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You are here: Home / Archives for Field Guide / Wildflower Quick ID / Month / April

Black Medick: Cautions, Edible & Medicinal

June 30, 2017 by Mike Leave a Comment

Black Medick, or known by its Latin name as Medicago lupulina, is a member of the Pea Family. Its lifespan is either an annual or a short lived perennial and the plant sprawls out along the ground from a 1-1 ½’ in length. This native plant of Eurasia can be now be found throughout much of North America in roadsides, waste places, meadows, and cultivated beds.

Black Medick IdentificationBlack Medick Identification. Plight to Freedom

The flowers can be observed from March to December and are yellow, irregular, and grow in small flower heads that will turn into fruit clusters of small, one-seeded, black, spirally coiled pods. The plant has alternate leaves that are divided into 3 leaflets, which are entire or finely toothed, the leaflets are tipped with a short bristle, and they have long leafstalks. The stem is sprawling and downy, and the root is deeply rooted.

Caution 

Black Medick Seeds. Plight to Freedom

The seeds of Medicago lupulina is said to contain trypsin inhibitors. These can interfere with certain enzymes that help in the digestion of proteins, but could possibly be destroyed if the seed is sprouted first. It should also be noted that other Medicagos, such as Alfalfa, contain the amino acid L-Canavanine which can cause abnormal blood cell counts, the enlargement of the spleen, and possibly a recurrence of lupus in those who suffer from the disease. Alfalfa also has some estrogenic components, so it is not recommended for pregnant women or children. The estrogenic components will also increases the clotting ability of your blood, which will decrease the effectiveness of drugs such as Warfarin/Coumadin.

Edible

Edible Parts: Seeds & Leaves: Summer to Fall

Nutrition: Three ounces of the leaves contains about 23.3 grams of protein, 3.3 of fiber and 10.3 of ash. In milligrams they have 1330 mg of calcium, 300 mg of Phosphorus, 450 mg of magnesium and 2280 mg of potassium.

The seeds were lightly roasted and eaten out of hand or ground into flour. The Leaves are a bit chewy and were cooked as a potherb.

Medicinal

Medicinal Actions: Antibacterial and a mild laxative

Aqueous extracts of the plant have antibacterial properties against micro-organisms and the plant is mildly laxative.

Other Uses: Fodder plant for grazing animals

 

 

Black Medick Sources:

Chopra. R. N., Nayar. S. L. and Chopra. I. C. Glossary of Indian Medicinal Plants (Including the Supplement). Council of Scientific and Industrial Research, New Delhi. 1986

Duke. J. A. and Ayensu. E. S. Medicinal Plants of China Reference Publications, Inc. 1985 ISBN 0-917256-20-4

Green Deane, Black Medick. Eat the Weeds and other things, too. Web.

Hedrick. U. P. Sturtevant’s Notes on Edible Plants. Dover Publications. Albany. J.B. Lyon Company, State Printers. 1919 pg. 357

Newcomb, Lawrence. Newcomb’s Wildflower Guide. Boston: Little, Brown and Company, 1977. Print. pg. 58-59

Peterson, Lee Allen. The Peterson Field Guide Series; A Field Guide to Edible Wild Plants; Eastern and Central North America. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company, 1977. Print. pg. 80-81

Plants For A Future, Medicago Lupulina. Web.

United States Department of Agriculture. Natural Resources Conservation Services. Web.

Yanovsky. E. Food Plants of the N. American Indians. Publication no. 237. U.S. Dept of Agriculture. pg. 37

Filed Under: (4) Leaves Divided, April, August, Blog, December, Edible Wildflowers, July, June, March, May, Medicinal Wildflowers, November, October, September, Yellow Tagged With: American Indian Remedies Black Medick, American Indian Remedies Medicago lupulina, Black Medick, Bushcraft Black Medick, Bushcraft Medicago lupulina, Bushman's Wildflower Guide, eastern wildflowers, Edible Black Medick, Edible Medicago lupulina, Edible Wild Plants Medicago lupulina, field guide, food, Medicago lupulina, medicinal, Medicinal Black Medick, Medicinal Medicago lupulina, Medicine Black Medick, Medicine Medicago lupulina, nature, Newcomb's Wildflower Guide, Ohio, P2F, Plant ID Black Medick, Plant ID Medicago lupulina, plant identification, Plant Identification Black Medick, Plant Identification Medicago lupulina, Plight to Freedom, survival, Survival food Black Medick, Survival food Medicago lupulina, Survival Medicine Black Medick, Survival Medicine Medicago lupulina, survivalist, Uses Black Medick, Uses Medicago lupulina, wild edible, Wild Edible Plants Black Medick, Wild Edibles Black Medick, Wild Edibles Medicago lupulina, wild medicinal, Wild Medicine Black Medick, Wild Medicine Medicago lupulina, Wilderness, wildflower

Coltsfoot: Edible, Medicinal & Cautions

May 10, 2017 by Mike Leave a Comment

Coltsfoot Tussilago farfara

For thousands of years coltsfoot, Tussilago farfara, has been used as a medicine by western and eastern herbalists. In France it was even used as the symbol for Apothecaries.

