My Herbal Notebook

E. K. Sommer    May 27, 2009    No Comments   

Bidens spp. are abundant “pest” weeds in Florida and indeed all over the world. There are more than 40 native species in the United States alone and over 230 worldwide. These weedy plants thrive in warm climates and have traditions of medicinal and edible use wherever they are found. The botanical name, which describes the shape of the fruit (seed) comes from the Latin “bis” meaning two and “dens” meaning tooth. The bane of any hiker, Bidens is zoochorous, that is, it evolved to hitchhike on the fur of animals (and our socks).

The dried leaves of various species have been used as a tobacco substitute, called “Fakahatchee Gold,” according to Daniel Austin in Florida Ethnobotany. Medicinal uses included treatment for colds and flu, hepatitis, bacterial infections, inflammation, and urinary tract infections. The Cherokee people used B. bipinnata to expel worms and chewed on the leaves to soothe a sore throat. In Florida the Seminole people used Bidens species, probably B. mitis, according to Austin, for a variety of complaints including headaches, high fever, and diarrhea.

B. pilosa, which is not native but is often confused (and in some texts synonymous) with B. alba, reportedly has constituents that can depress the central nervous system and lower blood sugar. Because Bidens species seem to contain an amazing number of chemicals with biological activity, various species are the subjects of ongoing research, including use as an antimalarial drug (B. pilosa). Bidens species contain some powerful chemical constituents and should not be used medicinally without the advice of a skilled herbalist or traditional healer. Observers note that Bidens is left alone by most insects save the dainty sulphur (Nathalis iole), which may absorb some of the potent compounds to discourage its own predators.

However, occasional snacking on Bidens is a fine idea. The flowers and tender young leaves and of B. alba can be added to salads, and the more mature leaves can be boiled or steamed as a pot herb. (Note that the yellow centers are coarse and some people prefer to pluck the petals for salads.) A mild tea can be made from the flowers, which purportedly also make an interesting wine.

Posted in Bidens spp., Wild Salads

E. K. Sommer    April 3, 2009    No Comments   

What a lovely walk Max and I had today! A little warm for early April, but there was a pleasant breeze and a clear blue sky. Lots of birds and butterflies. And plenty of snacks. Tasty asparagus tips (the leading ends of Smilax spp), delicious lavender dayflowers (Tradescantia ohiensis), and lemony sour wild sorrel leaves (Rumex spp).

I couldn’t resist also nibbling on some of the sugar snap flowers in the garden, even though I know that for every flower I eat, I’ll have one less pea pod!

I shared some cleavers with Max, who loves the stuff, and I think it is probably as good for his lymphatic system as it is for mine, although I can get the nutrients better from the tincture I made. (Neither one of us mind the fuzzy leaves.)

The chickasaw plums (Prunus angustifolia) and black cherries (Prunus serotina) are out although still green, and the sand blackberries (Rubus cuneifolius) are plumping up and soon we will be competing with the birds for these yummy treats.

After years of trying to pull them out of my garden, I finally decided to cultivate them instead, and the fencing and activity keep the birds and rabbits away so I am assured of at least a small harvest of these small tart wild blackberries.

Posted in Early Spring, Musings, Opuntia (Cactus)

E. K. Sommer    March 9, 2009    1 Comment   

How sweet to enter my new garden, beautifully designed by my husband, to find my favorite green allies and native

friends waiting for me in group right in the center of the growing space. We had mulched heavily at the beginning of the winter in hopes of smothering some of the grass and noxious weeds and also to enrich the soil and provide a haven for beneficial insect and microscopic critters.

And right there in the center of all that mulch my friends chickweed (Stellaria media) and cleavers (Galium aparine) and henbit (Lamium amplexicaule) were offering me a joyous spring blessing.  Medicinal allies chickweed and cleavers are fading in the early spring heat (following lows in the 20s last week when snow storms ventured as far south as Atlanta, we are now experiencing temperatures of 80 degrees plus).

They will be with me over the summer in the forms of tinctures and vinegars until their sisters show up again in the late fall. Meanwhile henbit will continue to show up hither and yon throughout the spring and into the early summer.

This mint family ally does not have a striking traditional use, but henbit’s cousin archangel (L. album) also known as dead white nettle, can be boiled as a vegetable, used in soups, and added to salads. Use the tender young leaves, the shoots, or the flowers. A decoction of the flowering plant is used as a blood tonic and it purportedly constricts blood vessels and treats hemorrhoids and burns. Make an infusion for an astringent wash for eczema or to use as a vulnerary.

