SHEPHERD'S PURSE - RICH IN VITAMIN C: HEALTH BENEFITS AND USES OF SHEPHERD'S PURSE

SHEPHERD’S PURSE, CAPSELLA BURSA-PASTORIS

Shepherd’s purse can be found all over the world, in Europe, West Africa and Asia, and is naturalized in many other countries. It is a member of the Bassicaceae or Cruciferae family so is related to the cabbage, mustard, brussel sprout and broccoli. Capsella means capsule and refers to the seed pods of this plant while bursa means purse and pastoris of rural people. If you have traveled to rural parts of Portugal and Greece, you may have seen shepherds carrying leather satchels or knapsacks containing their lunch and these days probably their mobile phones and the seed pods were thought to resemble these. That is how it came to be called shepherd’s purse. It is sometimes called witches purse too, however. In fact it has many names and they are in many languages.

  It has been used to stem internal and external bleeding since time immemorial and the European agency has recognized it as being safe to treat internal and external bleeding, in infusions and liquid extracts mainly because it has been in use for longer than thirty years to treat such problems and the use has been widely documented. Some research has been done which appears to show that it can help angina pectoris sufferers and to regulate blood pressure and some of its constituents have been studied in other plants, but the studies have not been sufficient for the cautious medical establishment to accept their use as yet.

  The young leaves of the plant if gathered in spring before it flowers can be used in salads or cooked as a green vegetable as you would cook spinach. They have been used as cabbage substitutes, but reportedly, when the leaves get older they become tougher and have a rather more peppery flavour, rather like watercress. The root can apparently be a substitute for ginger root if you happen not to have any to hand.

  The leaves are rich in vitamins C and A in the form of beta-carotenes and they also contain vitamin K along with the B-complex vitamins, thiamin, riboflavin and niacin. As for flavonoids they contain quercetin and kaempferol among others and the flavonoid glycosides in the plant include rutin, diosmin and hesperitin. Amino acids include proline, tyramine and ornithine. The minerals it contains are potassium, manganese, copper, iron, calcium and phosphorous. It is particularly rich in iron, calcium and vitamin C so useful for anaemia. Saponins and tannins are present as well, and the off-putting odour you smell when you pick the plant may be because of sinigrin which is a mustard oil glycoside. The volatile oil’s major constituent is camphor, and perhaps it should be noted that the plant also contains vanillic and fumaric acids.

  According to the University of Michigan’s library file, shepherd’s purse has some sedative or hypnotic effects as do chamomile, valerian, kava kava, mugwort and St. John’s wort.

  When combined with other herbs shepherd’s purse has been used for cardio-vascular diseases, but its main claim to medicinal fame is its ability to staunch the blood from external wounds, (Culpeper in the 17^th century said that it was particularly good for head wounds when used in an ointment) and for internal haemorrhages, blood in the urine and for helping stem the blood flow after childbirth and during heavy menstruation as it acts on the muscles of the uterus. The tisane can be used for these purposes and although the dried aerial parts of the plant are used, the fresh flowering herb is much more effective as it tends to lose its potency after being dried. It is said that it will work for up to a year, but if you have access to the fresh herb – and after all it is very common – use this.

  To make the decoction you need to chop up the above ground parts of the plant including the flowers; 1 ounce of the plant needs 12 fluid ounces of water which should be boiled, then simmered to reduce it to ½ pint of liquid. Strain it and drink cold. In Britain this has been used to stop diarrhoea because of its astringent properties probably from the tannins the plant contains. The expressed juice from the plant can be put on cotton wool and placed in the nostrils to stop a nosebleed too.

  The whole plant has also been used to alleviate the pains associated with rheumatism in poultices.

  The seed pods can be ground and added to soups and stews rather like pepper, and the seeds may be eaten cooked or raw.

  The seeds are believed to be effective against mosquito larvae and can be used in the water they are hatched in so the shepherd’s purse seeds could in future help to prevent outbreaks of malaria and dengue, as it is said that they have insecticidal properties. Good news for Pakistan which has seen many cases of dengue fever this year.

MAIDENHAIR FERN - HAIR OF VENUS: HEALTH BENEFITS AND USES OF MAIDENHAIR FERN

MAIDENHAIR FERN, ADIANTUM CAPILLUS-VENERIS L.