Coltsfoot Flower

Color: Yellow

Flower: February-June

Flower Type: 7 Regular Parts, 1″ wide, multiple rays, dandelion-like flower heads, the flowers appear before the leaves.

Coltsfoot Plant

Stalk: Scaly, reddish in color.

Plant Type: No apparent leaves during flowering.

Coltsfoot Leaves

Leaf Type: Basal rosette, base of the leaves are heart-shaped, later toothed or shallowly lobed, 3-7″ wide, white underneath the leaf.

Coltsfoot Cautions

Coltsfoot is potentially toxic in large doses and it contains trace amounts of liver-affecting alkaloids.

Coltsfoot Edible

Leaves   Spring-Summer

Boil the fresh leaves to obtain an extract. Add two cups of sugar to every one cup of extract and boil it down until it becomes a rich syrup. To make a hard candy continue boiling until it turn into a hard ball when dropped into cold water. Both the syrup and the hard candy can be used as cough medicine. The dried leaves can be steeped to make a fragrant tea, or the leaves can be burned and the residue used as a salt-like seasoning.

Coltsfoot American Indian Herbal Medicine

Iroquois

Cough Medicine:

Tussilago farfara                      (Coltsfoot)

Botrychium virginianum        (Rattlesnake Fern)

Sanguinaria canadensis          (Bloodroot)

Aralia nudicaulis                      (Wild Sarsaparilla)

Put one root of each (a small root of Sanguinaria canadensis) in a $0.50 liquor flask with the liquor. Let it stand for three days. Take a teaspoon four times a day before meals and at bedtime.

Coltsfoot Western Herbal Medicine

Medicinal Parts: The leaves and flowers

Actions: Emollient, demulcent, and tonic.

Uses: Coltsfoot was used to relieve irritation of the mucous tissues for coughing, asthma, whooping-cough, laryngitis, pharyngitis, bronchitis, and other pulmonary affections. A decoction was made by boiling 1 ounce of leaves in 2 quarts of water until it boiled down to 1 pint and taken as a cupful at a time or from 1 to 4 fluid ounces. A tincture was made from the leaves, flowers and strong alcohol and it was given in doses of 1 to 10 drops. A syrup was made from the flower stalks by boiling them in water with added honey or sugar. The powdered leaves causes nasal discharge, helpful for headaches and nasal obstructions. Externally, the leaves were used in a poultice for scrofulous tumors. A cloth soaked with coltsfoot water was applied to private parts and hemorrhoids to relieve burning sensations. The flowers, buds, but mainly the leaves were smoked with other herbs to treat coughs and chest problems.

Coltsfoot Sources:

Culpeper, M.D., Nicholas. Culpeper Color Herbal. Ed. David Potterton. New York: Sterling Publishing Co., Inc., 1983. Print. pg. 49
Felter, Harvey Wickes, M.D., and John Uri Lloyd, Phr. M., Ph. D. King’s American Dispensatory, Vol. 2. Cincinnati: The Ohio Valley Company, 1905. pg. 2010-2011
Fernald, Merritt Lyndon & Alfred Charles Kinsey. Edible Wild Plants of Eastern North America. New York: Dover Publications, Inc. 1996. Print. pg. 363
Foster, Steven and James A. Duke. The Peterson Field Guide Series; A Field Guide to Medicinal Plants and Herbs of Eastern and Central North America. 2nd. ed. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company, 2000. Print. pg. 146-147
Herrick, James William. Iroquois Medical Botany. Ph.D. Thesis, New York: State University of New York, Albany 1977. Print. pg.  238-239
Moerman Daniel E., Native American Ethnobotany, Portland: Timber Press. 1998. Print. pg. 573
Niering, William A., and Olmstead, Nancy C., National Audubon Society Field Guide to North American Wildflowers Eastern Region. New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 2001. Print. pg. 421-422 pl. 293
Newcomb, Lawrence. Newcomb’s Wildflower Guide. Boston: Little, Brown and Company, 1977. Print. pg. 358-359
Peterson, Lee Allen. The Peterson Field Guide Series; A Field Guide to Edible Wild Plants; Eastern and Central North America. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company, 1977. Print. pg. 84-85
United States Department of Agriculture. Natural Resources Conservation Services. Web.

