Categories
Herbs & Plants

Blazing Star (Chamaelirium luteum)

Botanical Name :Chamaelirium luteum
Family: Melanthiaceae
Genus: Chamaelirium
Kingdom: Plantae
Order: Liliales
Species: C. luteum
Synonyms : C. carolinianum. Helonias dioica. H. lutea. Veratrum luteum.
Common Names : False Unicorn Root , Blazing-Star, Devil’s Bit, Fairy Wand, False Unicorn.
Parts Used:
Dried rhizome and root

Habitat : Native to the eastern United States.It can be found in a variety of habitats, including wet meadows and deciduous woodlands.Low moist ground in meadows, thickets and rich woods.

Description:
Chamaelirium is a perennial herb .  Chamaelirium luteum has a basal rosette of around six 8-15cm leaves, from which a single spike-like raceme inflorescence (1-1.5cm diameter, 8-30cm length) emerges. The plants are generally dioecious, with male-biased gender ratios in a given population. This is due to higher mortality of female plants, and the tendency of female plants to flower less frequently. Female stalks tend to be taller, giving a total maximum plant height of about 12dm, but also tend to have about ten times fewer flowers. C. luteum is the only member of its monotypic genus, and is quite rare at the fringes of its range.

Flower/fruit: Small white flowers are tightly clustered on a spike or raceme; turns yellow with age; 4 to 8 inches long; located on end of 8 to 18 inch stem; male and female flowers on separate plants; male raceme often curves downward .
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Flowering Season: Early summer .

Foliage: 3 to 8 inch evergreen basal leaves are smooth, narrow, lanceolate and form a rosette; stem leaves are narrower .

Cultivation :
Requires a moist fertile humus-rich acidic soil in sun or light dappled shade. Prefers a cool peaty soil. Plants are dioecious, male and female plants must be grown if seed is required.

Propagation  :
Seed – sow as soon as it is ripe just below the surface of a peat/sand mix in pots in a cold frame. Keep cool and moist. Germination usually takes place within 1 – 6 months at 10°c. When large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots and grow them on in pots plunged in a nursery bed for 1 – 2 years, giving protection from severe weather. Plant out in spring when the plants are large enough. Division.

Active Compounds:   Saponins; the glycosides chamaelirin and helonin, based on diosgenin.


Medical Uses:

A treasured woman’s botanical, false unicorn root’s gently curved root, which resembles a unicorn’s horn may be the source of its most common name. Used by Native American women to deter miscarriage, it is still widely used to treat a variety of problems unique to the female reproductive system. The root contains steroidal saponins which are precursors of estrogen.Steroidal saponin-containing herbs may normalize the luteal phase in women, making them useful for infertility which is associated with failure to ovulate.

Remedies For:

Uterine tonic, diuretic, anthelmintic, anti-inflammatory, emmenagogue.

This herb, used by the North American Indians, is one of the best tonics and strengtheners of the reproductive system that we have. Though primarily used for the female system, it can be equally beneficial for men. It is known to contain precursors of the estrogens. However, it acts in an amphoteric way to normalize function.

The body may use this herb to balance and tone and thus it will aid in apparently opposite situations. Whilst being of help in all uterine problems, it is specifically useful in delayed or absent menstruation. Where ovarian pain occurs, False Unicorn Root may be safely used. It is also indicated to prevent threatened miscarriage and ease vomiting associated with pregnancy. However, large doses will cause nausea and vomiting.

Dosage:
Decoction: Put 1-2 teaspoonfuls of the root in a cup of water, bring to boiling and simmer gently for 10-15 minutes. This should be drunk three times a day. For threatened miscarriage it may be drunk copiously.

Tincture: Take 2-4 ml of the tincture three times a day.

