FINGERROOT OR CHINESE GINGER - USED FOR MEDICINAL AND CULINARY PURPOSES: HEALTH BENEFITS AND USES OF FINGERROOT

FINGERROOT, KRA CHAI, BOESENBERGIA ROTUNDA

Fingerroot is used in China only for its medicinal properties, whereas in Thailand it is cultivated for culinary and medicinal purposes. It is a member of the Zingiberaceae family so is related to ginger, zedoary (kachur) or white turmeric (Curcuma zedoaria), turmeric, and kulanjan (Alpinia galangal). It is also known as Chinese ginger, or Chinese keys, as the rhizome resembles keys on a key ring, with a globe at the top of the key-like roots or fingers which extrude from it.

  It is also known as Curcuma rotunda, Gastrochilus rotundus and Boesenbergia pandurata. It has a spicy flavour and is eaten in Thailand as a vegetable and used as a spice. The plant can grow to 60 centimetres high and is located in its wild state in dense forests. However it is cultivated throughout south-east Asia and has naturalized in many countries. The leaves are edible as is the root and rhizome, and medicinally it has been employed for many purposes in traditional medicine systems in India, Malaysia, Indonesia and other countries. Its leaves are used with those of the teak tree (Tectona grandis) to wrap tempeh in. (Tempeh is the traditional fermented soya bean cake which is eaten in Indonesia.)

  In the West this plant is grown as an ornamental as it has attractive pink flowers and is aromatic. The finger-like roots are bright yellow and their aroma comes from the camphor, methyl cinnamate, d-borneol and 1-8 cineol mainly although there are also other aromatic substances in them.

  The crushed roots and rhizomes are applied to painful parts of the body to ease rheumatic pains, and they are used internally to dispel flatulence, improve the appetite and digestion, as a remedy for dry mouths, coughs and ulcers. After giving birth a post-partum tonic is prepared from them and a paste may also be made from the roots and applied externally to the body after childbirth. The paste is also applied to piles and a lotion made from them is used for rheumatism, and muscle pains. They are also used for diarrhoea and dysentery.

  In Thailand they are used to increase male libido and are touted as being able to increase sperm and improve its quality. Tests carried out in vivo on male rats did not bear out these uses, but the rats’ testicles did increase in weight and size.

  Scientific evidence suggests that the roots may have anticancer properties, and research is still underway on these properties. They are also believed to have analgesic (mild pain relieving) properties, as well as antibacterial, antifungal, antipyretic, anti-inflammatory, antispasmodic and insecticidal properties.

  There have been investigations which suggest that the flavonoids in the roots can prevent an occurrence of dengue fever (Biorganic and Medicinal Chemistry Letters Vol. 16 (12) June 2006 pp.3337-40).

  Its anti-ulcerogenic properties have also been tested and found to be supported (“The methanolic extract of Boesenbergia rotunda (L) Mansf. and its major compound pinostrobin induces anti-ulcerogenic property in vivo: Possible involvement of indirect antioxidant action”, Siddiq I. Abdelwahab et al. Journal of Ethnopharmacology, July 2011).

  Its anti-cancer properties were documented in a study by Chandra Kirana et al in the Journal of Natural Medicine Vol. 61 (2007) pp. 131-137 “Anticancer properties of panduratin A isolated from Boesenbergia pandurata (Zingiberaceae)” which concluded with the statement that this “may have a protective effect against colon cancer” but it needed further investigation for this claim and to ascertain if it was effective against other types of cancer cells particularly those of breast cancer.

  In 2011 Shiau-Chuen Cheah et al showed that the tests were valid in an article “Panduratin A Inhibits the Growth of A 549 Cells through Induction of Apoptosis and Inhibition of NF-KappaB Translocation” published in Molecules, 2011 Vol.16 pp.2583-2598.

  Research is still continuing into this Chinese medicinal herb.