Filed Under: (1) No Apparent Leaves 71, April, Blog, Edible Wildflowers, February, June, March, May, Medicinal Wildflowers, Yellow Tagged With: 7 or more regular parts, 711, American Indian Remedies Coltsfoot, American Indian Remedies Tussilago farfara, asthma, bronchitis, Coltsfoot, coughing, coughwort, Edible Coltsfoot, Edible Tussilago farfara, Edible Wild Plants Tussilago farfara, Ethnobotany Coltsfoot, Ethnobotany Tussilago farfara, Iroquois remedies, laryngitis, Medicinal Coltsfoot, Medicinal Tussilago farfara, Medicine Coltsfoot, Medicine Tussilago farfara, no apparent leaves, pharyngitis, Plant ID Coltsfoot, Plant ID Tussilago farfara, Plant Identification Coltsfoot, Plant Identification Tussilago farfara, Survival food Coltsfoot, Survival food Tussilago farfara, Survival Medicine Coltsfoot, Survival Medicine Tussilago farfara, Survival Plants Coltsfoot, Survival Plants Tussilago farfara, Tussilago farfara, Uses Coltsfoot, Uses Tussilago farfara, Western Herbalism Coltsfoot, Western Herbalism Tussilago farfara, whooping cough, Wild Edible Plants Coltsfoot, Wild Edibles Coltsfoot, Wild Edibles Tussilago farfara, Wild Medicine Coltsfoot, Wild Medicine Tussilago farfara

White False Indigo: Poison, Edible, Medicinal & Other Uses

June 28, 2016 by Mike 2 Comments

White False IndigoWhite False Indigo back

White False Indigo, Baptisia alba macrophylla, this plant reminds me of a beefed up version of sweet clover but exercise caution if you plan on sampling it. The leaflets are entire, meaning smooth, and are larger than other members of the Pea Family. White False Indigo is considered potentially toxic and poisonous to cattle. It is sometimes misidentified and used as asparagus. Large doses are dangerous causing extreme vomiting and toxic doses can kill by asphyxiation through paralysis of the respiratory system. Both American Indians and western medicine used this plant. American Indian used it for swellings, rheumatism, sores, wounds, hemorrhoids and rattlesnake bites. The name baptisia is derived from the Greek word bapto or baptizo meaning to dye or color. Indigo have been used to produce a blue dye.

Keep your eyes and ears open and your powder dry!

BLOG SIG

White False Indigo Sources:

Audubon Guides Box Set – Birds, Tree, Wildflowers & Mammals. Computer Software.Green Mountain Digital. Version: 2.3. Web. Jul 10, 2014.

Felter, Harvey Wickes, M.D., and John Uri Lloyd, Phr. M., Ph. D. King’s American Dispensatory, Vol. 1. Cincinnati: The Ohio Valley Company, 1905. pg. 323-326

Fernald, Merritt Lyndon & Alfred Charles Kinsey. Edible Wild Plants of Eastern North America. New York: Dover Publications, Inc. 1996. Print. pg. 54

Foster, Steven and James A. Duke. The Peterson Field Guide Series; A Field Guide to Medicinal Plants and Herbs of Eastern and Central North America. 2nd. ed. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company, 2000. Print. pg. 131

Moerman Daniel E., Native American Ethnobotany, Portland: Timber Press. 1998. Print. pg. 120

Newcomb, Lawrence. Newcomb’s Wildflower Guide. Boston: Little, Brown and Company, 1977. Print. pg. 60-61

Peterson, Lee Allen. The Peterson Field Guide Series; A Field Guide to Edible Wild Plants; Eastern and Central North America. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company, 1977. Print. pg. 80-81

United States Department of Agriculture. Natural Resources Conservation Services. Web.

Filed Under: (4) Leaves Divided, April, Blog, Edible Wildflowers, June, May, Medicinal Wildflowers, Poisonous Plants, White Tagged With: American Indian Remedies Baptisia alba macrophylla, American Indian Remedies White False Indigo, Baptisia alba macrophylla, Bushcraft Baptisia alba macrophylla, Bushcraft White False Indigo, Bushman's Wildflower Guide, eastern wildflowers, Edible Baptisia alba macrophylla, Edible White False Indigo, Edible Wild Plants Baptisia alba macrophylla, Ethnobotany, Ethnobotany Baptisia alba macrophylla, Ethnobotany White False Indigo, field guide, medicinal, Medicinal Baptisia alba macrophylla, medicinal roots, Medicinal White False Indigo, Medicine Baptisia alba macrophylla, Medicine White False Indigo, National Park, nature, Newcomb's Wildflower Guide, P2F, Plant ID Baptisia alba macrophylla, Plant ID White False Indigo, plant identification, Plant Identification Baptisia alba macrophylla, Plant Identification White False Indigo, Plight to Freedom, Poison Baptisia alba macrophylla, Poison White False Indigo, Survival Medicine Baptisia alba macrophylla, Survival Medicine White False Indigo, Survival Plants Baptisia alba macrophylla, Survival Plants White False Indigo, Uses Baptisia alba macrophylla, Uses White False Indigo, warning, White False Indigo, wild edible, Wild Edible Plants White False Indigo, Wild Edibles Baptisia alba macrophylla, Wild Edibles White False Indigo, wild medicinal, Wild Medicine Baptisia alba macrophylla, Wild Medicine White False Indigo, Wilderness, wildflower

Wild Garlic: Edible & Medicinal

June 17, 2016 by Mike Leave a Comment

Wild GarlicWild Garlic back

Wild Garlic, Allium canadense, is a great plant to add some seasoning to your foraged goods. This plant pops up in early spring but it is hard to distinguish from other Allium. The flowers have six regular parts; basal leaves that are entire, long, and narrow; and a bulb for a root.

