Medicinal Actions

exclusively to expel worms, Levant wormwood is strongly bitter and aromatic and has a tonic and stimulant effect on digestion. The dried flower heads are occasionally mixed with honey to disguise their bitterness.

Q

Cautions

Do not take during pregnancy. Use only under professional supervision, especially in the case of children under 12.

Artemisia dracunculus (Asteraceae)

Tarragon

Description

Aromatic perennial growing to 3 ft (1 m). Has narrow lance-shaped leaves and small greenish flower heads in long drooping clusters.

Habitat & Cultivation

Native to Russia, western Asia, and the Himalayas, tarragon is now cultivated as a culinary herb in gardens around the world. The aerial parts are picked in summer.

Parts Used

Aerial parts, root.

Constituents

Tarragon contains tannins, coumarins, and flavonoids, and up to 0.8% volatile oil, consisting of up to 70% methylchervicol, which is toxic and potentially carcinogenic.

History & Folklore

Tarragon is widely used as an herb in cooking. In French, it is sometimes known as herbe au dragon, because of its reputed ability to cure serpent bites.

Medicinal Actions & Uses

While tarragon stimulates digestion, it is reputed to be a mild sedative and has been taken to aid sleep. With its mild menstruation-inducing properties, it is taken if periods are delayed. The root has traditionally been applied to aching teeth.

Cautions

Do not take during pregnancy. Do not exceed the standard dose, and do not take for longer than 4 weeks at a time.

Artemisia vulgaris (Asteraceae)

Mugwort

Description

Shrubby perennial growing to about 3 ft (1 m). Has dark green deeply indented leaves and numerous clusters of small reddish or yellow flower heads.

Habitat & Cultivation

Mugwort is found in temperate regions of the northern hemisphere. It flourishes in open areas and along roads, and is gathered in late summer just before flowering.

Parts Used

Leaves, root.

Constituents

Mugwort contains a volatile oil (mainly caryophyllene), a sesquiterpene lactone, flavonoids, coumarin derivatives, and triterpenes.

History & Folklore

Known as Mater Herbarum (mother of herbs), mugwort was used from the earliest times in Europe and Asia. Roman centurions reputedly placed it in their sandals to keep the soles of their feet in good shape. The Greek physician Dioscorides (1st century ce) recounts that the goddess Artemis (who inspired the plant’s genus name) was believed to give succor to women in childbirth. The 13th-century Welsh herbal The Physicians of Myddfai recommends:

“If a woman be unable to give birth to her child let the mugwort be bound to her left thigh. Let it be instantly removed when she has been delivered, lest there should be hemorrhage.”

An 18th-century Spanish herbalist, Diego de Torres, recommends the application of a mugwort plaster below the navel as an effective method of inducing labor. In the Isle of Man (UK), sprigs of mugwort are worn at the annual open-air parliamentary assembly, held on Tynwald Hill. In China, mugwort has been valued for millennia.

It is the principal ingredient of moxa and is used in moxibustion, a process in which heat from a burning, cigar-shaped roll of chopped leaves is applied to acupuncture points.

Medicinal Actions & Uses

A digestive and tonic herb, mugwort has a wide variety of traditional uses. Milder in action than most other Artemisia species, it can be taken over the long

term at a low dose to improve appetite, digestive function, and absorption of nutrients. In addition, it can be taken to encourage the elimination of worms. Mugwort also increases bile flow and mildly induces the onset of menstruation. The European conception of mugwort as a uterine stimulant is contradicted by Chinese usage, in which it is prescribed to prevent miscarriage and to reduce or stop menstrual bleeding.

Mugwort is also antiseptic, and has been used in the treatment of malaria.

Caution

Do not take mugwort during pregnancy.

Asclepias tuberosa (Asclepiadaceae)

Pleurisy Root

Description

Perennial, upright herb growing to 3 ft (1 m). Has narrow lance-shaped leaves and spikes of numerous 5-petaled orange or yellow flowers.

Habitat & Cultivation

^This herb is native to the southern U.S.

The root is unearthed in spring.

Part Used

^Root.

Constituents

Pleurisy root contains cardenolides and flavonoids. It is estrogenic.

History & Folklore

^In North American herbal medicine, pleurisy root was considered a cure-all.