WHITE DEAD NETTLES- ONE OF THE OLD ARCHANGELS: HISTORY, USES AND HEALTH BENEFITS OF WHITE DEAD NETTLES

WHITE DEAD NETTLES, LAMIUM ALBUM 

White dead nettles are so-called because although they resemble the stinging nettle very closely, they don’t sting. They are not true nettles in the Uriotica genus, but a separate genus in the Lamiaceae or Labiatae family. This makes them relatives of mint, clown's woundwort, marjoram, basil, Holy basil, oregano, savory, thyme, lavender, lemon balm, as well as bugle, motherwort, self-heal, catnip, the chaste tree, ground ivy, Jupiter’s sage, wall germander, Fragrant premna and hyssop. In Nicholas Culpeper’s time (17^th century) they were classes as one of the Archangels along with the purple and the yellow deadnettle.

   This white dead nettle is also called the Bee Nettle because bees love it. Their stems are hollow and square, unlike those of the stinging nettle, and were called Archangels because they thought they flowered on Archangel Michael’s day which was May 8^th in the Julian calendar but would be April 28^th now. “Laimos” is an ancient Greek word meaning throat, which refers to the shape of the flowers – take a close look at the pictures to see the resemblance. The plant has astringent properties and edible leaves and flowers. The leaves can be eaten raw in salads or cooked like spinach. They can also be used to flavour soups and stews. You can make a tisane with the flowering tops which is said to be an excellent tonic (containing vitamin A) and which acts as a blood purifier and to help with menstrual problems.

  The leaves and flowers are used in a hot compress for piles and varicose veins, while the distilled water of the flowers has been used traditionally as an eye lotion. The flowering tops have been used for bladder and kidney problems too. The herb is best harvested in summer when it is flowering and it does so between May to December, although may come into bloom earlier, depending on where you live.

  It has been used to induce sleep, and the flowers boiled in water were used for bronchial problems while the roots, boiled in wine were used to disperse kidney stones. They are currently used for benign prostate hyperplasia (BPH) and leucorrhoea as well as for gastro-intestinal problems.

  The English herbalist, Nicholas Culpeper, has this to say of the Archangels:

“Virtues and use. The archangels are somewhat hot and drier than the stinging nettles, and used with better success for the stopping and hardness of the spleen than they, by using the decoction of the herb in wine, and afterwards applying the herb hot into the region of the spleen as a plaister, or the decoction with spunges. Flowers of the white archangel are preserved or conserved to be used to stay the whites, and the flowers of the red to stay the reds in women. It makes the head merry, drives away melancholy, quickens the spirits, is good against quartan agues, stancheth bleeding at mouth and nose, if it be stamped and applied to the nape of the neck; the herb also bruised, and with some salt and vinegar, and hog-grease, laid upon an hard tumour or swelling, or that vulgarly called the king's evil, do help to dissolve or discuss them; and being in like manner applied, doth much allay the pains, and give ease to the gout, sciatica, and other pains of the joints and sinews. It is also very effectual to heal green wounds, and old ulcers; also to stay their fretting, gnawing and spreading. It draweth forth splinters, and such like things gotten into the flesh, and is very good against bruises and burnings. But the yellow archangel is most commended for old, filthy, corrupt sores and ulcers, yea, although they grow to be hollow, and to dissolve tumours.”

  It has been found that the aqueous extract of the flowering tops and the lamiridosins of the white dead nettle is effective against the Hepatitis C virus, and there are ongoing studies into its possible other medicinal benefits.

STAR GRASS OR TRUE UNICORN ROOT: HEALTH BENEFITS AND USES OF STAR GRASS

TRUE UNICORN ROOT, STAR GRASS, ALETRIS FARINOSA 

Star grass is a member of the Liliaceae family which includes the Tiger lily and the tulip. It should not be confused with the false unicorn root which is Helorias luteum or Chaemaelinum luteum which has different properties to this, Aletris farinosa. This is a native of North America and gets its name Aletris from the name of a slave girl in ancient Greece who was a grinder of corn, and farinosa means flour or meal, which is said to relate to the flower’s mealy appearance after it has passed maturity.

  Jacob Bigelow writing in 1820 in his American Medical Botany said of Star Grass, “I know of no plant which surpasses the Aletris farinosa in genuine, intense and permanent bitterness.” However he goes on to say that “in a collection of American medicinal vegetables it should not pass unnoticed.”