Maidenhair ferns grow around the world, but this one is also called the True Maidenhair which is native to southern Europe and seems to be indigenous to parts of the British Isles and western Ireland too. It has been used to decorate bathrooms as it thrives in moist conditions. However its leaves repel water- it simply runs off them. In its natural state it can live in rock crevices like rock samphire, and close to the sea and waterfalls. It likes a moist, usually shady place to grow.

  The fronds of the Maidenhair fern are gossamer-like, and the leaves of the ginkgo biloba tree resemble these closely. They must have been though to resemble hair, or perhaps Linnaeus gave it the botanical name capillus because it was once though to work as a hair restorer. The Latin name Adiantum means “unwetted” while capillus-veneris means “hair of Venus.” It belongs to the Polypodiaceae (many-footed) family of plants and can grow in its natural state to heights of one foot and can be one foot or a little more across.

  The above ground parts have been used in traditional medicine at least since the Greeks used it as an expectorant for coughs. Mediaeval herbalists used it for respiratory problems and it has been combined with King’s clover in an infusion to treat varicose veins and arteriosclerosis. Combined with the Greater Periwinkle or lime flowers it was used for blood circulation problems. The infusion of the fronds is said to be a good treatment or dandruff and similar scalp problems. The seeds have been used with Elecampane or mulberry leaves to treat asthma and coughs too.

  Maidenhair fern contains coumarins, the bioflavonoids, rutin and isoquercetin among others, and terpenoids along with other substances. In France at one time it was used along with orange flowers and honey as a cough syrup, and in traditional Greek medicine it is used for women’s period problems. It should not be used during pregnancy as it promotes the menstrual flow. The leaves are edible and make a very attractive garnish for dessert dishes.

  John Gerard, the English herbalist who wrote in the 16^th century has this to say about the plant:-

  Gerard writes of it:

'It consumeth and wasteth away the King's Evil and other hard swellings, and it maketh the haire of the head or beard to grow that is fallen and pulled off.'

Culpeper, writing in the 17^th century writes of the fern in this way: -

“This and all other Maiden Hairs is a good remedy for coughs, asthmas, pleurisy, etc., and on account of its being a gentle diuretic also in jaundice, gravel and other impurities of the kidneys. All the Maidenhairs should be used green and in conjunction with other ingredients because their virtues are weak.”

  In some countries such as Nepal a paste is made from the fronds and this is applied to the forehead or the chest to alleviate headaches or chest pains. It is thought to promote a nursing mother’s milk flow when given as a tisane too.

  The fronds can be used fresh or gathered in summer and dried for later use. Apparently it has been used in poultices for insect and snake bites, but it doesn’t appear to have potent medicinal effects, at least in studies which have been conducted on it so far. The studies are inconclusive and contradictory in some cases. Besharat M et al, Dec 2008 “Antibacterial Effects of Adiantum capillus-veneris Ethanolic Extract of Three Pathogenic Bacteria In Vitro” Journal of Clinical and Diagnostic Research,1242-3, concluded “According to the ancient papers about medicinal herbs, this herb has antibacterial effects. Our result did not show this effect in ethanolic extract.”

  Of course, experiments with other types of extract and bacteria could have different results. Majid Alipour and Omid Khanmohammadi, 23^rd September 2011, “Antibacterial activity of plant extracts against oral and skin pathogens”: African Journal of Microbiology Research Vol. 5 (19); pp 2909-11, state in their conclusion that Adiantum capillus-veneris showed “antibacterial activity against S. (Streptococcus) pyrogenes and S. aureus” and suggested that it could be used instead of penicillin against these bacteria. Streptococcus pyrogenes is the bacteria which is responsible for rheumatic fever.

  Other researchers have mad different claims for the efficacy of this plant and its traditional medicinal uses, but these have not been thoroughly tested in other trials.

MAIDENHAIR FERN TISANE

Ingredients

1 cup of maidenhair fern leaves, snipped finely

2 cups boiling water

a little honey to sweeten

Method

Pour the boiling water over the leaves and leave to steep for 20 minutes. Strain, sweeten with honey and drink a small cupful 3 times a day.

Do not use for prolonged periods of time, only for the short duration of a cough or cold.