It was used to treat conditions as diverse as pleurisy, typhoid, pneumonia, congestion, dysentery, colic, eczema, and hysteria. The Omaha ate the raw root for bronchitis and other chest conditions. Many tribes thought pleurisy root was a good remedy for hot dry fevers.

Medicinal Actions

& Uses

Though its most specific usage is relieving the pain and inflammation of pleurisy, pleurisy root has other applications. It is useful for hot, dry, and tight conditions in the chest. It promotes the coughing up of phlegm, reduces inflammation, and, in addition,

Pleurisy root was used by Native Americans as a chest remedy.

Tarragon sweetens the breath and helps to stimulate digestion.

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A s p A l A t h u s l i n e A r i s helps reduce fevers by stimulating perspiration.

The root is also taken for the treatment of chronic diarrhea and dysentery.

Related Species

A. incarnata and A. syriaca have both been used in Native American herbal medicine to treat asthma.

Cautions

Do not take during pregnancy.

Excessive doses may cause vomiting.

Aspalathus linearis (Fabaceae)

Rooibos,

Red Bush

Description

Variable shrub growing to 6¹⁄² ft (2 m) in height, with green, needle-like leaves, yellow, pea-like flowers, and small seed pods.

Habitat & Cultivation

Native to southern South Africa, rooibos is now widely cultivated as a commercial crop, particularly in the Cedarberg mountain area. The seed is hard to germinate and must first be scarified. The young leaves are harvested once a year, chopped, and left to “sweat”

or ferment before being dried.

Parts Used

Young leaves.

Constituents

Rooibos contains polyphenols, including flavonoids, with a low tannin content.

History & Folklore

Rooibos was first used as an appetizing tea by the Khoisan people, indigenous to the Cedarberg region, but also as a sleep aid and for headaches.

Medicinal Actions & Uses

Drunk mostly as a pleasant tasting, caffeine-free drink, rooibos, like green tea, has significant antioxidant activity.

There is evidence to suggest that the fermented leaves exert a protective effect on the heart and circulation. In view of the herb’s traditional use, it might also prove helpful as a nighttime drink to promote sound sleep.

asparagine, and flavonoids. Asparagine is a strong diuretic.

History & Folklore

To judge from ancient Egyptian tomb drawings, asparagus was cultivated as long ago as 4000 bce. In the 1st century ce, the Greek physician Dioscorides recommended a decoction of asparagus root to improve urine flow and to treat kidney problems, jaundice, and sciatica.

acting as a general reproductive and sexual tonic.

Shatavari can prove particularly helpful in easing menopausal symptoms, such as hot flashes and poor stamina. It appears to improve fertility in both men and women, and may also be taken to treat impotence. A tonic, strengthening herb, shatavari supports immune function and has a place in the treatment of immunosuppressed conditions.

Related Species

Asparagus (A. officinalis, see preceding entry) is a relative.

Asperula odorata syn. Galium odoratum (Rubiaceae)

Sweet Woodruff

Description

Perennial growing to 18 in (45 cm).

Has a square stem, whorls of narrow elliptical leaves, and small white flowers.

Habitat & Cultivation

Sweet woodruff is native to Europe, and is also found in Asia and North Africa. It grows in woodlands and shaded places.

The herb is gathered when in flower in late spring.

Parts Used

Aerial parts.

Constituents

Sweet woodruff contains iridoids, coumarins (0.6%), tannins, anthraquinones, and flavonoids. The flavonoids act on the circulation and are diuretic.

History & Folklore

When it dries, sweet woodruff takes on the scent of newly cut grass, and it has often been placed between clothes to impart its aroma. In his Irish Herbal of 1735, K’Eogh records that “It is good in healing wounds if bruised and then applied, and also in curing boils and inflammations.” In Germany Maiwein, made of sweet woodruff steeped in white wine, is drunk to celebrate May Day.

Medicinal Actions & Uses

Sweet woodruff is considered tonic, with significant diuretic and anti-inflammatory effects. Its coumarin and flavonoid constituents make it helpful for varicose veins and phlebitis. It has been used as an antispasmodic, and it is given to children and adults for insomnia.

Sweet woodruff aerial parts are dried for medicinal use.

Asparagus is used to treat a range of urinary problems.