  It has potential oestrogenic properties and this supports its principle uses in traditional medicine systems both in North America and across the Atlantic. It has been used for female problems, for prolapsed uterus and other problems and was given to prevent miscarriages for women who had a history of them so that it could strengthen the womb before conception. It was also used for menstrual problems and so should not be used by pregnant women.

  The Native Americans in the Carolinas used the root in a tisane for diarrhoea and in Appalachia an infusion was used as a tonic, for general weakness, for rheumatism and a sedative.

  It is known by several other names such as Ague root, Aloeroot (referring no doubt to its bitterness), Starwort and a variety of other names. The white bell-shaped flowers bloom between May and August and the stem on which they grow can reach heights of a metre or so. The fresh root if used can have unpleasant side effects such as nausea and vomiting, and is thought to be narcotic in large doses, but these properties appear not to be prevalent when the root is dried.

  The plant is now rare in its native habitat and is protected so you shouldn’t attempt to dig it up. Interestingly, despite its taste, which has been described as soapy and very bitter, it has been cooked and eaten as a vegetable in the past.

  The root contains diosgenin which has anti-inflammatory, oestrogenic properties which may account for its use for the treatment of rheumatism when it is dried. An infusion of the leaves has been used for colic and upset stomachs as well as for dysentery, but there are other remedies for these, so there is no need to take chances with this bitter plant.

TROPICAL FIG TREE, FICUS SEPTICA: HEALTH BENEFITS AND USES OF AWAR-AWAR OR HAULI

FIG TREE, AWAR-AWAR, HAULI, FICUS SEPTICA  

This fig tree grows in the tropics, from Northern India and Pakistan through south and southeast Asia to Queensland, Australia. It is an evergreen inhabitant of rainforests, and called awar-awar in Indonesia and Hauli in the Philippines. Like other fig trees it bears figs, but does not have drooping leaves like Ficus religiosa, the sacred fig or peepal, or leaves like the larger one of the European fig, (Ficus carica), but is more like the Punjab fig, Ficus palmata, and is also related to the banyan tree, Ficus bengalhensis and others. It is one of the Moraceae family of plants so is also related to the mulberry, and shahtoot mulberry, as well as to the Jackfruit.                                                

  It is a small tree or a shrub which can grow to heights of 25 metres. White or yellowy dots appear on the skin of the figs when they are ripe. The latex from the tree is usually yellow and this is used in traditional medicine in the Philippines for some herpes viruses.

  A decoction is made from the roots of this fig tree which is used as a diuretic, while the roots are boiled or heated and used as a poultice for boils and other skin eruptions. The fresh leaves are used to promote sweating during fevers, and are also used to get rid of headaches. They are also laid on places where rheumatic pains are.

  Medical research has found that the stem bark is active against tumour cells and leaf extracts have antimicrobial and cytotoxicity actions. This evidence is published in the Journal of Medicinal Plants Research, Vol.4, January 2010, “Antimicrobial activity, cytotoxicity and phytochemical screening of Ficus septica Burm. and Sterculia foetida L. leaf extracts” Pierangeli G. Vital et al. which concludes that extracts from the leaves have “potential to be developed as an anticancer agent in breast cancer.”

  In another report, “Ethanolic extract fractions of Indonesian plant Ficus septica Burm. F. on human breast cancer T47D cell lines” Agung Endro Nugroho et al. International Journal of Phytomedicine Vol3 2011 pp216-226 in which cytotoxicity is reported in alkaloids from the roots.

  More research is clearly needed to discover exactly how the extracts from this particular fig tree can help in our fight against cancer.

