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You are here: Home / Archives for Manual / Wild Medicine / Medicinal Wildflowers

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

Common Ragweed: Caution, Medicinal & Other Uses

September 27, 2016 by Mike Leave a Comment

common-ragweed-front common-ragweed-back

Common Ragweed, Ambrosia artemisiifolia, is a plant scorned by allergy suffers everywhere. But did you know it was historically used by both western culture and American Indians as a healing plant? The Cherokee used it for insect stings, pneumonia, fever, hives, and infected toes. The Dakota used Ragweed to stop vomiting and for diarrhea. And, the Iroquois used it for cramps, stroke and diarrhea. Western herbalists used it as a stimulant, astringent, hemostatic, and antiseptic. There are historic accounts of the Lakota using Common Ragweed as toilet paper, a sentiment that many would agree with, but I would advise you to think twice before doing this if you are prone to allergic reactions.

Besides causing you to itch and giving you a bad case of the sneezes Ragweed can effect your food. If cows consume it, their milk will retain a bitter taste and if it is harvested with wheat it will cause the flour to become bitter and unsuitable for bread making.

Keep your eyes and ears open and your powder dry!

BLOG SIG

Common Ragweed 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. 168

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. 246-247

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. 227-228

Moerman Daniel E., Native American Ethnobotany, Portland: Timber Press. 1998. Print. pg. 66

Newcomb, Lawrence. Newcomb’s Wildflower Guide. Boston: Little, Brown and Company, 1977. Print. pg. 438-439

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

Filed Under: (3) Leaves Toothed or Lobed 84, August, Blog, Green, July, Medicinal Wildflowers, October, September Tagged With: alternative toilet paper, Ambrosia artemisiifolia, American Indian Remedies Ambrosia artemisiifolia, American Indian Remedies Common Ragweed, antiseptic, astringent, Blood Medicine, Bushcraft Ambrosia artemisiifolia, Bushcraft Common Ragweed, Bushman's Wildflower Guide, cause vomiting, Cherokee remedies, Common Ragweed, cramps, Dakota remedies, Delaware remedies, diarrhea, eastern wildflowers, Ethnobotany, Ethnobotany Ambrosia artemisiifolia, Ethnobotany Common Ragweed, fever, field guide, gynecological aid, hemostatic, hives, Houma remedies, infected toes, insect stings, Iroquois remedies, Lakota remedies, Luiseno remedies, Mahuna remedies, medicinal, Medicinal Ambrosia artemisiifolia, Medicinal Common Ragweed, Medicine Ambrosia artemisiifolia, Medicine Common Ragweed, National Park, nature, Newcomb's Wildflower Guide, P2F, Plant ID Ambrosia artemisiifolia, Plant ID Common Ragweed, plant identification, Plant Identification Ambrosia artemisiifolia, Plant Identification Common Ragweed, Plight to Freedom, pneumonia, stimulant, stroke, Survival Medicine Ambrosia artemisiifolia, Survival Medicine Common Ragweed, swellings, Uses Ambrosia artemisiifolia, Uses Common Ragweed, vomiting, warning, western herbal remedies, wild medicinal, Wild Medicine Ambrosia artemisiifolia, Wild Medicine Common Ragweed, Wilderness, wildflower, woods toilet paper, worms

Passionflower: Edible, Medicinal & Cautions

August 31, 2016 by Mike Leave a Comment

PassionflowerPassionflower back

Passionflower, Passiflora incarnata, also known as Maypop is a fruiting vine with a lemon flavor that has amazing and beautiful flowers. The fruit turns yellow when ripe and can be made into a juice or jelly. The Cherokee used Maypops as a dermatological aid for wounds and inflammation, used the root juice for earaches and to wean babies off of breastmilk and the plant was used as a liver aid.

Keep your eyes and ears open and your powder dry!

