Ethnobotanicals, Entheogens, Herbs of History

Hey PG! I was just out in the garden and thought of you. I have little sedum rosettes at soil level!

I so wish I had questioned my aunts before they passed about the remedies their mother (my grandmother) used. Growing up, I remember only the mention of milkweed sap used topicly for poison ivy rash. But they did speak of teas for various ailments, but not the components.

hiya Drdon,

just got a new chiltern seeds catalogue, they have interesting and rare seeds, you may have come across them.

A new one is Byrsonima crassifolia, from Mexico to Venezuala, I did a google for it, and found an ethnobotanical link, here's the seed catalogue

http://www.edirectory.co.uk/chilternseeds/pages/moreinfo.asp?Recordid=DEBJCJI

and the link

http://www.nybg.org/bsci/belize/gallery.html

has the head cleared yet?
best to you (could even manage a Lol soon!)

Janet

Gotu Kola is a brain herb. Eat it and you are supposed to remember why you came into the kitchen in the first place...lol. I grow it as a ground cover in the greenhouse in flats so we can use the fresh leaves in our daily smoothies. Doesn't seem to be helping much or I just need to up the dose....hmmm, sounds like self medicating...lol.

http://www.healthandage.com/html/res/com/ConsHerbs/GotuKolach.html

Here'a a pic of one of the traditional topical indications for bruising of the skin, swelling and muscle ache. It is called Arnica (Arnica chamissonis). Oh did I forget to mention diaper rash....that'll be good when I'm fitted for my Depends...lol.

http://res2.agr.ca/london/herb/arnica_e.htm

The Arnica is growing in front of the Papaya trees.

I always felt the need for a starving dog when digging up Mandrake was a tad cruel. I hear that some old Mandrake dolls are still in existance.

Going back a little on this thread to mosses and lichens, I'm fortunate enough to live next to one of the richest flora and fauna habitats remaining in lowland Europe. The New Forest has the most species of lichen, mosses and liverworts to be found in one place in lowland Europe, something in the region of 260 species of lichens alone. Sadly, while they don't all look alike to me, I couldn't identify any of them beyond, 'that's a lichen' though.

This message was edited Nov 30, 2005 11:57 PM

hiya Baa,

nice to see you here again.

I don't know Hampshire, are you close to the Salisbury plain? I once got an opportunity to go there and if that is your region, boy are you right about the fecundity of that region when it comes to bryophytes and their kin. What an amazing place for an enthusiast.

Yes not far from Salisbury Plain,well I wouldn't want to walk it but it's not far in the car. The county border is literally a few miles away from here and I used to ride into Wiltshire when I had the time to keep a pony.

Now it's just Shanks' Pony and Bo the botany dog, now I come to think, it's been a few years since I ventured out that way on a 'plant hunting' adventure.

hiya Baa,

What a marvelous place to have closeby. While recently constructing a new roundpen for our horses I started a thread in the Garden Art forum called Stickhenge. I must have been channeling the constructors of the (to quote Eddie Izzard) "Best Henge around...lol." I marvelled at the plants when I was there. What a treat to actually have it in close proximity.

We are indeed very fortunate! So many people have said why don't we go back to Staffordshire, while there is some stunning scenery there too, the gentle beauty of the Forest and the drama of the downs and Plain would be difficult to give up, besides Bo would never forgive us LOL.

I didn't know our dear Eddie was known quite so far away! One of the few comics who can have me howling with laughter at the most ridiculous things in seconds but annoying that he looks better than me when he's dressed up ;)

I'll have to take a peek in the Garden Art forum.

I agree about Eddie, he should be regarded as a national treasure. I love his "Do you have a flag?" routine....he is hilarious, and so well dressed....all emphasis on the dress...ed...lol.

the thread is here
http://davesgarden.com/forums/t/548975/

We grow warmbloods.

Drdon, have you remembered why you came into the kitchen yet? Don't know about more Gotu Kola, perhaps less, did you read that you should take a break after 6 weeks?

After reading about all its benefits I wondered if man should ever need any other medicine ever!!!!! But there is always a down side to the up, isn't there........

Still, could do with it for my legs, I used to have collapsing arteries, I would get up and go a few steps and they would collapse to the bone at the side of my ankle. Get in a bath of hot water and the main vein down the front of the leg by the shin collapsed, and you know how when you lay in a hot bath, the back of your leg goes red? Mine was going white, haven't had a bath for years! Good job we have a shower. Not much problem now, slowed to a crawl, except in cold weather I have small blobs of blood come to the surface around the lower leg, what did they call it?....venous insufficiency.... now I know the proper name!
I used to buy a good hand cream with arnica in it, then they stopped selling it..not that I had bruises, but it was the best hand cream, by Yves Rocher, a French job.