ELEPHANT'S FOOT YAM - A DELICACY: HEALTH BENEFITS AND USES OF THE ELEPHANT'S FOOT YAM

ELEPHANT’S FOOT YAM, AMORPHOPHALLUS PAEONIIFOLIUS 

This amazing plant is native to the tropics, from the island of Madagascar through Asia to Polynesia. It is a member of the Araceae family of plants, making it a relative of the arum or Calla lily, the cuckoo pint and sweet flag. Another name for it is the corpse flower which is the name of a similar plant, Rafflesia arnoldii, another plant which smells as this one does of rotting flesh. The flower, when it opens generates heat and the smell of rotting flesh which lasts for a few hours, to attract the carrion-eating flies which pollinate it. The flower itself stays in bloom for only five days.

  It resembles a small tree while it is growing, with numerous leaves which can stretch to over a metre wide. It doesn’t flower every year, but the corm is valued most of all parts of the plant, and this can weigh several kilos.

  The tuber of the Elephant Yam or the Stink Lily as this is also called, is edible, if thoroughly cooked, although the wild variety is poisonous and should be left alone. The cultivars are regarded as a delicacy in the Philippines and other countries, and they are also much prized in medicine. This plant also has a synonym, Amorphophallus campanulata, with the genus name coming from the Greek, amorphos meaning without form and phallus.

  It is used in medicine in Papua New Guinea where it grows in dry lands, such as savannahs, at the margins of forests and swamp forests near the coast. The sap from the stem is fermented and used to treat diarrhoea and dysentery and the inside of the stem is cut and eaten raw as an antidote for snakebites.

  In the Indian subcontinent it is used in traditional medicine systems, and in Ayurveda it is used for numerous illnesses ranging from minor ailments such as coughs through to improving the quality of sperm and for liver and spleen disorders. As a vegetable the tuber is used to treat piles and haemorrhages.

  The tuber has been the subject of various scientific tests and its extracts have been reported to have antibacterial, anti-mycobacterial, antiviral, anti-inflammatory, analgesic (mild pain-killing) and blood pressure lowering effects. Other studies have found that it reduces muscle spasms, and that it has similar effects to diazepam on the central nervous system.

  These studies support the use of the plant in traditional systems of medicine.

OXLIP - NOW RARE: HISTORY, USES AND HEALTH BENEFITS OF OXLIP

OXLIP, (TRUE OXLIP), PRIMULA ELATIOR 

For centuries people have been commenting on the oxlip’s similarity to cowslips (Primula veris) and they have been described as cowslip stems with primrose flowers. They are members of the Primulaceae family of plants and so are related to moneywort or creeping Jenny and the scarlet pimpernel (Anagallis arvensis), all of which are native to Europe, including the British Isles. However oxlips are now mainly found in eastern counties, and are rare further south than Hertfordshire.

  Oxlips are used in the same ways as cowslips in traditional herbal medicine, and in 2008, 23^rd September the European Medicines Agency published an assessment report on the tow and concluded that preparations containing the flowers could be regarded as safe as they have been used for more than thirty years without reports of deaths or adverse side effects other than allergies. They have been used for coughs and catarrh and bronchitis as well as for their diuretic properties and so were useful for gout and rheumatism. They have also been used for headaches and migraines and in fevers to promote sweat.

  The root extracts containing saponins have been found to have antibacterial and fungicidal effects too.

  The young leaves may be eaten raw or cooked as a vegetable, like spinach, or added to soups and stews. They have a mild flavour and can be found in woodlands in late winter and early spring.

    Oxlips can mainly be found in ancient woodlands which have oak, ash, field maple and hazel as dominant tree species. Oxlips have a preference for shady places and are sometimes confused with the false oxlip (Primula x polyantha), but these have shorter stems and a deeper yellow or golden flower.

  Nicholas Culpeper the English herbalist writing in the 17^th century had this to say about the oxlip, which he thought might have been a hybrid species: -

“Government and virtues. It is a plant of Venus, and is good against disorders of the nerves. The root has the principal virtue; the country people boil this in ale, and give it for giddinesses of the head, with success. The juice of the plant, mixed with veinegar, is also used to snuff up the nose against head-achs. It is less violent than the juice of the primrose root, and answers the same purpose very well.”

  It would seem that this plant is safe to use, but cannot be taken from the wild because of its protected status. In former times, it was harvested in April and May when in flower and dried for later use. It is common to find oxlip and primrose in preparations with other herbs these days.