Without the addition of honey this can be used externally to relive the pain associated with varicose veins too, and can be rubbed into the scalp to get rid of dandruff.

This has Taste and is a Treat(ment).

ELECAMPANE - FLOWER OF HELEN OF TROY: HISTORY, USES AND HEALTH BENEFITS OF ELECAMPANE

ELECAMPANE, INULA HELENIUM

Elecampane has been used at least since the time of the ancient Greeks in medicinal preparations. It is supposed to have got the name Helenium (of Helen) from the fabled beauty, Helen of Troy the wife of the Greek king Menelaus. One legend says that she was carrying a bunch of elecampane flowers when Paris captured her and took her to Troy. Another says that the flowers sprang from her tears. Yet another legend suggests that she was the first to use elecampane for the bites of “venomous serpents.”  Alternatively the plant grew prolifically on the island of Saint Helena and so got its name from the island.

  Elecampane is native to south-eastern Europe and western Asia and has large leaves which have velvety undersides and can grow to lengths of one and a half feet. The leaves resemble those of mullein, while the flowers look a little like sunflowers, hence one of its names, the wild sunflower. It is also known as horse-heal because it has been used as a cure for some diseases suffered by horses and scabwort, as it has been effective in treating scabies in sheep; because of its velvety leaves it has also been called velvet dock, although the leaves as they grow on the plant do not really look like dock leaves. It has been naturalized in many countries including Britain where it is regarded as an indigenous species as it has been growing there in its wild state for so long. It was also grown in gardens for medicinal purposes in the Middle Ages.

  Ancient writers such as the Roman Pliny called it Enula, and he writes that Julia Augustus ate the roots of elecampane daily “to help digestion and cause mirth.” He went on to write that the root if chewed while fasting would “fasten teeth.” Galen, another ancient physician considered it good for sciatica.

  John Gerard, writing in his 16th century Herball had this to say about Elecampane, and it should be remembered that most of his information came from the ancient Classical writers.

“It is good for shortness of breath, and an old cough, and for such as cannot breath unlesse they hold their necks upright. It is of great vertue both given in a looch, which is a medicine to be licked on, and likewise preserved, as also otherwise given to purge and void out thick, tough, and clammie humors, which stick in the chest and lungs. The root taken with honie or sugar made into an electurary, clenseth the brest, ripeneth tough flegme, and maketh it easie to be spet forth, and prevaileth mightily against the cough and shortness of breath, comforteth the stomacke also, and helpeth digestion.”

  Nicholas Culpeper writing in the 17th century had this to say of it: -

  “One of the most beneficial roots nature affords for the help of the consumptive. It has a fragrant, very agreeable smell; and a spicy, sharp, and somewhat bitterish taste. It is good for all diseases of the breast, and has great virtues in malignant fevers; in strengthening the stomach, and assisting digestion, not like a bitter, but as a warm, invigorating, animating medicine; and it has not its equal in the cure of the hooping-cough in children, when all other medicines fail. The fresh roots of Elecampane preserved with sugar, or made into a syrup or conserve, are very effectual to warm a cold windy stomach, or the pricking therein, and stitches in the sides caused by the spleen; and to help the cough, shortness of breath, and wheezing in the lungs. The dried root made into powder, and mixed with sugar, and taken, serves to the same purpose; and is also profitable for those who have their urine stopped, or the stopping of women's courses, the pains of the mother, and of the stone in the reins, kidneys, or bladder; it resists poison, and stays the spreading of the venom of serpents, as also putrid and pestilential fevers, and the plague itself.” He also called it “Elfwort” or the elf plant.

  Mainly elecampane has been used for coughs and respiratory problems, although the Welsh Physicians of Myddfai recommended it for burns mixed with egg white, the roots of the white Canna lily, and garlic. In Welsh elecampane is called “Marchlan y Llwyglas.” It is still used in herbal cough linctuses often mixed with thyme,liquorice root, mullein and white horehound.

  It has also been used in potions to protect against witches and other evils, one of which calls for nine herbs, namely: - rue, verbena, mugwort, yarrow, wood betony, the lesser celandine, white clover, nettle and elecampane. A European recipe for a love powder consisted of this herb combined with mistletoe, and verbena.