You may click to see :Improve Fertility Problems Naturally With Herbs :

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/Chamaelirium
http://plants.usda.gov/java/profile?symbol=CHLU&photoID=chlu_3v.jpg
http://www.holisticonline.com/herbal-med/_Herbs/h236.htm
http://www.ces.ncsu.edu/depts/hort/consumer/factsheets/wildflowers/chamaelirium_luteum.html
http://www.holisticonline.com/herbal-med/_Herbs/h236.htm
http://www.pfaf.org/user/Plant.aspx?LatinName=Chamaelirium+luteum

Categories
Herbs & Plants

Lyre-Leaved Sage

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Botanical Name:Salvia lyrata
Family: Lamiaceae
Kingdom: Plantae
Order: Lamiales
Genus: Salvia
Species: S. lyrata
Common Names: Cancer Root, Lyreleaf Sage, Wild sage,Cancerweed,

Habitat:Lyre-leaved Sage is found in sandy soiled woods and clearings.Dry, open woods and dry thickets, barrens, roadsides, lawns and waste places. Eastern N. America – Pennsylvania to Florida, west to Texas and Illinois.

Description:It is a herbaceous perennial plant with low growing leaves and flowering stems growing to 50 cm tall. The leaves are arranged in a basal rosette of large leaves, and smaller leaves in opposite pairs on the erect flowering stem. The basal leaves are up to 15 cm long and 5 cm broad, with several lobes, some approximating to the shape of a lyre, from which the species is named. The flowers are pale blue, up to 25 mm long. The species is often a lawn weed that self seeds into lawns and is tolerant of being mowed. It has square, slightly hairy, stem and produce whorls of blue or violet tubular flowers. The leaves form a basal rosette, are up to 8″ long, and often have dark red or purple areas along the main veins, are irregularly cleft and some times lobed. Gather fresh young edible leaves in spring. Gather entire plant as flowers bloom, dry for later herb use.
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Flower size: 1 inch long , Flower color: pale blue-purple. Flowering time: May to June

Identification: Flowers tubular, violet to blue-violet. Lower petals lobes fused into a three-lobed hanging banner. Upper petal lobe narrow, folded, containing the stamens. Sepals fused forming a spiny capsule containing the corolla. Stem square, weakly hairy. Upper leaves blade-shaped, with slightly irregular outer margins. Lower leaves forming a rosette with outer margins irregularly lobed. Plant 1 to 3 feet in height.

Cultivation and uses: It requires a very well-drained light sandy soil in a sunny position.It is sometimes grown in gardens for its attractive foliage and flowers. Several cultivars have been developed with purple leaves. Two readily available seed raised cultivars include:

‘Purple Prince’ – Grows about 35 cm tall with reddish purple colored veins and dark purple spikes with small lilac colored flowers in dark purple calyces.
‘Purple Volcano’ – Grows about 35 cm tall with dark purple leaves that have a shiny sheen to them. The flowers are light blue in color.

Medicinal Properties:
Medicinal and edible herb, as an alternative medicine it is carminative, diaphoretic, laxative, and salve. Lyre-leaved sage has some of the same medicinal properties of the other sages but is very week. It is used mainly as a gargle in the treatment of sore throat and mouth infections. Medicinal salve made from root is applied to sores. Warm infusion of herb is taken as a laxative or for colds, coughs and nervous debility. This sage is not very strong tasting, and has a rather pleasent minty flavor, fresh young leaves are edible in salads, or cooked as pot herb.

Folklore
Lyre-leaved sage is also a folk remedy for cancer (as the plant grows like a cancer upon the earth) it is therefore said to cure it. The fresh leaves are said to remove warts.

Recipe
Medicinal tea: To 1 cup water add 1 tbsp. dried herb, bring to boil, steep 10 min. strain, sweeten to taste, drink warm at bed time.

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.ct-botanical-society.org/galleries/salvialyra.html
http://plants.usda.gov/java/profile?symbol=SALY2
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Salvia_lyrata
http://www.nearctica.com/flowers/lamia/Slyrata.htm

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