BLOG SIG

Passionflower 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. 1439-1441

Fernald, Merritt Lyndon & Alfred Charles Kinsey. Edible Wild Plants of Eastern North America. New York: Dover Publications, Inc. 1996. Print. pg. 275-276

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. 191-192

Hamel, Paul B. and Mary U. Chiltoskey. Cherokee Plants and Their Uses- A 400 Year History. North Carolina: Herald Publishing. 1975. Print. pg. 47

Moerman Daniel E., Native American Ethnobotany, Portland: Timber Press. 1998. Print. pg. 379

Newcomb, Lawrence. Newcomb’s Wildflower Guide. Boston: Little, Brown and Company, 1977. Print. pg. 396-397

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. 94-95

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

Filed Under: (4) Leaves Divided 76, August, Blog, Edible Wildflowers, July, Medicinal Wildflowers, November, October, Purple, September, White Tagged With: American Indian Remedies Maypop, American Indian Remedies Passiflora incarnata, American Indian Remedies Passionflower, Bushman's Wildflower Guide, Cherokee, eastern wildflowers, edible, Edible Maypop, Edible Passiflora incarnata, Edible Passionflower, Edible Wild Plants Passiflora incarnata, Ethnobotany, Ethnobotany Maypop, Ethnobotany Passiflora incarnata, Ethnobotany Passionflower, field guide, food, Houma, Maypop, medicinal, Medicinal Maypop, Medicinal Passiflora incarnata, Medicinal Passionflower, medicinal roots, Medicine Maypop, Medicine Passiflora incarnata, Medicine Passionflower, National Park, nature, Newcomb's Wildflower Guide, Ohio, P2F, Passiflora incarnata, Passionflower, Plant ID Maypop, Plant ID Passiflora incarnata, Plant ID Passionflower, plant identification, Plant Identification Maypop, Plant Identification Passiflora incarnata, Plant Identification Passionflower, Plight to Freedom, Survival food Maypop, Survival food Passiflora incarnata, Survival food Passionflower, Survival Medicine Maypop, Survival Medicine Passiflora incarnata, Survival Medicine Passionflower, Survival Plants Maypop, Survival Plants Passiflora incarnata, Survival Plants Passionflower, Uses Maypop, Uses Passiflora incarnata, Uses Passionflower, wild edible, Wild Edible Plants Maypop, Wild Edible Plants Passionflower, Wild Edibles Maypop, Wild Edibles Passiflora incarnata, Wild Edibles Passionflower, wild medicinal, Wild Medicine Maypop, Wild Medicine Passiflora incarnata, Wild Medicine Passionflower, Wilderness, wildflower

Cardinal Flower: Poison, Medicinal & Other Uses

August 24, 2016 by Mike Leave a Comment

Cardinal FlowerCardinal Flower Back

Cardinal Flower, Lobelia cardinalis, is a striking but irregular flower of mid to late summer. Medicinally, the Iroquois considered this plant one of the highest of medicinal plants and they used it to strengthen all other medicine. A common theme amongst the Iroquois, Meskwaki and Pawnee was the use of Cardinal Flower as a love medicine. It was either used as a wash, charm, or placed in another food to end quarrels, cause someone to fall in love, or to prevent divorce. The plant was also used as a ceremonial tobacco but it was not smoked. It was used to ward off storms and strewn onto graves.

BLOG SIG

Cardinal Flower 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. 1199-1205

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. 207-209

Hamel, Paul B. and Mary U. Chiltoskey. Cherokee Plants and Their Uses- A 400 Year History. North Carolina: Herald Publishing. 1975. Print. pg. 28

Herrick, James William. Iroquois Medical Botany. Ph.D. Thesis, New York: State University of New York, Albany 1977. Print. pg. 218

Moerman Daniel E., Native American Ethnobotany, Portland: Timber Press. 1998. Print. pg. 311-312

Newcomb, Lawrence. Newcomb’s Wildflower Guide. Boston: Little, Brown and Company, 1977. Print. pg. 52-53

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

Filed Under: (3) Leaves Toothed or Lobed, August, Blog, July, Medicinal Wildflowers, Poisonous Plants, Red, September Tagged With: American Indian Remedies Cardinal Flower, American Indian Remedies Lobelia cardinalis, Bushcraft Cardinal Flower, Bushcraft Lobelia cardinalis, Bushman's Wildflower Guide, Cardinal Flower, Cherokee, Delaware, eastern wildflowers, Ethnobotany, Ethnobotany Cardinal Flower, Ethnobotany Lobelia cardinalis, field guide, Iroquois, Lobelia cardinalis, medicinal, Medicinal Cardinal Flower, Medicinal Lobelia cardinalis, Medicine Cardinal Flower, Medicine Lobelia cardinalis, Meskwaki, National Park, nature, Newcomb's Wildflower Guide, P2F, pawnee, Plant ID Cardinal Flower, Plant ID Lobelia cardinalis, plant identification, Plant Identification Cardinal Flower, Plant Identification Lobelia cardinalis, Plight to Freedom, Poison Cardinal Flower, Poison Lobelia cardinalis, Survival Medicine Cardinal Flower, Survival Medicine Lobelia cardinalis, Uses Cardinal Flower, Uses Lobelia cardinalis, wild medicinal, Wild Medicine Cardinal Flower, Wild Medicine Lobelia cardinalis, Wilderness, wildflower