  If using the root of elecampane for its inulin content it is best to harvest it in autumn and take a root from a two or three year old plant. These are said to have the highest yield of inulin which soothes the digestive tract and is useful in treating coughs in the elderly and children and also good for nervous coughs as it is a relaxant. The volatile oil from elecampane contains camphor the sterols sitosterol and stigmasterol, alantol, helenin, and alantoic acid among other constituents. The oil has anti-bacterial and anti-fungal properties.

  Very few studies have been done on elecampane, but as it is a member of the Asteraceae (Compositae) or daisy family, if you are allergic to these plants, don’t use medications containing elecampane.

 

HORSETAIL - ANCIENT HERB: HEALTH BENEFITS AND USES OF HORSETAIL

HORSETAIL, EQUISETUM ARVENSE

This small plant has its origins millions of years ago, as does ginkgo biloba. It is descended from huge tree-like plants that were around in the Paleozoic era, about 400 million years ago. It is a close relative of ferns such as bracken, and is viewed as a non-flowering weed. It is native to parts of Europe including the British Isles, Asia, the Middle East and North America. It has hollow stems and shoots and looks a little like asparagus when it first appears from the soil, but this resemblance doesn’t last as you can see from the photos.

   It grows “bristles” and to me looks like a small Christmas tree - or that’s what I thought when I first found a clump of them growing in my local park when I was a child. My biology teacher was very interested in them and explained that they were plants from prehistoric times and very simple ones. That was where his explanation ended.

  The bristly appearance gives rise to one of its names, bottle brush, and setum means bristle in Latin too. The name Equisetum means horse bristle, (equus means horse in Latin) and arvense means of the fields. The feathery green parts of this plant have a scratching or scouring effect and it was once used to clean metal, hence another name for it, pewterwort. The feathery tails which form as the plant dries are made from silica crystals which give this effect.

  In some places it is believed that the plants indicated that there is a subterranean source of water, so if you see a clump of horsetail you won’t need a hazel twig divining rod.

  The above ground parts of the plant are used in traditional medicine systems, but if you are tempted to take any medicines made from horsetail you need to supplement your intake of B-complex vitamins, as the plant contains thiaminase which can deplete these vitamins in the body. It should be treated with caution as it also contains equisetic acid which is thought to be identical to aconite acid, which is a potent heart and nerve sedative which can be fatal in large doses. It shouldn’t be taken over a prolonged period of time.

  The plant also contains flavonoids such as quercetin and kaempferol as well as saponins along with phenolic compounds which give it its antioxidant properties. Alkaloids are present too one of them being nicotin, making it unwise to give any medication made from this plant to children. The Asian and North American horsetail contain luteolin-5-glycosides although these are not contained in the European plant.

  In Germany the horsetail is used for problems of the lower urinary tract and for gravel in the kidneys, and topically it is used to promote wound healing. The horsetail is taken dried in an infusion, 1 teaspoon of the herb steeped in 250 ml. boiling water for 20 minutes and drunk three times a day. If you take horsetail internally you should increase your intake of fluids.

  To make a compress to place on a wound you need 10 grams of the herb to 1 litre of water.

  Horsetail extracts are used in cosmetics and are said to help prevent or smooth out wrinkles by repairing cell damage and increasing collagen production.

  It is thought that the plant may be a useful treatment for osteoporosis because of its silica content. However few studies have been conducted on this plant. It is possible that it may have anti-cancer properties but this is still under investigation.

  Traditionally horsetail has been used for minor wounds and burns when it has been applied as a compress or poultice, stomach ulcers when the infusion is taken internally and to get rid of kidney stones.

   Writing in the 17^th century, the English herbalist, Culpeper has this to say about horsetail, and perhaps he should be given the last word on this curious plant.

    “It is powerful to staunch bleeding either inward or outward, the juice or the decoction thereof being drunk, or the juice, decoction or distilled water applied outwardly. It also stays all sorts of lasks and fluxes in man or woman and bloody urine; and heals not only the outward ulcers, the excoriation of the entrails, bladder &c., but all other sorts of foul, moist and running ulcers, and soon solders together the tops of green wounds. It cureth all ruptures in children. The decoction thereof in wine being drank provokes urine, and helps the stone and stranguary; and the distilled water thereof drank two or three times a day  and a small quantity at a time also eases the bowels and is effectual against a cough that comes by distillation of the head. The juices or distilled water being warmed, and hot inflammations or pustules or red wheals and other breakings-out in the skin, being bathed therewith, doth help them and doth no less the swelling heat and inflammation of the lower parts in men and women.”

