SEA HOLLY, ERYNGOES, A MEDIAEVAL APHRODISIAC, HEALTH BENEFITS AND USES OF ERYNGIUM MARITIMUM

SEA HOLLY, ERYNGIUM MARITIMUM

Sea Holly reminds me of teazle, although the two are not related. As its name suggests in the wild Sea Holly grows along the coast of much of Europe, including Scandinavia, and can also be found along the Black Sea. Its name eryngium comes from the Greek meaning to cure flatulence, and maritimum means of the sea. There could be another reason for the plant to be called eryngium, though, as eeringos is also Greek for the beard of the Billy-goat and Plutarch has this strange tale about a goat which tried to eat Sea Holly. He wrote that if a female goat had sea holly in its mouth “it causes her first to stand still, and afterwards the whole flock, until such time as the shepherd takes it from her.”

  It is said to have aphrodisiac qualities, and a legend has it that the ancient Greek poetess, Sappho, wore it to attract the love of a particularly handsome Greek boatman, Phaon. It is mentioned by Falstaff for these qualities in “The Merry Wives of Windsor”, in Act V, scene v: -

      “Let the sky rain potatoes,

       let it thunder to the tune of Greensleeves

       hail kissing-comfits and snow eryngoes

       let there come a tempest of provocation…”

Sea Holly roots were used as sweets to sweeten the breath in Shakespeare’s day, hence the name “kissing-comfits”; Sea Holly was then known as eryngo. It has been used in the same way as angelica, candied, although it tastes like sweet carrots when eaten like this.

  This plant is a member of the Apiceae or Umbelliferae family and is closely related to rock samphire, sharing its coastal habitat. It is in the same family as the carrot, of which its root tastes a little, parsnip, fennel and lovage. The young plant’s shoots can be eaten, boiled like asparagus, and when the roots are baked or roasted, they taste like chestnuts or parsnips.

  I used to admire these plants when I was on the beaches of the Gower Coast, South Wales, and loved the frosted appearance of the leaves. This is due, I now realize, to a waxy covering which seals in moisture and protects the plants from the ravages of the sea “breezes” which are often gale force winds. They can still be found in the sand dunes along the Gower, although in some parts of the British Isles, such as the Somerset coast, they are extinct. There is some good news for them though, as they can be cultivated in gardens, and as they make a pretty ornamental they are currently in vogue.

  At first sight they look like a thistle, although nothing like a cardoon or a globe artichoke, being more reminiscent of a milk thistle. I have always thought they were fairy plants, probably because of their blue flowers and the frosting – I thought that fairies especially loved blue flowers such as bluebells.

  These plants grow to around a foot high and their roots have been used over the centuries as a diuretic, and to prevent the formation of kidney stones. They are also useful for cystitis and bladder infections and may help with enlarged prostate glands. The 17^th century herbalist Nicholas Culpeper recommended that the distilled water made from the whole young plant should be taken for “the melancholy of the heart” and for fevers. It can promote sweating and so reduce temperatures. He also says that it is good for stiff necks.

  Earlier in the 16^th century John Gerard thought that it was good for liver diseases, stomach cramps and epilepsy, while in the 1^st century AD Dioscorides used it to relieve flatulence and indigestion.

  In medical trials it has been found to have some antioxidant properties, although not as many as rock samphire, and to have anti-bacterial ones. An extract of the rhizome showed anti-inflammatory properties when used on rats.

  In folk medicine it has been used as an antiscorbutic and its purgative properties, as well as for the other cures mentioned above. Studies are still being carried out on this plant. 

SWEET FLAG ( ACORUS CALAMUS) - USED FOR FOOD AND MEDICINE

SWEET FLAG, BACH IN URDU, ACORUS CALAMUS

The Sweet Flag under discussion here is the one native to the Indian subcontinent. It is different to the Sweet Flag grown in North America, which is Acorus americanus. The two plants are in the same genus so are closely related, but have different properties and constituents. Sweet Flag is in the Araceae or lily family so is related to taro (Colocasia esculenta), the Arum or Calla lily and the Cuckoo pint.

  The Sweet Flag which grows in the Indian subcontinent has been an important medicinal plant since early times, and is also a source of food, particularly in Bangladesh, where it is cultivated as well as growing wild. The volatile essential oil extracted from he rhizome of this plant is used in the perfume industry and the root and other parts of this plant are also employed in traditional medicine.

  This plant grows in marshy ground or on the banks of ponds, lakes and in water. Its leaves have been found to have anti-fungal properties and it has been used in Ayurvedic medicine for numerous ailments including bronchitis, for heart, lung, liver, kidney and gall bladder complaints. The roots are used as a remedy for diarrhoea and dysentery, to get rid of intestinal worms and as an anti-spasmodic for epilepsy and stomach cramps and catarrh. The flowers, or inflorescences as they are correctly called, are used for eczema, kidney and liver disorders and rheumatism.

