diaphoretic Archives - The Cargo Cult Café

Round-Leaved Ragwort: Poison & Medicinal

April 4, 2016 by Mike Leave a Comment

Round-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.

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.

Wood Sage: Medicinal

March 7, 2016 by Mike Leave a Comment

Wood Sage, Teucrium canadense, a member of the mint family that has interesting irregular flowers that will be in bloom from June to September. The plant has opposite leaves and the leaves are toothed, lance or egg-shaped. This plant has not been used as a wild edible but it was used for a few medicinal purposes. Western herbal medicine had used this plant to cause urination, induce sweeting, and start menstruation. It was used for amenorrhea, leucorrhea, chronic bronchitis, gout, dropsy TB and whooping cough.

Keep your eyes and ears open and your powder dry.

Wood Sage 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. 1924-1925

Newcomb, Lawrence. Newcomb’s Wildflower Guide. Boston: Little, Brown and Company, 1977. Print. pg. 874-85

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

Great Angelica: Edible, Medicinal, Cautions & Other Uses

January 27, 2016 by Mike Leave a Comment

Great Angelica, Angelica atropurpurea, or Purple Angelica is an extremely large plant of meadows and stream banks. This plant is edible but don’t misidentify Great Angelica for Poison or Water Hemlock which grow in the same habitat and are deadly poisonous. Medicinally it has ben used by the Cherokee, Delaware, Iroquois and Menominee Indians for a variety of ailments. The Iroquois even used it for witchcraft and to get rid of ghosts. The Delaware mixed Angelica seeds with tobacco and smoked it.

Keep your eyes and ears open and your powder dry!

Great Angelica 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. 265-266

Fernald, Merritt Lyndon & Alfred Charles Kinsey. Edible Wild Plants of Eastern North America. New York: Dover Publications, Inc. 1996. Print. pg. 296-297

Hamel, Paul B. and Mary U. Chiltoskey. Cherokee Plants and Their Uses- A 400 Year History. North Carolina: Herald Publishing. 1975. Print. pg. 23

Herrick, James William. Iroquois Medical Botany. Ph.D. Thesis, New York: State University of New York, Albany 1977. Print. pg. 194-195

Moerman Daniel E., Native American Ethnobotany. Portland: Timber Press. 1998. Print. pg. 74

Newcomb, Lawrence. Newcomb’s Wildflower Guide. Boston: Little, Brown and Company, 1977. Print. pg. 222-223

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. 40-41

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

Butterfly Weed: Poison, Medicinal & Other Uses

December 17, 2015 by Mike Leave a Comment

Butterfly Weed, Asclepias tuberosa, also known as Pleurisy Root for its use as a pulmonary aid. The plant is potentially toxic in large doses but it has a slew of medicinal uses. The plant acts as a laxative, expectorant, tonic, to induce urination, cause sweating and relieve gas. It was used for flatulence, headaches, stomach trouble, catarrh, bronchitis, asthma, pneumonia and for a bunch of other ailments. The fibers were used to make belts.

Keep your eyes and ears open and your powder dry!

Butterfly Weed 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. 288-291

Hamel, Paul B. and Mary U. Chiltoskey. Cherokee Plants and Their Uses- A 400 Year History. North Carolina: Herald Publishing. 1975. Print. pg. 27

Herrick, James William. Iroquois Medical Botany. Ph.D. Thesis, New York: State University of New York, Albany 1977. Print. pg. 200

Moerman Daniel E., Native American Ethnobotany, Portland: Timber Press. 1998. Print. pg. 109

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. 92-93

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

Garlic Mustard: Edible, Medicinal, Cautions & Other Uses

December 8, 2015 by Mike Leave a Comment

Garlic Mustard, Alliaria petiolata, an invasive species to North America with a hint of garlic. You can find this plant growing in early spring on the side of roads and in open fields. Even though this plant contains trace amounts of cyanide it is a fairly nutritious wild edible, and the cyanide isn’t strong enough to cause harm to humans or animals. The plant contains vitamins A, C, E and some B vitamins. It also contains omega-3 fatty acids and several minerals. The flowers, seeds, leaves, stalk and roots are all edible. Medicinally it’s anti-asthmatic, antiscorbutic, antiseptic, diaphoretic and vermifuge. The plant was also used to make a yellow dye and may be used as an insecticide.

Keep your eyes and ears open and your powder dry.

Garlic Mustard 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.