Common Mullein: Cautions, Edible, Medicinal & Other Uses

August 17, 2016 by Mike 6 Comments

Common MulleinCommon Mullein BackCommon Mulleins 3

Common Mullein, Verbascum thapsus, is a medicinal plant asthma suffers may want to know. Though it sounds strange the leaves were dried, ground, and smoked to relieve asthma attacks. Beyond that this plant has been used for a variety of ailments from colds and coughs to rashes and wounds. The plant has such a long history that the Romans used to dip the flower spikes in grease and use them as torches. The leaves are still used to this day as wicks.

Keep your eyes and ears open and your powder dry!

BLOG SIG

Common Mullein Sources:

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

Culpeper, M.D., Nicholas. Culpeper Color Herbal. Ed. David Potterton. New York: Sterling Publishing Co., Inc., 1983. Print. pg. 130

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. 2054-2055

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. 130-131

Hamel, Paul B. and Mary U. Chiltoskey. Cherokee Plants and Their Uses- A 400 Year History. North Carolina: Herald Publishing. 1975. Print. pg. 45

Herrick, James William. Iroquois Medical Botany. Ph.D. Thesis, New York: State University of New York, Albany 1977. Print. pg. 215-216

Moerman Daniel E., Native American Ethnobotany, Portland: Timber Press. 1998. Print. pg. 590-591

Newcomb, Lawrence. Newcomb’s Wildflower Guide. Boston: Little, Brown and Company, 1977. Print. pg. 188-189

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. 72-73

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

Filed Under: (2) Leaves Entire, August, Blog, Edible Wildflowers, July, June, Medicinal Wildflowers, September, Yellow Tagged With: Abnaki, American Indian Remedies Common Mullein, American Indian Remedies Verbascum thapsus, atsugewi, Bushcraft Common Mullein, Bushcraft Verbascum thapsus, Bushman's Wildflower Guide, catawba, Cherokee, Common Mullein, creek, Delaware, eastern wildflowers, edible, Edible Common Mullein, Edible Verbascum thapsus, Edible Wild Plants Verbascum thapsus, Ethnobotany, Ethnobotany Common Mullein, Ethnobotany Verbascum thapsus, field guide, food, Hopi, Iroquois, Malecite, medicinal, Medicinal Common Mullein, medicinal roots, Medicinal Verbascum thapsus, Medicine Common Mullein, Medicine Verbascum thapsus, Menominee, Micmac, Mohegan, naticoke, National Park, nature, Navajo, Newcomb's Wildflower Guide, Ojibwa, P2F, penobscot, Plant ID Common Mullein, Plant ID Verbascum thapsus, plant identification, Plant Identification Common Mullein, Plant Identification Verbascum thapsus, Plight to Freedom, Potawatomi, Survival food Common Mullein, Survival food Verbascum thapsus, Survival Medicine Common Mullein, Survival Medicine Verbascum thapsus, Survival Plants Common Mullein, Survival Plants Verbascum thapsus, Uses Common Mullein, Uses Verbascum thapsus, Verbascum thapsus, warning, wild edible, Wild Edible Plants Common Mullein, Wild Edibles Common Mullein, Wild Edibles Verbascum thapsus, wild medicinal, Wild Medicine Common Mullein, Wild Medicine Verbascum thapsus, Wilderness, wildflower

Narrow-Leaved Cattail: Edible, Medicinal, Cautions & Other Uses

August 3, 2016 by Mike Leave a Comment

Narrow-Leaved Cattail Narrow-Leaved Cattail back 1Narrow-Leaved Cattail (Typha anguvstifolia) is a plant everyone can identify. Cattails have very distinct flowers that look like fluffy hotdogs. Narrow-leaved cattail is similar to most cattail but there is a distinct gap between the upper and lower flowers. As for the plants edibility you can harvest the young shoots, stalk, flowers, pollen, and even roots. The shoots contain vitamins K and B6 and minerals such as iron, calcium, magnesium, and potassium. Medicinally it was used for dysentery, diarrhea, gonorrhea and infantile complaints.