  

HOT HALLOWEEN HALVA - PUMPKIN AND ORANGE

PUMPKIN HALVA

It’s almost Halloween when kids want to hollow out pumpkins to make Jack o’Lanterns, and you have a load of wonderful pumpkin flesh to do something with. This is a traditional Pakistani dessert recipe made with ingredients that are easy to find in the West. It’s an adaptation, but none the worse for that. It’s quick and comparatively easy. Don’t throw away the pumpkin seeds, these are good dried, just wash the pulp off them and dry them on absorbent paper, then roast them with a sprinkling of sea salt for a delicious healthy snack.

PUMPKIN HALVA

Ingredients

1 kilo diced pumpkin flesh

1 inch stick of cinnamon

6 green cardamom pods, seeds removed and ground

75 ml orange juice

75 ml water

4 tbsps butter or oil or pure ghee

150 gr of sugar or less according to taste

50 gr sultanas

Garnish

grated coconut,

slivered almonds, toasted

12 cashew nuts

unsalted pistachio nuts, shelled (optional)

zest of 1 orange, grated

Method

Put the pumpkin, cinnamon stick, cardamom powder, orange juice and water in a pan, cover it and boil until the pumpkin is tender.

Drain and mash the pumpkin.

Heat the butter in a large frying pan and when hot add the pumpkin mixture and the sultanas. Stir constantly, allowing the puree to thicken and get darker, for about 10 minutes.

Stir in the sugar and continue stirring, until the mixture reduces and becomes a rich, glossy amber colour.

Spoon into individual serving dishes and serve hot decorated with the coconut, orange zest and nuts.

This has Taste and is a Treat.

BUTTERFLY PEA - GOOD FOR SOIL AND HEALTH

BUTTERFLY PEA, APARAJITA, CLITORIA TERNATEA

The Butterfly Pea may look like Field Bindweed at first sight, but it is not a member of the borage family but of the Fabaceae or Leguminoseae family and so related to the carob, Indian laburnum (amaltas) and kachnar trees as well as to the green bean, peas, Astralagus and senna. The flowers can be white, mauve and range from light to dark blue, and as you can see from the photographs resemble a female’s external sexual organs, hence the Latin name Clitoria. The name ternatea relates to a place, Ternate in Indonesia, where they must be prolific. It is also called the Blue Clitoris and The Asian Butterfly Pea.

  Studies have been conducted on it as it has many uses in traditional medicines in Asia, Indonesia and the Middle East. It has also been found to be useful in enriching the soil in which it grows, helping it to become richer in minerals, fixing nitrogen and preventing some soil erosion.

  One study by Shekhawat, Neha et al, 2010 “Assessment of Free Radical Scavenging Ability of Crude Extracts of Some Medicinal Plants” Middle-Eastern Journal of Scientific Research Vol. 5 (4) 298-30 investigated plants including Clitoris ternatea and concluded that all the plants in the study had “remarkable antioxidant activities.”

  In Australia the plant is grown for animal fodder and to regenerate land that was once the site of mines. It is also grown as an ornamental, as it is in many other countries including the US.  It originated in Asia but is now naturalized in the Indian subcontinent, South and Central America and China.

  All parts of the plant are used in medicine in different countries, and the flowers or the blue variety are dipped in batter and fried in Burma. They are edible and would make good garnishes for salads, as do nasturtium flowers and lavender. In Thailand a syrupy sherbet drink is made from the blue flowers, and a tea or tisane which is a rich blue colour. You make the tisane by pouring boiling water over the petals and leaving them to infuse for 15 minutes before straining and drinking, flavoured with honey if necessary. In the Malaccan islands the flowers and seeds are used to make a blue dye. The seeds (there are between 8 and 11 per pod) contain tannins.