This is great to swap information, it's amazing what one can learn!

hiya wallaby1,

I don't have access to the French Arnica, but I can send you some from Mexico that is probably not as refined. Dmail me your addy and I'll grab some in the Yucatan or in Mexico City for you on our trip.

best,
don, he who often wonders why he wonders so bloody much...lol.

Self portrait after habanero chiles

LOL that was a good one. He did a great series called Mongrel Nation (about the British) too.

We had native ponies (vicious, little, spoiled monsters but we loved them). Warmbloods are so beautiful but a lot of work to keep in the UK.

A good bit of work here as well Baa. We have 30...well...29 since one sold a few weeks back, but the cleanup and feeding haven't changed significantly....lol. They may be a lot of work, but your equestrian team (Olympic) is fabulously successful on them. I think the problem with ponies is that they are so bloody smart they quickly learn how to manipulate their humans...lol. Then they just push and push until they've achieved their goal of subjugation...lol.

Oh Don, ....so handsome.....

Would like some seeds if you come by some, thanks, any seeds that may be different, salvias most welcome, I guess you already have an idea of what I like,

chilterns have an arnica montana, says a common plant of the alps, aromatic, large downy leaves, and solitary orange-yellow flowers to 3" across. says was once highly sought after for herbal remedies, more recently for sprains and bruises. If you would like to try them i am going to place an order for other seed, so can get some and reciprocate.

There would be no wonder in the world would there if you didn't wonder????????? duh

hiya wallaby1,

I grow A. montana as well. It's a little weaker on the flavenoids and doesn't like our heat very much. I'll come up with a selection for you and I can send you some Salvias in the spring, rooted of course. Seed out of Mex is kind of as ridiculously monitored as Cuban cigars out of Mex in this land of the free...lol. Now that I've qualified it....no problem...lol.

best,
don

ha..........sounds like my cats.....Mitsi 15 years, and now th e'Straypuss'.....both got us wrapped around their little paw paws

don - please would you post a close up of the arnica plants? we use it homeopathically for swelling. when I was rear-ended in a three car pile-up, it was really like a miracle drug, before that I could barely move. It was given to me by SIL, and in my ignorance I asked for more at local pharmacy, first they looked at me like I was crazy, then I was told that it was with the other snakebite medicines, Ha Ha. Joke was on him, as it really works. I can't take traditional meds as I have compromised immunity issues, and am very sensitive to drugs. We have noticed more availability of homeopathic remedies here, including Airborne, a brand developed by a second-grade teacher to prevent colds and flu. I swear by this stuff, it really knocks out a cold if you take it at the first symptom.
neal - yes, I saw sedum rosettes and thought of you too! funny how we're all looking at the same moon in the sky, LOL. Miss you.

hiya PrarieGirl,

No problem, as soon as it's light outside I'll get some pics of Arnica. It does work, and next time you see that pharmacist throw a snake at him/her and point to the aisle where the snake bite medications are...lol.

best,
don

Here's a link to buying Arnica in solution
http://froogle.google.com/froogle?q=arnica&sourceid=mozilla-search&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8&client=firefox-a&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&sa=N&tab=wf

Whoops, link didn't work. Google "Arnica" and then click on the "Froogle" link at the top for sellers of Arnica,

This message was edited Dec 1, 2005 11:38 AM

Hiya Darius - Thanks for info. We use the homeopathic remedies, they're little, bitty pills that you let dissolve on your tongue.

closeup pic of Arnica chamissonis also known as Leafy Arnica.

hope this helps.

That's amazing don! do you apply poultices with it or make an infusion? Just wondering, my husband says his mom used to use comfrey poultices to heal wounds, 15 kids in his family so no money for traditional doctors.

Whoops! posted before I got to the good part, you may be interested to know that comfrey poultices were also widely used on their horses!

This message was edited Dec 1, 2005 1:48 PM

hiya PrairieGirlZ5,

We do use it indeed. We make an ointment from a concentrate of an infusion mixed with corn oil or petroleum jelly and apply accordingly to swelling, sore joints and muscles and small cuts.

I've heard of the use of Comfrey, and have used it personally in very small doses in the past. We're not growing any yet, but will next season for sure.

best,
don

Thanks don :-) Best wishes.

I vauguely remember honey and comfrey poultices for wounds in horses here, bit of talcum powder to stop it being quite so sticky too.

hiya Baa,

I'm going to grow some this season for this very purpose. I've overlooked this herb for some reason. And it's a lovely plant as well. Reminds me of Verbascum a bit.

best,
don

Comfrey, once grown is very difficult to get rid of although I'm sure you already know that :) Ours are in what my brother calls the Witches garden, a few square feet which tends to be large, wild and wooly plants with some fruit bushes which could do with a prune, it's original intention was as the herb patch, some have since died and not been replaced do it needs a little rejigging. The bees love the flowers and can be seen quite late into the evening still collecting the nectar.