The nutritional value of Wild Garlic is unknown but it can be speculated that it may be a good source of vitamin C. History Buffs might be interested to know that besides the American Indians utilizing this plant as a food source, Lewis and Clark chewed on the bulblets to fight off starvation and scurvy. Though this plant is called Wild Garlic the flavor is more reminiscent to onions rather than garlic.

The Cherokee had a variety of medicinal uses for this plant using it for things such as gout, colds, coughs, headaches and more. The Mahuna used Wild Garlic as a protection against venomous creatures, and western medicine used this plant for a variety of ailments.

Keep your eyes and ears open and your powder dry!

BLOG SIG

Wild Garlic Sources:

Audubon Guides Box Set – Birds, Tree, Wildflowers & Mammals. Computer Software.Green Mountain Digital. Version: 2.3. Web. Jul 10, 2014.

Brill, Steve. Wild Edibles Plus. Computer Software. WinterRoot LLC. Version 1.5. 2012. Web. Feb. 15, 2014.

Felter, Harvey Wickes, M.D., and John Uri Lloyd, Phr. M., Ph. D. King’s American Dispensatory, Vol. 1. Cincinnati: The Ohio Valley Company, 1905. pg. 145-146

Fernald, Merritt Lyndon & Alfred Charles Kinsey. Edible Wild Plants of Eastern North America. New York: Dover Publications, Inc. 1996. Print. pg. 126-130

Foster, Steven and James A. Duke. The Peterson Field Guide Series; A Field Guide to Medicinal Plants and Herbs of Eastern and Central North America. 2nd. ed. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company, 2000. Print. pg. 34-36

Hamel, Paul B. and Mary U. Chiltoskey. Cherokee Plants and Their Uses- A 400 Year History. North Carolina: Herald Publishing. 1975. Print. pg. 35

Herrick, James William. Iroquois Medical Botany. Ph.D. Thesis, New York: State University of New York, Albany 1977. Print. pg. 243

Moerman Daniel E., Native American Ethnobotany, Portland: Timber Press. 1998. Print. pg. 57

Newcomb, Lawrence. Newcomb’s Wildflower Guide. Boston: Little, Brown and Company, 1977. Print. pg. 334-335

Peterson, Lee Allen. The Peterson Field Guide Series; A Field Guide to Edible Wild Plants; Eastern and Central North America. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company, 1977. Print. pg. 114-115

United States Department of Agriculture. Natural Resources Conservation Services. Web.

Filed Under: (2) Leaves Entire, April, Blog, Edible Wildflowers, June, May, Medicinal Wildflowers, Pink, White Tagged With: Allium canadense, American Indian Remedies Allium canadense, American Indian Remedies Wild Garlic, astringent, Bushman's Wildflower Guide, Cherokee, colds, diuretic, eastern wildflowers, edible, Edible Allium canadense, Edible Wild Garlic, Edible Wild Plants Allium canadense, epilepsy, Ethnobotany, Ethnobotany Allium canadense, Ethnobotany Wild Garlic, field guide, food, headache, hemorrhages, Iroquois, kidneys, mahuna, medicinal, Medicinal Allium canadense, medicinal roots, Medicinal Wild Garlic, Medicine Allium canadense, Medicine Wild Garlic, Menominee, menstruation, Meskwaki, National Park, nature, Newcomb's Wildflower Guide, P2F, Plant ID Allium canadense, Plant ID Wild Garlic, plant identification, Plant Identification Allium canadense, Plant Identification Wild Garlic, Plight to Freedom, Potawatomi, sight, sores, sudorific, Survival food Allium canadense, Survival food Wild Garlic, Survival Medicine Allium canadense, Survival Medicine Wild Garlic, Survival Plants Allium canadense, Survival Plants Wild Garlic, Uses Allium canadense, Uses Wild Garlic, wild edible, Wild Edible Plants Wild Garlic, Wild Edibles Allium canadense, Wild Edibles Wild Garlic, Wild Garlic, wild medicinal, Wild Medicine Allium canadense, Wild Medicine Wild Garlic, Wilderness, wildflower

Pale Violet: Edible, Medicinal & Cautions

May 19, 2016 by Mike Leave a Comment

Pale Violet
Pale Violet backPale Violet, Viola striata, also known a Cream Violet is one of the taller members of the violet family in my neck of the woods. The irregular flowers are cream to milk white in color and the leaves are heart-shaped and toothed. Both the flowers and leaves are edible. The flowers can be eaten raw or made into a candy. The leaves are rich in vitamins A and C and can be added to salads, boiled for 5-10 minutes and eaten as cooked greens or added to soups as a thickener. The Iroquois used this plant as a hunting charm and to protect young women against witchcraft.