  In Ayurveda in the Indian subcontinent the whole plant is used to treat a number of illnesses, and the ones with white flowers are used to treat specific illnesses with the blue flowered plants being used to treat others.  The roots and seeds have purgative qualities and are used as a mild laxative. The cliotides found in the plant may have antimicrobial properties against E.coli in particular, and may also be able to kill cancer cells. However as yet there is insufficient evidence to state that these findings are true at the present time.

  For centuries in the subcontinent the plant has been used as a memory enhancer, to lessen stress and anxiety, as an antidepressant, anticonvulsant and as a sedative as it has tranquillizing effects. The whole of the top of the plant is smoked to relieve respiratory diseases such as asthma.

  The flowers and seeds contain oil which is heated and used to massage inflammation from arthritis and rheumatism, and to treat piles. A decoction of the whole plant is also used to wash piles and the leaf juice is given in the form of nasal drops for headaches. The oil is also used to clean wounds and to stop infection.

  Internally the infusion of the whole plant is used for its tranquillizing effects, and the decoction is a diuretic and used as a gargle for sore throats. The infusion or tisane may be administered to cure constipation, indigestion, coughs and colds, and as a blood purifier. The juice from the petals mixed with an equal amount of honey is given for liver and skin problems, while when the juice is mixed with expressed juice from the ginger root, it controls excess sweating and acts as a coolant, but has to be taken morning and night for a week to be really effective. Fresh petals boiled in water and made into sherbets and syrups are said to improve the quality of sperm and to banish fatigue and give the whole body vigour and vitality.

  The powdered root and seeds are used for fevers, so it is a useful plant, not just for the soil in which it grows, but also for our health.

  

VIPER'S BUGLOSS - MOOD ENHANCER: BENEFITS AND USES OF VIPER'S BUGLOSS

VIPER’S BUGLOSS, ECHIUM VULGARE

Viper’s bugloss is closely related to the common bugloss and the alkanets, and to borage as it is a member of the Boraginaceae family of plants. It has similar properties to borage and is used as a mood enhancer in some countries such as Iran. It can grow to heights or between 2 and 3 feet and like wallflowers, often grows on old walls. It is native to Europe including the British Isles. Scandinavia and western Asia. The name bugloss comes from the ancient Greek and means ‘ox’s tongue’ and it is so named, we think, because of the roughness and shape of its leaves. Its stems and leaves sometimes have red spots on their stems and leaves, and although the flowers are normally violet-blue, white ones are possible, but rare. Nicholas Culpeper says that they grew in Sussex in Lewes around a castle but that was in the 17^th century. The roots of the plant go deep into the soil and these are believed to be diuretic and to promote sweating in fevers, so reducing the body temperature. There are seeds, which are said to resemble vipers’ heads, and so they were used to treat bites of serpents, and as the only indigenous British snake is the viper or adder, this is how the plant got its name. The old herbalists believed that a decoction of the seeds, preferably in wine, banished melancholy and lifted the mood.

  This is what John Gerard, writing in his Herball in the 16^th century has to say about the plant:-

  “The physitions use the leaves, floures and rootes and put them into all kindes of medecines indifferently, which are of force and vertue to drive away sorrow and pensiveness of the minde, and to comfort and strengthen the heart.”

  It was Culpeper, writing a century later who mentions this property of the seeds, as well as waxing lyrical about the plant’s other properties.

   “It is a most gallant herb of the Sun; it is a pity it is no more in use than it is. It is an especial remedy against the biting of the Viper, and all other venomous beasts, or serpents; as also against poison, or poisonous herbs. Dioscorides and others say, That whosoever shall take of the herb or root before they be bitten, shall not be hurt by the poison of any serpent. The root or seed is thought to be most effectual to comfort the heart, and expel sadness, or causeless melancholy; it tempers the blood, and allays hot fits of agues. The seed drank in wine, procures abundance of milk in women's breasts. The same also being taken, eases the pains in the loins, back, and kidneys. The distilled water of the herb when it is in flower, or its chief strength, is excellent to be applied either inwardly or outwardly, for all the griefs aforesaid. There is a syrup made hereof very effectual for the comforting the heart, and expelling sadness and melancholy.”