Asparagus officinalis (Liliaceae)

Asparagus

Description

Slender-stemmed perennial growing to 6¹⁄² ft (2 m). Has long fronds of delicate needle-like leaves and bell-shaped yellow-green flowers that produce small bright red berries.

Habitat & Cultivation

Native to temperate regions in Europe, North Africa, and Asia, asparagus is cultivated worldwide as a vegetable.

The shoots grow into tender green (and, if sheltered from sunlight, white) stems in spring. The root is gathered after the shoots have been cut.

Parts Used

Root, shoots.

Constituents

Asparagus contains steroidal glycosides (asparagosides), bitter glycosides,

Medicinal Actions & Uses

Asparagus is a strong diuretic that is useful for a variety of urinary problems, including cystitis. It is also useful for rheumatic conditions, helping to “flush” waste products accumulated in the joints out of the body in the urine. Asparagus is also bitter, mildly laxative, and sedative.

Caution

Do not take if you suffer from kidney disease.

Asparagus racemosus (Liliaceae)

Shatavari,

Indian Asparagus

Description

Slender perennial fern growing to 23 ft (7 m) in height. Shatavari has fronds of needle-like leaves, tiny white flowers, and purple-black berries.

Habitat & Cultivation

Native to the Himalayas and the Indian subcontinent, shatavari grows wild in gravelly soils up to 3,900 ft (1,200 m) above sea level. It is also found in western China.

Part Used

^Root.

Constituents

Shatavari contains steroidal saponins, alkaloids, and mucilage.

History & Folklore

Shatavari is known as the

“Queen of herbs” in Ayurvedic medicine. Its name literally means “100 spouses,” signifying the herb’s ability to act as a sexual tonic and promote fertility.

Medicinal Actions & Uses

A key Ayurvedic remedy, shatavari is first and foremost a women’s herb, aiding fertility and promoting conception, and

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B a c o p a m o n n i e r i

Cautions

In excessive doses, sweet woodruff

can cause internal bleeding. Do not use if taking conventional medication for circulatory problems, or during pregnancy.

aspidosperma quebracho-blanco (Apocynaceae)

Quebracho

Description

Tree growing to 100 ft (30 m).

Has thick corky bark, leathery leaves, and tubular white flowers.

Habitat & Cultivation

Quebracho is found in the southern half of South America. The bark and timber are used commercially.

Part Used

^Bark.

Constituents

Quebracho contains indole alkaloids (including yohimbine) and tannins.

History & Folklore

The name quebracho comes from the Spanish quebrar (to break) and hacha (axe), an allusion to the hardness of this tree’s wood.

Medicinal Actions & Uses

^{With its} antispasmodic effect on the bronchial tubes, quebracho is used therapeutically to treat asthma and emphysema. It is also a tonic and reduces fever. This herb is astringent and has been used externally on wounds and burns.

Related Species

Many other species of Aspidosperma are grown for tanning and timber in South America. Some are also considered fever remedies. One, A. excelsum, is used to relieve gas, stomach problems, and indigestion.

Q

Cautions

Take only under professional supervision. Quebracho is toxic in excessive doses.

It is subject to legal restrictions in some countries.

mixture prescribed by Wang Ji (1463–1539) as a treatment for syphilis.

Medicinal Actions & Uses

Bai zhu has traditionally been used as a tonic, building qi (see p. 40) and strengthening the spleen. The rhizome has a sweet, pungent taste, and is used to relieve fluid retention, excessive sweating, and digestive problems such as diarrhea and vomiting.

Combined with Baical skullcap (Scutellaria baicalensis, p. 134), it is employed to prevent miscarriage.

avena sativa (Poaceae)

Oats

Description

Annual grass growing to 3 ft (1 m).

Has straight hollow stems, blade-like leaves, and small spikes holding seeds (grain).

Habitat & Cultivation

Native to northern Europe, oats are now grown in temperate regions worldwide as a cereal crop. They are harvested in late summer.

Parts Used

Seeds, straw (dried stems).

Constituents

Oats contain saponins, alkaloids, sterols, flavonoids, silicic acid, starch, proteins (including gluten), vitamins (especially B vitamins), and minerals (especially calcium).