Posted in At Flying Cactus Farm, Early Spring, Late Spring, Musings, Noxious and weedy plants, Opuntia (Cactus), Sandspur, Spurge Nettle, Summer herbs and plants

E. K. Sommer    January 12, 2009    No Comments   

As everything is dry and brown here in north central Florida, I am missing the autumn fields full of partridge pea (Chamaecrista fasciculata) blossoms—bright yellow flowers on extensive branches of fernlike leaves. When a plant is abundant, I always wonder if it is native, and if it is, I know there must be uses for it. Before the luxury of grocery stores and markets, human beings naturally turned to what was around them for food, medicine, clothing, and shelter. Out of necessity we learned what gifts the plants in our environment offered, and we put them to use.

Partridge pea is native annual and member of the pea family (Fabaceae) that blankets open fields, pinelands, and at the edges of woodlands throughout Florida during the late summer and early fall. The leaves of C. fasciculata, like its cousin C. nictitans, are sensitive to the touch and will fold up under various conditions. I have particularly noticed this when I am pulling undesired exotics in a patch of field near partridge pea. The leaves begin folding up as I advance as if to say, “Please don’t pull me up!”

C. fasciculata and C. nictitans have traditional medicinal uses among indigenous people, and were also used by early settlers, most notably the Shakers (Austin). The seed pods are eaten by mice, deer, and birds, particularly quail. In addition, the bushy plants grow close together, each forming a small canopy, and make excellent cover for the birds as well. The flowers attract bees, butterflies and other insects.

Yellow butterflies (cloudless sulphurs) swarm the bushes in the late summer and early fall, flitting in and out the partridge pea making it seem as if the flowers themselves are airborne!

Bees also hover around partridge pea, but the nectar they seek is from orange glands at the base of each leaf rather than from the flower. Even ants can be found crawling up the stalks to get to the sweet nectar.

Identification
C. fasciculata grows to about 3 feet, but may be become stunted if repeatedly mowed or when growing in areas of too much shade. Leaves: Feathery; innately compound and made of many tiny leaflets; alternate. The leaves of C. fasciculata fold up in the evening and the leaves of C. nictitans close when touched. The flimsy yellow 5-petaled flowers are a little more than an inch (2 cm) and often have reddish-purple markings near the base on the inside. C. fasciculata may flower throughout the year, but are most robust in the late summer and early autumn. The flowers of C. nictitans are much smaller as is the entire plant. Seed pods: The narrow and hairy pea pods are 1 to nearly 3 inches (3–7 cm)

Medicinal Uses
C. fasciculata is not commonly used as a modern herbal, but the Cherokee and Seminole people used the plant in several ways medicinally including as a tonic for athletes to keep them from tiring (root). Seminole people also used a plant infusion to treat nausea and stomachaches; a decoction to treat urinary tract infections (Austin). The moistened, bruised leaves were used to treat topical sores, and a cold infusion of the pea pods were used to ease sore throats (when soaked the pods become mucilaginous). The leaves were used to make a tea to prevent fainting. Syrups (decoctions) with added honey were given to treat nausea (Allen, Bond, and Main)

Consider partridge pea a remedy when you require a demulcent, (pods), an astringent, or a purgative.

Constituents and Nutrients
C. fasciculata is high in phosphorus and protein but contains little fiber. There is no data on whether or not these nutrients are available for absorption in human consumption, and while wildlife seems to eat the foliage with impunity, domestic livestock should not be allowed to graze on this plant.

Medicinal Preparations
Decoctions, infusions, poultices. Syrups were made by boiling parts of the plant in water and then straining the mixture and adding a second ingredient to improve the flavor.

Cautions
Note that some authors (see Austin) indicate the leaves and seeds are a purgative and that consumption may cause gastrointestinal cramping in the same manner as senna. Fennel seed can be added to an infusion to mitigate this reaction. And while deer can browse C. fasciculata, livestock has been poisoned from this plant.

Note for the Kitchen
Despite its abundance, this is not a plant for the table. However, the plants were used by Mikasuki and Creek people to assist in the ripening of persimmons. This was done by layering the plants with the persimmons in a pit and allowing the fruit to ripen (Austin).

To Learn More

Allen, G. M., M. D. Bond, and M. B. Main. 2002. 50 Common Native Plants Important In Florida’s Ethnobotanical History. Florida Cooperative Extension Service, Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, University of Florida.

Austin, D. 2004. Florida Ethnobotany. Boca Raton, FL: CRC Press.

Bennett, B. C. 1997 “An Introduction to Seminole People and Their Plants.” The Palmetto. 17:16–24

Moerman, D. E. 1998. Native American Ethnobotany. Portland OR: Timber Press Inc.

USDA Plant database. http://plants.usda.gov

/

Posted in At Flying Cactus Farm, Autumn Fields, Chamaecrista fasciculata, Individual Herbs