Keep your eyes and ears open and your powder dry!

BLOG SIG

Pale Violet Sources:

Fernald, Merritt Lyndon & Alfred Charles Kinsey. Edible Wild Plants of Eastern North America. New York: Dover Publications, Inc. 1996. Print. pg. 275

Foster, Steven and James A. Duke. The Peterson Field Guide Series; A Field Guide to Medicinal Plants and Herbs of Eastern and Central North America. 2nd. ed. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company, 2000. Print. pg. 48

Herrick, James William. Iroquois Medical Botany. Ph.D. Thesis, New York: State University of New York, Albany 1977. Print. pg. 149

Moerman Daniel E., Native American Ethnobotany, Portland: Timber Press. 1998. Print. pg. 598

Newcomb, Lawrence. Newcomb’s Wildflower Guide. Boston: Little, Brown and Company, 1977. Print. pg. 56-57

Peterson, Lee Allen. The Peterson Field Guide Series; A Field Guide to Edible Wild Plants; Eastern and Central North America. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company, 1977. Print. pg. 132-133

United States Department of Agriculture. Natural Resources Conservation Services. Web.

Filed Under: (3) Leaves Toothed or Lobed, April, Edible Wildflowers, June, May, Medicinal Wildflowers, White Tagged With: American Indian Remedies (Cream) Pale Violet, American Indian Remedies Viola striata, Bushman's Wildflower Guide, Cream Violet, eastern wildflowers, edible, Edible (Cream) Pale Violet, Edible Viola striata, Edible Wild Plants Viola striata, Ethnobotany, Ethnobotany (Cream) Pale Violet, Ethnobotany Viola striata, field guide, food, Medicinal (Cream) Pale Violet, Medicinal Viola striata, Medicine (Cream) Pale Violet, Medicine Viola striata, National Park, nature, Newcomb's Wildflower Guide, P2F, Pale Violet, Plant ID (Cream) Pale Violet, Plant ID Viola striata, plant identification, Plant Identification (Cream) Pale Violet, Plant Identification Viola striata, Plight to Freedom, Survival food (Cream) Pale Violet, Survival food Viola striata, Survival Medicine (Cream) Pale Violet, Survival Medicine Viola striata, Survival Plants (Cream) Pale Violet, Survival Plants Viola striata, Uses (Cream) Pale Violet, Uses Viola striata, Viola striata, wild edible, Wild Edible Plants (Cream) Pale Violet, Wild Edibles (Cream) Pale Violet, Wild Edibles Viola striata, wild medicinal, Wild Medicine (Cream) Pale Violet, Wild Medicine Viola striata, Wilderness, wildflower

Star-of-Bethlehem: Poison, Edible & Medicinal

May 17, 2016 by Mike 2 Comments

Star-of-Bethlehem

Star-of-Bethlehem backStar-of-Bethlehem, Ornithogalum umbellatum, is a bitter-sweet plant of spring time but not because of its taste. The plant is known to be poisonous causing nausea, vomiting, stomach and intestinal irritation, burning, dilated pupils, tremors, seizures, shortness of breath, swelling of the lips, tongue and throat, abnormal heart rate, cardiac arrest, and death.

This may have been the bulb written about in 2 Kings 6:25 of the Bible called “dove’s dung” that was valued as food during the great famine in Samaria. “And there was a great famine in Samaria: and, behold, they besieged it, until an ass’s head was sold for fourscore pieces of silver, and the fourth part of a cab of dove’s dung for five pieces of silver.”

Keep your eyes and ears open and your powder dry!

BLOG SIG

 

 

Star-of-Bethlehem Sources:

Audubon Guides Box Set – Birds, Tree, Wildflowers & Mammals. Computer Software.Green Mountain Digital. Version: 2.3. Web. Jul 10, 2014.

Boericke, William. Boericke’s Homeopathic Materia Medica, 1901.

Brill, Steve. Wild Edibles Plus. Computer Software. WinterRoot LLC. Version 1.5. 2012. Web. Feb. 15, 2014.

Moerman Daniel E., Native American Ethnobotany, Portland: Timber Press. 1998. Print. pg. 369

Newcomb, Lawrence. Newcomb’s Wildflower Guide. Boston: Little, Brown and Company, 1977. Print. pg. 334-335

Peterson, Lee Allen. The Peterson Field Guide Series; A Field Guide to Edible Wild Plants; Eastern and Central North America. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company, 1977. Print. pg. 52-53

United States Department of Agriculture. Natural Resources Conservation Services. Web.