History & Folklore

Formerly, oat straw was used to fill mattresses, proving beneficial to those suffering from rheumatism. In The English Physitian (1652) Nicholas Culpeper states that “a poultice made of meal of oats and some oil of bay helpeth the itch and the leprosy.” Earlier, in 1597, John Gerard was less enthusiastic: “Oatmeal is good to make a fair and well-coloured maid to look like a cake of tallow.”

Medicinal Actions & Uses

Oats are best known as a nutritious cereal, but they benefit health in many other ways. Oat bran lowers cholesterol, and an oat-based diet may improve stamina (see Research). Oats, and oat straw in particular, are tonic when taken medicinally. Oat straw is prescribed by medical herbalists to treat general debility and a wide variety of nervous conditions. The grains and straw are mildly antidepressant, gently raising energy levels and supporting an overstressed nervous system. Oats are used to treat depression and nervous debility, and insomnia in those suffering from nervous exhaustion. Oats are one of the principal herbal aids to convalescence after a long illness. Externally, the grain is emollient and cleansing, and a decoction strained into a bath can help soothe itchiness and eczema.

Research

In research undertaken in Australia, athletes who were placed on an oat-based diet for 3 weeks showed a 4% increase in stamina. Oats are thought to help maintain muscle function during training and exercise.

Self-help Uses

Depression & decreased vitality, p. 316; Eczema, p. 300; Nervous

exhaustion & stress, p. 319; Poor sleep & nervous exhaustion, p. 309.

Bacopa monnieri (Scrophulariaceae)

Water Hyssop,

Brahmi (Hindi)

Description

Creeping succulent perennial growing to 20 in (50 cm). Has spatula-shaped fleshy leaves and pale blue or white flowers on long, slender stalks.

Habitat & Cultivation

Water hyssop grows in warmer temperate and tropical climates, especially in southern Asia. It thrives in marshland, developing into dense mats on mudflats and at the edges of mangrove swamps.

Parts Used

Aerial parts.

Constituents

Water hyssop contains triterpenoid saponins, including bacosides.

Medicinal Actions & Uses

In India, water hyssop is used principally for disorders of the nervous system, such as neuralgia, epilepsy, and mental illness, but it is also employed for a wide range of other disorders, including indigestion, ulcers, gas and constipation, asthma and bronchitis, and infertility. In China, it is taken as a yang tonic for

impotence, premature ejaculation, infertility, and rheumatic conditions. In Indonesia,

the plant is a remedy for filariasis (a tropical disease caused by

worms). In Cuba, water hyssop is used as a purgative,

and a decoction of the whole plant is taken as a diuretic and laxative.

The expressed juice is mixed with oil and applied as a rub for

arthritic pain.

Research

Indian research suggests that water hyssop improves mental function, memory, and concentration, as well as reduces learning time.

Water hyssop, a swamp plant, may have a tonic effect on the brain.

atractylodes macrocephala (Asteraceae)

Bai Zhu

Description

Erect perennial herb growing to 2 ft (60 cm). Has alternate oval- to lance-shaped leaves and purple flowers.

Habitat & Cultivation

Bai zhu is rare in the wild. It is cultivated in China, Japan, and Korea. The rhizome is unearthed in late autumn or winter.

Part Used

^Rhizome.

Constituents

Bai zhu contains a volatile oil (0.35–1.35%), which includes atractylol, and the lactones atractylenolide II and III. Atractylol has a liver-protective activity.

History & Folklore

The first record of the use of bai zhu is in the Tang Materia Medica, written in China in 659 ce. Later, it was one of the 4 herbs that made up the “decoction of the 4 rulers,” a

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B a l l o t a n i g r a as Ménière’s disease) as opposed to those of the digestive system. Black horehound is thought to be mildly sedative and antispasmodic, and is occasionally taken for arthritis and gout.

Bambusa arundiaceae (Poaceae)

Spiny Bamboo

Description

Perennial tree, up to 100 ft (30 m), with multiple stems from its base. Has narrow pointed leaves and long loose clusters of yellow to yellowish-green flowers.

Habitat & Cultivation

Found throughout tropical Asia, especially in India and China, spiny bamboo thrives up to 6,900 ft (2,100 m) above sea level.

Parts Used

Root, leaves, sprouts.

Constituents

Spiny bamboo juice contains high levels of silica.