If you’re into bushcraft then you might be interested to know that the plant was used to weave baskets, roofing, mats, rugs, and bedding. The silky down from the flower heads have been used as stuffing in pillows and to make a birds nest for fire starting. The heads were also dipped in oil or grease and used as a torch. Some have even used the stalk as an arrow shaft.

Keep your eyes and ears open and your powder dry!

BLOG SIG

Narrow-Leaved Cattail 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. 2011-2012

Fernald, Merritt Lyndon & Alfred Charles Kinsey. Edible Wild Plants of Eastern North America. New York: Dover Publications, Inc. 1996. Print. pg. 82-85

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. 350-351

Moerman Daniel E., Native American Ethnobotany, Portland: Timber Press. 1998. Print. pg. 573

Newcomb, Lawrence. Newcomb’s Wildflower Guide. Boston: Little, Brown and Company, 1977. Print. pg. 410-411

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. 158-159

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

Filed Under: (2) Leaves Entire, Blog, Brown, Edible Wildflowers, Green, July, June, May, Medicinal Wildflowers Tagged With: American Indian Remedies Narrow-Leaved Cattail, American Indian Remedies Typha angustifolia, bushcraft, Bushcraft Narrow-Leaved Cattail, Bushcraft Typha angustifolia, Bushman's Wildflower Guide, eastern wildflowers, edible, Edible Narrow-Leaved Cattail, Edible Typha angustifolia, Edible Wild Plants Typha angustifolia, Ethnobotany, Ethnobotany Narrow-Leaved Cattail, Ethnobotany Typha angustifolia, field guide, food, Malecite, medicinal, Medicinal Narrow-Leaved Cattail, medicinal roots, Medicinal Typha angustifolia, Medicine Narrow-Leaved Cattail, Medicine Typha angustifolia, Micmac, Narrow-Leaved Cattail, National Park, nature, Newcomb's Wildflower Guide, P2F, Plant ID Narrow-Leaved Cattail, Plant ID Typha angustifolia, plant identification, Plant Identification Narrow-Leaved Cattail, Plant Identification Typha angustifolia, Plight to Freedom, Survival food Narrow-Leaved Cattail, Survival food Typha angustifolia, Survival Medicine Narrow-Leaved Cattail, Survival Medicine Typha angustifolia, Survival Plants Narrow-Leaved Cattail, Survival Plants Typha angustifolia, Typha angustifolia, Uses Narrow-Leaved Cattail, Uses Typha angustifolia, warning, wild edible, Wild Edible Plants Narrow-Leaved Cattail, Wild Edibles Narrow-Leaved Cattail, Wild Edibles Typha angustifolia, wild medicinal, Wild Medicine Narrow-Leaved Cattail, Wild Medicine Typha angustifolia, Wilderness, wildflower

Tall Thimbleweed: Poison & Medicinal

July 21, 2016 by Mike Leave a Comment

Tall ThimbleweedTall Thimbleweed back

Thimbleweed, Anemone virginiana, is a plant that was known to tug at a person’s heart, but be warned, because the plant is poisonous. In large doses this plant will cause nausea, vomiting, looseness of the bowels, and the presence of blood in the urine. The Iroquois had a few interesting emotional uses for Tall Thimbleweed such as it was used as a love medicine, a cure for love medicine, to tell if your wife is cheating on you, and for revenge.