Filed Under: (2) Leaves Entire, April, Blog, Edible Wildflowers, June, May, Medicinal Wildflowers, White Tagged With: American Indian Remedies Ornithogalum umbellatum, American Indian Remedies Star-of-Bethlehem, Bushman's Wildflower Guide, eastern wildflowers, edible, Edible Ornithogalum umbellatum, Edible Star-of-Bethlehem, Edible Wild Plants Ornithogalum umbellatum, Ethnobotany, Ethnobotany Ornithogalum umbellatum, Ethnobotany Star-of-Bethlehem, field guide, food, medicinal, Medicinal Ornithogalum umbellatum, medicinal roots, Medicinal Star-of-Bethlehem, Medicine Ornithogalum umbellatum, Medicine Star-of-Bethlehem, National Park, nature, Ornithogalum umbellatum, P2F, Plant ID Ornithogalum umbellatum, Plant ID Star-of-Bethlehem, plant identification, Plant Identification Ornithogalum umbellatum, Plant Identification Star-of-Bethlehem, Plight to Freedom, Poison Ornithogalum umbellatum, Poison Star-of-Bethlehem, Star-of-Bethlehem, Survival food Ornithogalum umbellatum, Survival food Star-of-Bethlehem, Survival Medicine Ornithogalum umbellatum, Survival Medicine Star-of-Bethlehem, Survival Plants Star-of-Bethlehem, Uses Ornithogalum umbellatum, Uses Star-of-Bethlehem, warning, wild edible, Wild Edible Plants Star-of-Bethlehem, Wild Edibles Ornithogalum umbellatum, Wild Edibles Star-of-Bethlehem, wild medicinal, Wild Medicine Ornithogalum umbellatum, Wild Medicine Star-of-Bethlehem, Wilderness, wildflower

Large-Flowered Bellwort: Edible & Medicinal

May 13, 2016 by Mike Leave a Comment

Large-flowered Bellwort Large-flowered Bellwort backLarge-Flowered Bellwort, Uvular grandiflora, is a common plant found in rich woods, especially in limestone regions. The flowers are orangish-yellow that will later turn into a triangular seedpods. The leaves are either oval or oblong in shape with a whitish downy beneath and the stem pierces the leaves.  The young shoots are edible without their leafy heads that turn bitter when cooked. American Indians such as the Menominee, Ojibwa and Potawatomi used this plant for its medicinal values to reduce swelling and as an analgesic. Western herbal medicine used a poultice of this plant for wounds, ulcers and venomous snakebites.

Keep your eyes and ears open and your powder dry!

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Large-Flowered Bellwort Sources:

Audubon Guides Box Set – Birds, Tree, Wildflowers & Mammals. Computer Software. Green Mountain Digital. Version: 2.3. Web. Jul 10, 2014.

Felter, Harvey Wickes, M.D., and John Uri Lloyd, Phr. M., Ph. D. King’s American Dispensatory, Vol. 2. Cincinnati: The Ohio Valley Company, 1905. pg. 2040

Fernald, Merritt Lyndon & Alfred Charles Kinsey. Edible Wild Plants of Eastern North America. New York: Dover Publications, Inc. 1996. Print. pg. 126

Foster, Steven and James A. Duke. The Peterson Field Guide Series; A Field Guide to Medicinal Plants and Herbs of Eastern and Central North America. 2nd. ed. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company, 2000. Print. pg. 116-117

Moerman Daniel E., Native American Ethnobotany, Portland: Timber Press. 1998. Print. pg. 582

Newcomb, Lawrence. Newcomb’s Wildflower Guide. Boston: Little, Brown and Company, 1977. Print. pg. 340-341

Peterson, Lee Allen. The Peterson Field Guide Series; A Field Guide to Edible Wild Plants; Eastern and Central North America. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company, 1977. Print. pg. 76-77

United States Department of Agriculture. Natural Resources Conservation Services. Web

Filed Under: (2) Leaves Entire, April, Blog, Edible Wildflowers, June, May, Medicinal Wildflowers, Orange, Yellow Tagged With: American Indian Remedies Large-Flowered Bellwort, American Indian Remedies Uvular grandiflora, Analgesic, Bushman's Wildflower Guide, demulcent, eastern wildflowers, edible, Edible Large-Flowered Bellwort, Edible Uvular grandiflora, Edible Wild Plants Uvular grandiflora, Ethnobotany, Ethnobotany Large-Flowered Bellwort, Ethnobotany Uvular grandiflora, field guide, food, gastrointestinal aid, Large-Flowered Bellwort, medicinal, Medicinal Large-Flowered Bellwort, medicinal roots, Medicinal Uvular grandiflora, Medicine Large-Flowered Bellwort, Medicine Uvular grandiflora, Menominee, National Park, nature, nervine, Ojibwa, orthopedic aid, P2F, Plant ID Large-Flowered Bellwort, Plant ID Uvular grandiflora, Plant Identification Large-Flowered Bellwort, Plant Identification Uvular grandiflora, Plight to Freedom, Potawatomi, pulmonary aid, snakebite, sores, Survival food Large-Flowered Bellwort, Survival food Uvular grandiflora, Survival Medicine Large-Flowered Bellwort, Survival Medicine Uvular grandiflora, Survival Plants Large-Flowered Bellwort, Survival Plants Uvular grandiflora, swelling, tonic, ulcers, Uses Large-Flowered Bellwort, Uses Uvular grandiflora, Uvular grandiflora, wild edible, Wild Edible Plants Large-Flowered Bellwort, Wild Edibles Large-Flowered Bellwort, Wild Edibles Uvular grandiflora, wild medicinal, Wild Medicine Large-Flowered Bellwort, Wild Medicine Uvular grandiflora, Wilderness, wildflower, wounds