  The leaves from low on the ground near the roots are he ones to be harvested, and can be dried for later use. They can be made into a tisane and this is diuretic and diaphoretic (promoting sweat). It is said that this will relieve a headache, and the pain caused by inflammation as well as soothing the nerves. You use 1 ounce of the dried leaves to 1 pint of boiling water and leave to infuse for 15 to 20 minutes. Strain and drink in small cupfuls when needed. However there are a few reports of the leaves being toxic, and if you collect them, wear gloves just in case of an allergic reaction.

  John Parkinson (1567-1650), apothecary to James I of England and James VI of Scotland, writes,

   “…the water distilled in glasses of the roots or the root itself taken is good against the passions and tremblings of the heart as also against swoonings, sadness and melancholy.”

  One study published in the Iranian Journal of Basic Medicine Vol 10 (3); autumn 2007 pp 189-196. “Evaluation of the Antidepressant Effects of the Aerial Parts of Echium vulgare in Mice,” Seyed Adel Moallem, H.Hosseinzodleh and Fatemah Ghancheh.

concludes that the extracts of the Viper’s Bugloss have “significant antidepressant effects” and end by saying “this herb might be considered a useful drug in the management of depression.”

  Interestingly it has been thought that viper’s bugloss is an aphrodisiac and perhaps it does actually lower inhibitions while enhancing the mood. In Iran it has been used for centuries to stimulate the mood and as an aphrodisiac.

  The leaves and flowering tops are used in infusions and decoctions for coughs and other respiratory problems and are also used to soften the skin and relieve inflammation and redness. In poultices the fresh leaves and flowers are apparently useful for getting rid of boils and hard skin. The tisane can be used on wounds to speed healing and it has been found that the roots contain allantoin which is known to be a wound healer, so a poultice of decoction of the roots may be good for wounds.

  Like borage this cheerful-looking plant has many benefits for our health, both physical and mental.

FIELD BINDWEED - ONE OF THE WORST WEEDS, BUT WITH MEDICINAL BENEFITS

FIELD BINDWEED, CONVOLVULUS ARVENSIS

Field bindweed was a common plant where I grew up in South Wales, but we simply called it “convolvulus.” It has pretty white trumpet-shaped flowers  which are rather like those of Coccinia indica or Khochoper , the ivy gourd, and the orange ones of the Trumpet Vine), but my grandfather told me they were called snake flowers and I wasn’t to pick them because snakes might live in the canopies they created with their twining vines. My daughter was fascinated by these flowers too, but could never remember the name for them. We always thought they were a British native plant, but it seems that they originated in the warmer Mediterranean climes.

  These members of the Convolvulaceae also grow in the Indian subcontinent, and in the Khyber-Pakhtoonkwa province of Pakistan they roots of Field bindweed are used as a rinse after washing hair in order to get rid of dandruff.

  The name convolvulus comes from the Latin “convolvere” meaning to twine and arvensis means of the field or cultivated land. The stems of this plant can grow to around two metres long and they can twine in a total revolution in less than 2 hours, making them a very rapid-growing plant. The roots burrow deep into the soil too, making it a difficult plant to eradicate. In the US it is classed as an invasive species in all states except Alaska, where it is probably too cold for it to proliferate. It was actually introduced in to North America in the early 18^th century as an ornamental and probably for its medicinal properties too. Some theorize that it got to North America as an adulterant in seeds, but whatever the case, the Native Americans soon realized its medicinal potential and used it to reduce excessive menstrual flow and for spider bites. For these problems they used a tisane of the leaves, which are apparently edible and used like spinach in parts of Turkey, where they are also used as a flavouring for some dishes. The flowers are made into a tisane which is used internally as a laxative and for fevers, to promote sweating and so reduce the temperature, and externally to put on wounds. The juice of the root is also used for fevers, and the Arabs used the roots and leaves to stop haemorrhages.

  In Europe there are various superstitions about this plant, one is my grandfather’s that vipers make their nests under it, and in other parts of Britain it is said that if a young woman picks the flowers of the Field bindweed, the object of her affections will die. Another superstition is that if you pick the flowers there will be a thunder storm, and it is called the “thunder flower” for this reason.

  Dioscorides in the 1^st century AD believed that this plant could stop internal bleeding and help in the healing of wounds.