BLOG SIG

Tall Thimbleweed 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. 198-200

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. 45-46

Hamel, Paul B. and Mary U. Chiltoskey. Cherokee Plants and Their Uses- A 400 Year History. North Carolina: Herald Publishing. 1975. Print. pg. 58

Herrick, James William. Iroquois Medical Botany. Ph.D. Thesis, New York: State University of New York, Albany 1977. Print. pg. 118-119

Moerman Daniel E., Native American Ethnobotany, Portland: Timber Press. 1998. Print. pg. 73

Newcomb, Lawrence. Newcomb’s Wildflower Guide. Boston: Little, Brown and Company, 1977. Print. pg. 288-289

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

Filed Under: (4) Leaves Divided 54, August, Green, July, June, Medicinal Wildflowers, Poisonous Plants, White Tagged With: American Indian Remedies Anemone virginiana, American Indian Remedies Tall Thimbleweed, Anemone virginiana, anti-love medicine, boils, Bushman's Wildflower Guide, Cherokee, diarrhea, eastern wildflowers, Ethnobotany, Ethnobotany Anemone virginiana, Ethnobotany Tall Thimbleweed, field guide, Iroquois, Love Medicine, medicinal, Medicinal Anemone virginiana, medicinal roots, Medicinal Tall Thimbleweed, Medicine Anemone virginiana, Medicine Tall Thimbleweed, Menominee, Meskwaki, National Park, nature, Newcomb's Wildflower Guide, Ohio, P2F, Plant ID Anemone virginiana, Plant ID Tall Thimbleweed, plant identification, Plant Identification Anemone virginiana, Plant Identification Tall Thimbleweed, Plight to Freedom, Poison Anemone virginiana, Poison Tall Thimbleweed, revenge, stimulant, Survival Medicine Anemone virginiana, Survival Medicine Tall Thimbleweed, Tall Thimbleweed, TB, Uses Anemone virginiana, Uses Tall Thimbleweed, vomiting, whooping cough, wild medicinal, Wild Medicine Anemone virginiana, Wild Medicine Tall Thimbleweed, Wilderness, wildflower

Yarrow: Edible, Medicinal, Cautions & Other Uses

July 12, 2016 by Mike 1 Comment

Yarrow

Yarrow backYarrow back 2Yarrow back 3Yarrow back 4Yarrow back 5Yarrow, Achillea millefolium, a true wild panacea. If you’re into herbalism or survivalism you need to make sure you know this plant. Yarrow can be found in nearly every temperate climate in the northern hemisphere. Everyone who has come across this plant has found its healing properties indispensable. It has been used for cuts, bruises, broken bones, wounds, sores, eczema, stomachaches, colds, fevers, childbirth and more. There is also a special use for this plant that many hikers and campers will love, it acts like a natural mosquito repellent. The leaves and stems can be used in a smudge to keep those little bloodsuckers away.

Keep your eyes and ears open and your powder dry!

BLOG SIG

Yarrow 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. 19-20

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. 74-75

Hamel, Paul B. and Mary U. Chiltoskey. Cherokee Plants and Their Uses- A 400 Year History. North Carolina: Herald Publishing. 1975. Print. pg. 62

Herrick, James William. Iroquois Medical Botany. Ph.D. Thesis, New York: State University of New York, Albany 1977. Print. pg. 227

Moerman Daniel E., Native American Ethnobotany, Portland: Timber Press. 1998. Print. pg. 42-44

Newcomb, Lawrence. Newcomb’s Wildflower Guide. Boston: Little, Brown and Company, 1977. Print. pg. 220-221

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. 38-39

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

Filed Under: (4) Leaves Divided, August, Blog, Edible Wildflowers, July, June, Medicinal Wildflowers, Pink, September, White Tagged With: Achillea millefolium, American Indian Remedies Achillea millefolium, American Indian Remedies Yarrow, bushcraft, Bushcraft Achillea millefolium, Bushcraft Yarrow, Bushman's Wildflower Guide, eastern wildflowers, Edible Achillea millefolium, Edible Wild Plants Achillea millefolium, Edible Yarrow, Ethnobotany, Ethnobotany Achillea millefolium, Ethnobotany Yarrow, field guide, food, medicinal, Medicinal Achillea millefolium, medicinal roots, Medicinal Yarrow, Medicine Achillea millefolium, Medicine Yarrow, National Park, nature, Newcomb's Wildflower Guide, Ohio, P2F, Plant ID Achillea millefolium, Plant ID Yarrow, plant identification, Plant Identification Achillea millefolium, Plant Identification Yarrow, Plight to Freedom, survival, Survival food Achillea millefolium, Survival food Yarrow, Survival Medicine Achillea millefolium, Survival Medicine Yarrow, Survival Plants Achillea millefolium, Survival Plants Yarrow, Uses Achillea millefolium, Uses Yarrow, wild edible, Wild Edible Plants Yarrow, Wild Edibles Achillea millefolium, Wild Edibles Yarrow, wild medicinal, Wild Medicine Achillea millefolium, Wild Medicine Yarrow, Wilderness, wildflower, Yarrow