Hairy-Jointed Meadow Parsnip: Medicinal

April 29, 2016 by Mike 1 Comment

Hairy-jointed Meadow Parsnip fin Hairy-jointed Meadow Parsnip back finHairy-Jointed Meadow Parsnip, Thaspium barbinode, is a member of the parsley family found during spring in rich woods and open rocky slopes. Though this plant is a parsnip it is not known to be edible like its larger counterpart Wild Parsnip. Hairy-Jointed Meadow Parsnip looks similar to Golden Alexanders except the leaves are not as finely or sharply toothed as Golden Alexanders and the leaf joints are, of course, hairy. But like Golden Alexanders the flowers have five regular parts, are yellow, and grow in umbel clusters. Medicinally this plant was not widely used but American Indians such as the Chippewa did use this plant as a gastrointestinal and pediatric aid. They would make a decoction of the roots and then it was given to children with colic.

Keep your eyes and ears open and your powder dry!

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Hairy-Jointed Meadow Parsnip Sources:

Audubon Guides Box Set – Birds, Tree, Wildflowers & Mammals. Computer Software.Green Mountain Digital. Version: 2.3. Web. Jul 10, 2014.

Moerman Daniel E., Native American Ethnobotany, Portland: Timber Press. 1998. Print. pg. 555

Newcomb, Lawrence. Newcomb’s Wildflower Guide. Boston: Little, Brown and Company, 1977. Print. pg. 226-227

United States Department of Agriculture. Natural Resources Conservation Services. Web.

Filed Under: (4) Leaves Divided, April, Blog, May, Medicinal Wildflowers, Yellow Tagged With: american indian medicinal remedies, back to the land movement, Bushman's Wildflower Guide, Chippewa, colic, eastern wildflowers, field guide, gastrointestinal aid, Hairy Jointed Meadow Parsnip Ethnobotany, Hairy Jointed Meadow Parsnip Medicine, Hairy Jointed Meadow Parsnip Plant ID, Hairy Jointed Meadow Parsnip Plant Identification, Hairy Jointed Meadow Parsnip survival medicine, Hairy Jointed Meadow Parsnip Survival Plants, Hairy Jointed Meadow Parsnip Wild Medicine, Hairy-Jointed Meadow Parsnip, Hairy-Jointed Meadow Parsnip medicinal, homesteading, how to id Hairy Jointed Meadow Parsnip, how to use hop clovers, Leaves divided, medicinal, medicinal roots, National Park, Newcomb's Wildflower Guide, Ohio, P2F, Parsley Family, pediatric aid, Plight to Freedom, prepper, survivalist, Thaspium barbinode, Thaspium barbinode American Indian Remedies, Thaspium barbinode Ethnobotany, Thaspium barbinode medicinal, Thaspium barbinode Medicine, Thaspium barbinode Plant ID, Thaspium barbinode Plant Identification, Thaspium barbinode survival medicine, Thaspium barbinode Survival Plants, Thaspium barbinode Wild Medicine, wild medicinal, wildflower

Round-Leaved Ragwort: Poison & Medicinal

April 4, 2016 by Mike Leave a Comment

Round-Leaved Ragwort finRound-Leaved Ragwort back finRound-Leaved Ragwort, Pachera obovatus, formally known as Senecio obovatus is a common flower of spring and early summer. Many ragworts contain a highly toxic pyrrolizidine alkaloids, these alkaloids are hepatoxic meaning it damages the liver. This specific species of ragwort has not been identified for any medicinal purpose by the American Indians.

Keep your eyes and ears open and your powder dry.