History & Folklore

Spiny bamboo is arguably the most useful plant on earth, being used to make scaffolding, rafts, furniture, paper, and dozens of other items. It also has an important role to play in herbal medicine.

Medicinal Actions & Uses

Various parts of spiny bamboo are used in Indian and Ayurvedic medicine. The root is considered astringent and cooling, and is used to treat joint pain and general debility. The leaves are used to stimulate menstruation, and, being antispasmodic, to help relieve period pain. They are also taken to tone and strengthen stomach function and to expel worms.

They are reputed to be aphrodisiac. The young sprouts are eaten to relieve nausea, indigestion, and gas, and a poultice of the sprouts is applied to help drain wounds that have become infected. The juice is rich in silica, and aids in the strengthening of cartilage in conditions such as osteoarthritis and osteoporosis.

Related Species

In Chinese herbal medicine, the juice and shavings of the black bamboo (B. breviflora) are prescribed to counter “excess heat,” coughs, and a congested chest. Its roots are used as a diuretic and to treat fevers.

Banisteriopsis caapi (Malpighiaceae)

Ayahuasca

Description

Woody vine growing to 100 ft (30 m). Has smooth bark, oval leaves, and bunches of small red or yellow flowers.

Habitat & Cultivation

Ayahuasca is native to jungles of the Amazon basin. It is cultivated by indigenous peoples, but the wild herb is preferred for medicinal use.

Part Used

^Bark.

Constituents

Ayahuasca contains beta-carboline alkaloids (including harmine, harmaline, and delta-tetrahycroharmine), which stimulate hallucinations.

History & Folklore

In the Quechua language, widely spoken in Peru and neighboring countries, ayahuasca means “spirit of the dead,” indicating the awesome powers traditionally attributed to this plant. Another native Indian name is nixi honi xuma, meaning “vine from which the vision extract is made.” Ayahuasca bark, which is often used in combination with members of the Datura genus, is the primary hallucinogen among many Amazonian tribes, being prepared as part of complex ritual ceremonies.

Medicinal Actions & Uses

Though known as a powerful hallucinogen, ayahuasca is also a medicine, being used as a remedy to cure a range of diagnosed conditions. However, ayahuasca is usually taken by the healer rather than by the patient. In the shamanistic societies of the Amazon, ayahuasca allows the healer to communicate with the spirit world where illness arises, interceding on behalf of the ill person and the community to restore health and harmony to all—quite unlike the individualized approach of Western medicine. Beyond its ability to affect mood, the bark is emetic and purgative.

At low doses it is used as a mild detoxifier.

RQ

Caution

Ayahuasca is taken traditionally as part of a rich, complex ritual which affects the experience produced. Medicinal use of this plant is not advised.

Wild indigo, a North American plant, was used by the Penobscot to treat wounds.

Black horehound was an ancient Greek remedy for dog bites.

Ballota nigra (Lamiaceae)

Black Horehound

Description

Straggling perennial growing to 3 ft (1 m). Has oval, toothed leaves and pink-purple flowers in whorls at the base of the upper leaves.

Habitat & Cultivation

This herb is found throughout much of Europe, in North America, and in Asia. It thrives in open areas, in pavement cracks, and by roadsides, mostly near human habitation. It is harvested when in flower in summer.

Parts Used

Aerial parts.

Constituents

Black horehound contains diterpenoids, including marrubiin, flavonoids, tannins, saponins, and a volatile oil.

History & Folklore

The Greek physician Dioscorides, writing in the 1st century ce, recommends a plaster of black horehound leaves and salt for dog bites. He also advocates a balm, made from the dried leaves and honey, to purify infected wounds and ulcers.

Medicinal Actions & Uses

Though long considered a remedy for convulsions, low spirits, and menopausal problems, black horehound is rarely used today. Authorities differ over whether there is any substance to claims for its earlier applications.

The herb is currently used by Anglo-American herbalists as an antiemetic—preventing or reducing nausea or vomiting. It is perhaps most useful when nausea arises from disorders of the inner ear (such

Baptisia tinctoria (Fabaceae)

Wild Indigo

Description

Herbaceous perennial growing to 3 ft (1 m). Has a smooth stem, clover-like leaves, and purplish-blue flowers in small terminal clusters.

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