Borage is good for reducing swellings and inflammations, like Comfrey it makes an excellent choice for the compost bin and a great foliar feed too.

hiya Baa,

borage we do grow. I like it with plain yoghurt and some cucumbers and after Pam has given me a black eye or two borage always helps to ease that embarrassing discoloration around the eye....lol.

Big horses give their keepers black eyes all the time so we keep borage handy for such occasions and for the absolutely lovely and refreshing taste of it in very small amounts.

I did have some comfrey in my old herb patch at the coast and it required regular root trimming to keep it from going Darwin on the less virulent...lol members of the garden.

LOL sounds like Pam and the horses are having too much Borage with all that courage ;)

I've been digging about for a photo of the 'Herbs' but can't find a half decent one but here's an extention of the herb garden we had last year. It's been changed now since we moved the two Artemisia (lovely plants but planted too far forward) but still incorporates herbs. The nettle is easy to spot and a guest but believe it or not there's actually a pond in there too.

Now that's a great spot!

Which Artemesia are you growing, I can't ID it. I'm growing A. absinthum and Powis Castle. Wormwoods are wonderful plants.

Here's a pic of the Powis Castles early last spring after recovering from their yearly haircuts. By June they've covered that slope in the most lovely shade of blue-grey. A. absinthum lives in the Apothecary garden as an homage to Monet's penchant for painting under the influence of it...lol.

drdon, your garden is great!

PG, glad you brought up Comfrey. I have a nice clump going, and since it's vigorous I hope to harvest every year and keep the clump size in check.

A really eccentric old man (long white beard and all!) I knew who was in to Chinese medicinals, used honey to preserve many herbs. Makes since to me, since honey does'nt spoil. I'm curious if comfrey root or leaf can be preserved in honey for topical use, or possibly internal use. Anyone know about this?
Neal

Neal, I don't know whether honey would be good preservative, but comfrey is not safe for internal use. It is pretty invasive, so give it lots of room.

Thanks :) I'm a neglectful gardener, admittedly it looks far better on photo than it did in real life LOL.

The plant furthest away we thought was A. absinthum but it grew to about 6ft tall that year so I don't honestly know, some seedlings from it might pop up in the next year or two, that's where that one came from so I might have another go at IDing it. The one nearest was A. arborescens. The latter we had for around 4 years until we moved it. It isn't supposed to survive the wet seasons here and since we're on clay with a high water table, it just goes to show how much books and plant labels know!

I can imagine your bank covered in the beautiful foliage of A. Powis Castle, what are the plants in front of the bank?

"To love in the midst of sweets, little children could do that, but to love in the bitterness of Wormwood is a sure sign of our affectionate fidelity"
St Francis de Sales

You silvertongued Brit. All is well until you start waxing poetic using Yeats...lol.

that is my Hemerocallis patch. It's a somewhat pedestrian collection but gives us some color in front of the wormwood and under the red-leaf plum.

When we go into local nurseries and they tell us a particular plant we'd like to have won't grow here, I've found out what that really means is they don't stock it...lol. Boy could I wax using Poe regarding the quality of nurseries here......"Never more"....lol.

Thanks g_s, I was trying to stir up some interest in a Garden Tour forum where we could kind of walk our DG friends through our gardens in pictures, but alas the thread is dying a quick and merciful death in Dave's forum. The front garden is an unmercifully hot area during our summers here and Artemesia takes it with a smile. I love that plant.

A pic of one of the much cooler back gardens with pennroyal needing a trim in front of the bench. We use pennyroyal for lots of things including ant control. And it smells wonderful when walked on.

It almost looks like Russian sage, on the right?

don, surely you know of pennyroyal teas' other infamous uses?

Infamous?....well I think I do. Please clarify which infamous use of which you write.

If you were writing about the right hand side of the bench in this garden, it is one of the ubiquitous Salvia leucanthas in this garden. I collect Salvias, mostly new world species.

Please elaborate on pennyroyal, I'm riveted.

best,
don

To induce abortion?

Holy smokes! That tiled bench is sooo gorgeous. Sorry i was referring to previous pic, we must've been typing at the same time. Speaking of salvias, and black eyes, and I believe you were, LOL, have you tried Salvia guaranitica 'Black & Blue' yet? Newer cultivar w/black calyxes and deep blue flowers. I'm not going to elaborate, but pennyroyal tea has been traditionally used as an abortive. Also in cure of 'menstrual derangements', as a blood purifier. Not so sure of it's safety & purported usefulness. Just as an interesting aside, no further comment necessary. The medicinal value of many herbs is subject to the skill of the practicioner (sp.?), not for the faint of heart.