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Round-Leaved Ragwort Sources:

 

Felter, Harvey Wickes, M.D., and John Uri Lloyd, Phr. M., Ph. D. King’s American Dispensatory, Vol. 2. Cincinnati: The Ohio Valley Company, 1905. pg.1748-1749

Foster, Steven and James A. Duke. The Peterson Field Guide Series; A Field Guide to Medicinal Plants and Herbs of Eastern and Central North America. 2nd. ed. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company, 2000. Print. pg. 136

Hamel, Paul B. and Mary U. Chiltoskey. Cherokee Plants and Their Uses- A 400 Year History. North Carolina: Herald Publishing. 1975. Print. pg. 52

Herrick, James William. Iroquois Medical Botany. Ph.D. Thesis, New York: State University of New York, Albany 1977. Print. pg. 142

Moerman Daniel E., Native American Ethnobotany, Portland: Timber Press. 1998. Print. pg. 526-527

Newcomb, Lawrence. Newcomb’s Wildflower Guide. Boston: Little, Brown and Company, 1977. Print. pg. 378-379

United States Department of Agriculture. Natural Resources Conservation Services. Web.

 

Filed Under: (3) Leaves Toothed or Lobed, April, Blog, June, May, Medicinal Wildflowers, Poisonous Plants, Yellow Tagged With: 733, back to the land movement, birth control, Bushman's Wildflower Guide, diaphoretic, diuretic, eastern wildflowers, Ethnobotany, field guide, hemorrhages, homesteading, medicinal, medicinal roots, menstrual flow, National Park, nature, Newcomb's Wildflower Guide, Ohio, P2F, Pachera obovatus American Indian Remedies, Pachera obovatus Ethnobotany, Pachera obovatus Medicinal, Pachera obovatus Medicine, Pachera obovatus Plant ID, Pachera obovatus Plant Identification, Pachera obovatus Poison, Pachera obovatus Survival Medicine, Pachera obovatus Wild Medicine, packera obovatus, perennial, plant identification, Plight to Freedom, poison, prepper, round-leaved ragwort, Round-Leaved Ragwort American Indian Remedies, Round-Leaved Ragwort Ethnobotany, Round-Leaved Ragwort Medicinal, Round-Leaved Ragwort Medicine, Round-Leaved Ragwort Plant ID, Round-Leaved Ragwort Plant Identification, Round-Leaved Ragwort Poison, Round-Leaved Ragwort Survival Medicine, Round-Leaved Ragwort Wild Medicine, senecio obovatus, survival, survivalist, tonic, USA, venereal Aid, wild medicinal, Wilderness, wildflower

Wild Blue Phlox: Medicinal

March 30, 2016 by Mike Leave a Comment

Wild Blue Phlox fin Wild Blue Phlox back finWild Blue Phlox, Phlox divaricata, is a colorful wildflower of early spring sometimes called Sweet William. Like many other flowers of spring this plant gives some life to the forest. The flower lobes are about as long as the tube with indented tips. The plant has opposite leaves and the leaves are entire, meaning that the edge of the leaf is smooth, and oblong or egg-shaped. The upper stem and calyx is hairy.

Many members of the Phlox Family have been used by American Indians for various medicinal uses. Wild Blue Phlox, Phlox divaricata, was not identified as a species that was used. Medicinally, phloxes have been used as a dermatological, gastrointestinal, dietary, gynecological and pediatric aids. It was used on sores, bruises, burns, as an eye wash, stimulant and even as a love medicine.

Keep your eyes and ears open and your powder dry.

BLOG SIG

Wild Blue Phlox Sources:

Audubon Guides Box Set – Birds, Tree, Wildflowers & Mammals. Computer Software.Green Mountain Digital. Version: 2.3. Web. Jul 10, 2014.

Moerman Daniel E., Native American Ethnobotany, Portland: Timber Press. 1998. Print. pg. 392-393

Newcomb, Lawrence. Newcomb’s Wildflower Guide. Boston: Little, Brown and Company, 1977. Print. pg. 248-249

United States Department of Agriculture. Natural Resources Conservation Services. Web.

Filed Under: (2) Leaves Entire, April, Blog, Blue, March, May, Medicinal Wildflowers, Purple Tagged With: 542, bruises, burns, Bushman's Wildflower Guide, Dermatological aid, dietary aid, eastern wildflowers, Ethnobotany, eye wash, field guide, gastrointestinal aid, gynecological aid, homesteading, Love Medicine, medicinal, National Park, nature, Newcomb's Wildflower Guide, Ohio, P2F, pediatric aid, perennial, phlox divaricata, Phlox divaricata American Indian Remedies, Phlox divaricata Ethnobotany, Phlox divaricata Medicinal, Phlox divaricata Medicine, Phlox divaricata Plant ID, Phlox divaricata Plant Identification, Phlox divaricata Survival Medicine, Phlox divaricata Wild Medicine, phlox family, plant identification, Plight to Freedom, prepper, sores, stimulant, survivalist, USA, wild blue phlox, Wild Blue Phlox American Indian Remedies, Wild Blue Phlox Ethnobotany, Wild Blue Phlox Medicinal, Wild Blue Phlox Medicine, Wild Blue Phlox Plant ID, Wild Blue Phlox Plant Identification, Wild Blue Phlox Survival Medicine, Wild Blue Phlox Wild Medicine, wild medicinal, Wilderness, wildflower

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