DEVIL TREE - TRADITIONAL USES AND POSSIBLE SOURCE OF MEDICAL TREATMENTS: HEALTH BENEFITS OF THE DEVIL TREE

DEVIL TREE, ALSTONIA MACROPHYLLA 

There are several trees in the Alstonia genus, all in the Apocynaceae family, which means that they are related to the oleander and bitter oleander, among others. They grow across the tropics but originated in south-east Asia, being indigenous to Thailand, the Nicobar Islands and the Moluccas, Malaysia, parts of Indonesia and Viet Nam. They were introduced into Sri Lanka and have become naturalized there and are one of the most prominent trees in the secondary rainforests. They are becoming invasive in the Seychelles where they were introduced, and have become naturalized in Hawaii.

  Alstonia macrophylla has long leaves which grow in threes, and it is the length which gives it the name macrophylla (big leaves in Greek). These can be up to 30 centimetres long and 7 centimetres wide. It is an evergreen tree which grows to medium height, and can be found in the tropics.

  In the Indian subcontinent the bark is ground to a powder and mixed with water to form a paste which is applied to the skin to treat various skin diseases. In the Philippines it is used in traditional medicine as a remedy for a number of ailments. The main parts used are the leaves and bark, and the tree sap which is a latex which is also used for skin problems, particularly for sores and ulcers.  The bark is used powdered, in decoctions, infusions and tinctures boiled in decoctions with water or wine. It is used for fevers, as a general tonic for general debility, to promote lactation in breast-feeding mothers, and in cases of cholera. It is also used to heal wounds.

  The leaves can be greased with coconut oil and then heated and applied as a hot poultice to sprains, bruises and dislocated joints, much in the way mallow is used in western countries.

  The leaves contain tannin, triterpenoid, flavonoid, sterol, alkaloid and reducing sugars, and a few tests have been carried out on the different parts of this tree which suggest that the indole alkaloids have some cytotoxic effect on human lung cancer cell lines. (“Cytotoxic activity of indole alkaloids from Alstonia macrophylla “ Keawpradub, N. et al)

  It may also have some effect as a vaginal contraceptive according to another study, “Sperm mobility inhibiting activity of phytosterols from Alstonia macrophylla Wall. ex A. DC leaf extract: A tribal medicine” Indian Journal of Experimental Biology 2005 Vol. 43 (11) pp 1104-9.

  Few studies have been carried out on this tree but it would seem that some of the traditional uses have been proven as studies have shown that it has antimicrobial and bacterial properties against some of the herpes viruses, and that it has some anti-inflammatory properties (the leaves are used for rheumatic pains in some traditional medicine systems) and can be of use in fevers.

CREEPING JENNY OR MONEYWORT - A WOUND HEALER: HISTORY, USES AND HEALTH BENEFITS OF CREEPING JENNY

CREEPING JENNY OR MONEYWORT, LYSIMACHIA NUMMULARIA

As the name Creeping Jenny suggests, this plant provides good ground cover as it trails its way for up to 2 feet along the ground, and its leaves resemble coins, said to look like an old British penny, hence the name moneywort or money plant, and the Latin name nummularia. The genus name Lysimarchia may come from the name of the ancient Greek king, Lysimarchus, or else, lysis, in Greek means release from, and machia means fight, battle or strife.  The plant is a member of the Primulaceae family and so is related to the cowslip, common or English primrose, oxlip, cyclamens and the scarlet pimpernel.

  The plant is native to Europe and can be found in Sweden, Britain, and northern Greece through to the Caucasus. It likes to grow in wet places and I used to find it in watery ditches and hedgerows, but it also likes ponds and boggy ground and some people plant it in their ponds, although the garden varieties have golden rather than green leaves.

  It used to be renowned as a wound healer, and if you place its bruised leaves on a fresh wound it will help staunch the blood and heal it more quickly. It can also be used on older wounds, and is most effective if you make an infusion from the leaves and flowers, then use this as a wash. In Mediaeval times a decoction was made with the leaves and flowers boiled in wine or water for washing wounds and sores.