Newcomb, Lawrence. Newcomb’s Wildflower Guide. Boston: Little, Brown and Company, 1977. Print. pg. 138-139

Plants for a Future. M.Bieb Cavara & Grande. Website.

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

Indian Hemp: Poison, Medicinal & Other Uses

September 10, 2015 by Mike Leave a Comment

Indian Hemp, Apocynum cannabinum, is a poisonous plant with a few medicinal properties but its other uses can be worth the plants weight in gold in a survival situation. Medicinally it has been used to cause vomiting, expel parasites, as birth control and to treat venereal disease. Because of the strength of its fibers this plant has been an essential tool for American Indians to make rope, cordage, clothing, baskets, containers, mats, rugs, bedding, bowstrings, nets, snares and horse bridles.

Keep your eyes and ears open and your powder dry!

Indian Hemp 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. 225-228

Hamel, Paul B. and Mary U. Chiltoskey. Cherokee Plants and Their Uses- A 400 Year History. North Carolina: Herald Publishing. 1975. Print. pg. 38

Herrick, James William. Iroquois Medical Botany. Ph.D. Thesis, New York: State University of New York, Albany 1977. Print. pg. 198

Moerman Daniel E., Native American Ethnobotany, Portland: Timber Press. 1998. Print. pg. 78-79

Newcomb, Lawrence. Newcomb’s Wildflower Guide. Boston: Little, Brown and Company, 1977. Print. pg. 250-251

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. 48-49

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

Wild Ginger: Edible, Medicinal, Cautions & Other Uses

February 13, 2015 by Mike 4 Comments

Wild Ginger, Asarum canadense, is a common spice of the woods that can be made into candy. It was used medicinally as a cough medicine, febrifuge, anti-convulsive, abortifacient, pain-reliever, antiemetic, ear ache medicine and a perfume.

Wild Ginger 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. 287

Hamel, Paul B. and Mary U. Chiltoskey. Cherokee Plants and Their Uses- A 400 Year History. North Carolina: Herald Publishing. 1975. Print. pg. 36

Herrick, James William. Iroquois Medical Botany. Ph.D. Thesis, New York: State University of New York, Albany 1977. Print. pg. 93, 49, 52, 55-56, 67, 115-116

Moerman Daniel E., Native American Ethnobotany, Portland: Timber Press. 1998. Print. pg. 105-106

Newcomb, Lawrence. Newcomb’s Wildflower Guide. Boston: Little, Brown and Company, 1977. Print. pg. 116-117

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. 96-97, 160-161

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

Sweet Goldenrod: Edible, Medicinal, Cautions & Other Uses

January 29, 2015 by Mike Leave a Comment

Sweet Goldenrod, Solidago odora, makes a nice anise-flavored tea or you can use it as seasoning. Medicinally, it has been used as an abortifacient, antidiarrheal, cold remedy, cough medicine, to reduce fever, induce sweating and to calm the nerves among other things including making a dye.

Sweet Goldenrod 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. 1801-1802

Gehring, Abigail R.. Back to Basics; A Complete Guide to Traditional Skills. 3rd ed. New York: Skyhorse Publishing, Inc. 2008. Print. pg. 270-272

Hamel, Paul B. and Mary U. Chiltoskey. Cherokee Plants and Their Uses- A 400 Year History. North Carolina: Herald Publishing. 1975. Print. pg. 36

Moerman Daniel E., Native American Ethnobotany, Portland: Timber Press. 1998. Print. pg. 537

Newcomb, Lawrence. Newcomb’s Wildflower Guide. Boston: Little, Brown and Company, 1977. Print. pg. 448-449

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. 90-91

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

New England Aster: Medicinal

January 16, 2015 by Mike 1 Comment

New England Aster, Aster novae-angliae, is another indicator that summer has moved towards fall. This plant is more known for its medicinal values as an: analgesic or pain reliever, antidiarrheal, fever reducer, respiratory aid, dermatological aid and stimulant.

New England Aster Sources:

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. 304

Hamel, Paul B. and Mary U. Chiltoskey. Cherokee Plants and Their Uses- A 400 Year History. North Carolina: Herald Publishing. 1975. Print. pg. 24

Herrick, James William. Iroquois Medical Botany. Ph.D. Thesis, New York: State University of New York, Albany 1977. Print. pg. 230

Moerman Daniel E., Native American Ethnobotany, Portland: Timber Press. 1998. Print. pg. 112

Newcomb, Lawrence. Newcomb’s Wildflower Guide. Boston: Little, Brown and Company, 1977. Print. pg. 460-461

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