  One study exists: Meng, X. L. et al. December 2002, “Effects of a high molecular mass Convolvulus arvensis on tumour growth and angiosperm” P.R. Health Science Journal, Vol. 21 (4) pp 323-328. However the results are inconclusive as the extracts of the plant did not kill cancer cells in an in vitro culture, but, according to the researchers, “inhibited tumour growth in mice” by approximately 70 %.

  The whole plant produces a green dye, and the stems can be used to tie up other plants, such as tomatoes, but they are not durable.

  This plant was once used for medicine, but these uses seem to have been forgotten as it is now viewed as a menace, especially in field with crops.

WALLFLOWERS - NATIVE OF MED: HISTORY AND USES OF WALLFLOWERS

WALLFLOWERS ERYSIMUM CHEIRI

Wallflowers are native to southern Europe and Greece, and are sometimes called Aegean wallflowers and gillyflowers, although the latter name also refers to pinks which are closely related to carnations and not at all related to wallflowers which are in the Brassicaceae or Cruciferae family. Wallflowers are related to cabbage, kale, brussel sprouts, broccoli, mustard, horseradish and turnips. It usually flowers between April and June when it attracts a lot of insects and bees. As the name suggests it grows well on walls and cliffs and can grow to 2½ feet high.

  The original wallflower was named Cheiranthus cheiri by Linnaeus (cheiros meaning hand and anthos flower in Greek). However it has undergone a botanical name change and is now Erysimum cheiri. It was held in people’s hands during festivals in the ancient world and this may be why it got its original name.

  The wallflower is poisonous in large amounts but has been used as a wound herb for Roman soldiers in battles, and a tincture of the whole plant was once used to dull the pain of cutting wisdom teeth. Formerly it was used as a diuretic, and to bring on a woman’s period if it were late. It has also been used to treat impotence and paralysis, and this might be because it contains cheiranthin which has a stronger action on a weak heart then digitalis which comes from the foxglove (Digitalis purpurea); because of its effects on the heart it is not wise to use wallflowers for any medicinal purpose at home.

Wallflowers wild

  In the past wallflowers have been used to treat rheumatism, spasms, nervous problems and as a purgative, while its distilled oil has been used in perfumes. The oil can smell unpleasant if not distilled.

  In the Middle Ages, these plants were grown in monastery gardens, having been introduced into the British Isles at sometime during the Norman Conquest (after 1066). Their leaves were crushed and applied to wounds to heal them, used as an antiseptic dressing. The seeds apparently have expectorant properties as well as an oil which seems not to have been used very much in medicine in the past.

  Nicholas Culpeper the 17^th century English herbalist says that Galen (c.130-200 AD) believed that the yellow wallflowers had the best medicinal value, and continued by saying that a wallflower: -

  “..cleanses blood and fretteth the liver and reins (kidneys) from obstruction, provokes  women’s courses, expels…the dead child; helps the hardness and pain of the mother, and of spleen also; stays inflammation and …comforts and strengthens any weak part, or out of joint, helps to cleanse the eyes from mistiness and films upon them and to cleanse the filthy ulcers in the mouth or any other part, and is a singular remedy for the gout and all aches and pains in the joints and sinews. A conserve made of the flowers is used for a remedy both for the apoplexy and the palsy.”

  Young women who were not asked to dance at balls in the past were known as wallflowers, perhaps because they stayed close to the walls so as to be less noticeable. The wallflower is a symbol of misfortune in love, perhaps due to this 14^th century Scottish legend made famous in the poetry of the Robert Herrick (1591-1674). The legend has it that Elizabeth, the daughter of the Earl of March promised to marry a man from a clan which were enemies of hers. She was confined to a castle but the young man entered dressed as a wandering minstrel or troubadour. They organized an escape plan and she was to climb out of a castle window using a rope made of silk. This is a part of the poem: -

   “Up she got upon a wall

     Attempted down to slide withal;

     But the silken twist untied,

     She fell, and bruised, she died.

     Love in pity to the deed

     And her loving, luckless speed,

     Twined her to this plant we call

     Now the Flower of the Wall.”

  I have always liked wallflowers, especially the brown-orange ones which grew in my grandmothers’ gardens. My paternal grandmother probably used them in some medicinal concoction or made the flowers into a conserve. However I only remember playing in them and loving their fragrance.