  In the Chinese medical system, it is used internally to remove stones from the internal organs. John Gerard, writing in the 16^th century says that it was used for children’s “chinnie” coughs when boiled in wine and laced with honey. This was the term for what is now called whooping cough. It is easy to see how the corruption of chinnie became Jenny or even in some parts of Britain, Charlie, as another local name for this plant is Creeping Charlie.

  It was also believed that if snakes injured themselves, they would seek out moneywort to heal themselves. This gave rise to another name for the plant “Serpentaria.”

  Apart from its use as a wound healer it was also used as a diuretic so was useful in cases of gout, and because of its vitamin C content it was used to combat scurvy, which was quite common in the Middle Ages. An infusion of the whole herb was used to stop internal bleeding and because it is mildly astringent, to stop diarrhoea.

  Nicholas Culpeper writing in his herbal of the 17^th century had this to say about moneywort and how it could be used for health.

  “Government and virtues. Venus owns it. Moneywort is singularly good to stay all fluxes in man or woman, whether they be lasks, bloody-fluxes, bleeding inwardly or outwardly, or the weakness of the stomach that is given to casting. It is very good also for the ulcers or excoriations of the lungs, or other inward parts. It is exceedingly good for all wounds, either fresh or green, to heal them speedily, and for all old ulcers that are of spreading natures. For all which purposes the juice of the herb, or the powder drank in water wherein hot steel hath been often quenched; or the decoction of the green herb in wine or water drank, or used to the outward place, to wash or bathe them, or to have tents dipped therein and put into them, are effectual.”

  The herb, if it is to be dried for later use, is apparently best gathered in early July when it is still in flower.

FRAGRANT MANJACK - POTENTIAL ANTI-AGEING USES: HISTORY OF USES AND HEALTH BENEFITS OF THE FRAGRANT MANJACK TREE

FRAGRANT MANJACK, INDIAN CHERRY, CORDIA DICHOTOMA 

The fragrant manjack is also known as the Bird Lime tree, the Indian cherry, the clammy cherry and the soap berry tree although it should not be confused with reetha the soap nut tree. It is a member of the borage or Boraginaceae family, and as such is related to viper’s bugloss and the alkanets as well as to borage.

  It is native to tropical and sub-tropical parts of the world which include India, Pakistan, Nepal, Myanmar and Nepal, China and the island of Formosa, Australia, the Philippines and Polynesia.

  The tree has yellowy-white or white flowers and these are followed by yellow-white or yellow-pink fruit which has only a little pulp and a hard seed-containing kernel.(This is called Lasora in Pakistan.) It is cultivated for its fruit in areas where it is native, and the unripe fruit is pickled and used for animal food, as are the leaves. The seeds and kernel contain fatty oils and proteins so have potential use as cattle fodder. The wood from the tree is used for agricultural implements and for firewood.

  Cordia dichotoma was named in honour of the 16^th century German botanist, Valerius Cordus and it has its other appellation dichotoma because its divisions are always in pairs.

  The fresh fruit is used in traditional medicine for its laxative properties, and for chest complaints, while dried it is an expectorant and clears nasal and bronchial congestion. The kernels when mixed with oil are applied on affected areas to get rid of ringworm.

  When the fresh bark is moistened in a little water it is applied to boils and tumours and also the bark is used internally for headaches and stomach aches. A decoction of the bark is said to aid digestion and clear up digestive problems. It contains tannin so is also used for diarrhoea and dysentery and during fevers. The powdered bark is put on mouth ulcers and an infusion made with it is used as a gargle for sore throats. The sap from the bark is mixed with coconut milk for colic, while the fresh fruit is also used for gonorrhoea.

  The seeds have anti-inflammatory properties and both these and the seed kernel are also used in traditional medicine. The tree is used as an immuno-modulator, for diabetes, to protect and heal the liver and as a diuretic. In Ayurveda the leaves and stem bark are used to treat dyspepsia, fever, diarrhoea and leprosy. The leaves are used for hepatitis and for asthma in children.

