitish flowers, often with a tinge of pink or cream that may come on with the aging of the plant. The heads are generally 1.5–2 cm wide, and are at the end of 7 cm peduncles or flower stalks. The leaves, which by themselves form the symbol known as shamrock, are trifoliolate, smooth, elliptic to egg-shaped and long-petioled. The stems function as stolons, so white clover often forms mats, with the stems creeping as much as 18 cm a year, and rooting at the nodes.

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Culinary uses:
Besides making an excellent forage crop for livestock, clovers are a valuable survival food: they are high in proteins, widespread, and abundant. The fresh plants have been used for centuries as additives to salads and other meals consisting of leafy vegetables.

They are not easy for humans to digest raw, however, but this is easily fixed by boiling the harvested plants for 5–10 minutes. Dried flowerheads and seedpods can also be ground up into a nutritious flour and mixed with other foods, or can be steeped into a tisane. White clover flour is sometimes sprinkled onto cooked foods such as boiled rice.

When used in soups, the leaves are often harvested before the plant flowers. The roots are also edible, although they are most often cooked firsthand.

Medicinal uses:
The flower heads are the medicinally active parts.  When dry they have a honey-like fragrance and a slightly astringent taste.  An infusion is used to treat gastritis, enteritis, severe diarrhea and rheumatic pains.  It is also used as an inhalant for respiratory infections. Herbal doctors still employ preparations of white clover to ward off mumps.  An old fashioned remedy to cleanse the system. A blood purifier, especially in boils, ulcers and other skin diseases. A strong tea of white clover blossoms is very healing to sores when applied externally. Similar to red clover in use.  An infusion has been used in the treatment of coughs, colds, fevers and leucorrhea. A tincture of the leaves is applied as an ointment to gout. An infusion of the flowers has been used as an eyewash.

Trifolium repens has been used as minor folk medicine by the Cherokee, Iroquois, Mohegan and other Native American tribes for centuries.

The Cherokee, for instance, used an infusion of the plant to treat fevers as well as Bright’s disease. The Delaware and Algonkian natives used the same infusion, but as a treatment for coughing and the common cold.

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

https://s10.lite.msu.edu/res/msu/botonl/b_online/thome/band3/tafel_115_small.jpg

http://www.robsplants.com/plants/TrifoRepen

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Colutea arborescens

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Botanical Name :Colutea arborescens
Family: Fabaceae
Genus: Colutea
Species: C. arborescens
Kingdom: Plantae
Order: Fabales

Common Name :Bladder senna

Habitat : It is native to Europe and North Africa, but it is known on other continents where it is grown as an ornamental and used in landscaping for erosion control.

Description:
Colutea arborescens is a species of leguminous shrub.It is also known in the wild as an occasionally weedy escapee from cultivation. The shrub takes a rounded form and has many branches covered in deciduous leaves. The leaves are made up of many pairs of slightly hairy oval-shaped leaflets, each up to about 3 centimeters long. The inflorescence is a raceme of generally pea-like yellow flowers about 3 centimeters long. The fruit is an inflated bladdery pod which dries to a papery texture. It is 2 to 3 centimeters long and contains many seeds.
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Medicinal Uses:
The leaves are diuretic and purgative. The leaves are sometimes used as a substitute for senna as a laxative, though they are much milder in their action. The seeds are emetic but also toxic. Taken in the form of an infusion, 1 or 2 drachms of the seeds will excite vomiting.

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/Colutea_arborescens
http://species.wikimedia.org/wiki/Colutea_arborescens
http://www.gardensandplants.com/uk/plant.aspx?plant_id=910
http://www.herbnet.com/Herb%20Uses_AB.htm

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