Ohio Spiderwort: Edible & Medicinal

June 30, 2016 by Mike Leave a Comment

Ohio Spiderwort Ohio Spiderwort back

Ohio Spiderwort, Tradescantia ohiensis, also known as Bluejacket is a plant named after my home state. This grass-like plant can be found in woods and meadows. It has blue or purple flowers that can be observed between June and July. The petals are broad and has sepals that have hairy tips if the hair exists at all. The flowers grow in umbel-like clusters with two long, leaf-like bracts below the clusters. The leaves alternate along the stem, are entire, and whiten when it blooms.

Spiderworts are edible, the young leaves and stem can be eaten raw, added to salads or boiled for 10 minutes and served with other dishes. The flowers can be turned into a candy. The Cherokee parboiled the young growth until tender, fried it and mixed it with other greens. They also used it for a variety of medicinal uses such as a laxative, cancer treatment and for insect bites.

Keep your eyes and ears open and your powder dry!

BLOG SIG

Ohio Spiderwort Sources:

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

Fernald, Merritt Lyndon & Alfred Charles Kinsey. Edible Wild Plants of Eastern North America. New York: Dover Publications, Inc. 1996. Print. pg. 124

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. 190

Hamel, Paul B. and Mary U. Chiltoskey. Cherokee Plants and Their Uses- A 400 Year History. North Carolina: Herald Publishing. 1975. Print. pg. 56

Moerman Daniel E., Native American Ethnobotany, Portland: Timber Press. 1998. Print. pg. 565

Newcomb, Lawrence. Newcomb’s Wildflower Guide. Boston: Little, Brown and Company, 1977. Print. pg. 120-121

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. 130-131

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

Filed Under: (2) Leaves Entire 33, Blue, Edible Wildflowers, July, June, Medicinal Wildflowers, Purple Tagged With: American Indian Remedies Bluejacket, American Indian Remedies Ohio Spiderwort, American Indian Remedies Tradescantia ohiensis, Bluejacket, Bushcraft Tradescantia ohiensis, Bushman's Wildflower Guide, eastern wildflowers, edible, Edible Bluejacket, Edible Ohio Spiderwort, Edible Tradescantia ohiensis, Edible Wild Plants Tradescantia ohiensis, Ethnobotany, Ethnobotany Bluejacket, Ethnobotany Ohio Spiderwort, Ethnobotany Tradescantia ohiensis, field guide, food, Medicinal Bluejacket, Medicinal Ohio Spiderwort, Medicinal Tradescantia ohiensis, Medicine Bluejacket, Medicine Ohio Spiderwort, Medicine Tradescantia ohiensis, National Park, nature, Newcomb's Wildflower Guide, Ohio, Ohio Spiderwort, P2F, Plant ID Bluejacket, Plant ID Ohio Spiderwort, Plant ID Tradescantia ohiensis, plant identification, Plant Identification Bluejacket, Plant Identification Ohio Spiderwort, Plant Identification Tradescantia ohiensis, Plight to Freedom, Survival food Bluejacket, Survival food Ohio Spiderwort, Survival food Tradescantia ohiensis, Survival Medicine Bluejacket, Survival Medicine Ohio Spiderwort, Survival Medicine Tradescantia ohiensis, Survival Plants Bluejacket, Survival Plants Ohio Spiderwort, Survival Plants Tradescantia ohiensis, Tradescantia ohiensis, Uses Bluejacket, Uses Ohio Spiderwort, Uses Tradescantia ohiensis, wild edible, Wild Edible Plants Bluejacket, Wild Edible Plants Ohio Spiderwort, Wild Edibles Bluejacket, Wild Edibles Ohio Spiderwort, Wild Edibles Tradescantia ohiensis, wild medicinal, Wild Medicine Bluejacket, Wild Medicine Ohio Spiderwort, Wild Medicine Tradescantia ohiensis, Wilderness, wildflower

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The information provided using this website is intended for educational purposes only. Every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy and thoroughness of the information provided here. However, I make no warranties, expressed or implied, regarding errors or omissions and assume no legal liability or responsibility for any injuries resulting from the use of information contained within.

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