  In Myanmar the leaves are used for cigar wrappings and in other parts of the world the leaves are used as food wrappers and steamed.

  It has been found that the leaves and seeds have antioxidant properties with the leaves being more powerful than the seeds in this regard. Reena Singh et al. International Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences Review and Research Vol. 2 (1) article 006, May-June 2010, “Role of Cordia dichotoma seeds and leaves extract in degenerative disorders” conclude; -

  “…it is suggested that Cordia dichotoma could be a potential source of natural antioxidants that could have great importance as a therapeutic agent in preventing or slowing down the progress of ageing and age associated oxidative stress related degenerative disorder.”

  However they point out that more research is needed.

  In another study published in August 2011, Ganjara, A.B. et al. Pharmaceutical Biology Vol 49 (8) pp 850-855, “Use of Cordia dichotoma bark in the treatment of ulcerative colitis” state that their study supports the traditional usage of Cordia dichotoma for ulcerative colitis.

  More studies could also prove some of the traditional uses of Fragrant Manjack to have a scientific basis.

GROUND ELDER "DESPISED, UNLOVELY WEED": - HEALTH BENEFITS AND USES OF GROUND ELDER

GROUND ELDER, (BISHOP’S) GOUTWEED, AEGOPODIUM PODAGRARIA

Ground elder is the modern name for goutweed or Herb Gerard and as its name suggests it was a specific remedy for gout and sciatica, used as such at least since the Middle Ages in Europe. It gets the name ground elder from the resemblance of the flowers to those of the elder tree (Sambucus nigra). It was used as a green vegetable in earlier times, and was used by monks and bishops to counteract the rich food they so often ate.

  It is a member of the Umbelliferaceae or Apiaceae family which includes fennel, dill, sweet Cicely, cow parsley, lovage, carrots, caraway, anise, lesser and greater burnet saxifrage, water fennel or water dropwort, Alexanders and Thapsia. It can grow to heights of two feet and takes over ground very quickly.

  Its genus name comes from the Greek aigos meaning goat and podi meaning foot, perhaps because some thought the leaf looked like a goat’s foot; podagra was Latin for gout.

  It was described by Tabernaemontanus a European herbalist in 1687 as a “despised, unlovely weed” and the English herbalist, John Gerard has this to say about it under the name Herb Gerard (it was named after St. Gerard to whom gout sufferers prayed for deliverance from the ailment):-

“Herbe Gerard groweth of itself in gardens without setting or sowing and is so fruitful in its increase that when it hath once taken roote, it will hardly be gotten out againe, spoiling and getting every yeare more ground, to the annoying of better herbe.”

  However he also sees its virtues and points out:-

“with his roots stamped and laid upon members that are troubled or vexed with gout, swageth the paine, and taketh away the swelling and inflammation thereof, which occasioned the Germans to give it the name of Podagraria, because of his virtues in curing the gout.”

  My father absolutely detested this weed and waged war on it every spring, but even if a tiny part of the rhizome (creeping root) is left in the soil it can regenerate, causing it to be the bane of many gardeners. He didn’t have gout and wasn’t fond of green vegetables, and certainly wouldn’t have considered eating this plant. However the young leaves can be added to a spring salad or cooked and served as a vegetable, as spinach is. You should avoid eating it after it flowers (May-June in Britain) however, as it has a strange taste then and also has a laxative effect.

  The roots and leaves can be boiled together and then placed on parts that have sciatic and rheumatic pains and the poultice, changed every so often, as the leaves cool is said to be very effective. The roots and leaves are taken internally as a diuretic and are also used for their sedative effect.

  Writing in the 17^th century, the English herbalist Nicholas Culpeper had this to say of goutwort: -

  “Government and virtues. Saturn rules it. Neither is it to be supposed Gout-wort hath its name for nothing but upon experiment to heal the gout and sciatica; as also joint-aches, and other cold griefs. The very bearing of it about one eases the pains of the gout, and defends him that bears it from the disease.”

  Modern clinical trials have shown that this weed has antibacterial properties, so even “unlovely” weeds have their medicinal purposes.