  There are many other uses for the Sweet Flag in traditional systems of medicine, including to start menstruation, if a period is late, and it is said that it can relieve flatulence and aid digestion, as well as help in cases of fever by reducing the temperature by promoting sweating. The root is chewed to relieve toothache, and a potion is made with the plant to aid digestion and to ease anxiety as it is reputed to have sedative actions. It is also reputed to have aphrodisiac qualities.

  Sweet Flag also has other uses and is sometimes burnt as incense; the leaves can be woven to make mats and baskets, for thatch and were used as a strewing herb for floors. They smell a little like cinnamon as do the roots. The essential oil from the leaves is used in perfumery and can be used to flavour vinegar and other food. The leaves are also used as insecticide and insect repellants.

   The β-asarone found in the plant may be carcinogenic and toxic, but in small amounts has tranquillizing and antibiotic actions.

   The rhizome is starchy, but can be used like taro and is also candied and often washed, peeled and eaten uncooked. It is rich in starch like other edible roots such as the yam and taro. The powdered rhizome can be used as a substitute for cinnamon, ginger or nutmeg. Children eat the flowers for their sweetness. Sometimes the leaves are used like vanilla pods are for flavouring custards and milk puddings.

   

SLIPPERY ELM - NATIVE NORTH AMERICAN TREE, NATURALLY SOOTHING: HEALTH BENEFITS AND USES OF SLIPPERY ELM

SLIPPERY ELM, ULMA RUBRUS

Slippery Elm is so-called because of the sticky red mucilage which is found in its inner bark of the trunk and larger branches that smells a little like fenugreek. It is said that the most effective is that which comes from a ten-year old tree or an older one. The Slippery Elm is native to North America and was much-used by Native Americans. It is sometimes confused with the American Elm tree.

  Slippery elm is among the ingredients of a folk remedy for cancer, a medicine called “essiac” which contains other herbs among them burdock and red clover. Slippery elm mucilage contains oleic and palmitic fatty acids, and although research has not been carried out specifically on the ones from the Slippery Elm, fatty acids and monoglycosides have been shown in some studies to inhibit the growth of cancerous tumour cells. Research on the activities of Slippery Elm is in its early stages.

   The sticky substance used in medicine contains the vitamins, E, K and P (P are bioflavonoids) as well as the minerals zinc, copper, iron, calcium, selenium, sodium and iodine (found in laver bread).It also contains some tannins, traces of the phytosterols, beta-sisterol and campesterol along with traces of beta-carotene.

  Native Americans used the bark and mucilage in poultices for gout, rheumatism, and swollen glands and also to stop the spread of gangrene. On a more mundane level it was and is used for sore throats as it soothes the mucous membranes of the lungs, stomach, intestines and anything it touches. Of course, if you live in a country other that one in North America, you may want other remedies for a sore throat, so try blackcurrant juice with lemon juice, honey and a little ginger root. Alternatively if you live on the Indian subcontinent a decoction of hareer works as does a concoction made from the Yellow Himalayan raspberry and if it’s the right season, don’t forget little Prunella vulgaris or Self-Heal.

   The mucilage from Slippery Elm has antioxidant properties, and has been used for its nutrients to feed the young, elderly and those recovering from an illness. When the sticky substance is dried and then re-hydrated in water it swells and then if you add boiling water to it you can make a bowl of it as a cereal rather as you would oatmeal porridge.

  The tree has a small edible fruit which can be made into a tisane with the chopped leaves from the tree. You can also make a tisane out of the slippery, sticky inner bark. Some people dry the inner bark material and grind it to a powder to use for thickening soups, or to add to flour to make bread or cakes with. The inner bark material and leaves may be eaten raw or cooked as a vegetable. The Native American used the bark of the tree to abort foetuses, and because of this use it has been banned in several countries

  The tree grows at a medium rate and can reach heights of 65 feet and can have a diameter of 49 feet. There seems to be little doubt that it has many health benefits, although scientists have been slow to test these it would appear.

TAMARILLO - PERSIMMON LOOK-ALIKE: HEALTH BENEFITS AND USES OF TAMARILLO FRUIT

TAMARILLO, TREE TOMATO, CYPHOMANDRA BETACEA

The tamarillo or tree tomato originates in South America, probably in the Peruvian Andes, although this is not certain, as it is a cultivated plant and not found in the wild. It is called the tree tomato because of its fruit which do look like plum tomatoes. The tamarillo got this name when it was taken to New Zealand in 1891. The name is from the Spanish for yellow, amarillo and the‘t’ is for tomato. It is a member of the Solanaceae family so is a relative of the tomato, aubergine, tomatillo, nipple fruit, Cape gooseberry and Belladonna or deadly nightshade. It is also sometimes called the ‘tomarillo’ and has other Latin synonyms too, including Solanum betaceum-Cav. Cyphomandra hartwegi-Sendt and is one of thirty Cyphomandra species.

  Before the beginning of the twentieth century it was being cultivated in the Indian subcontinent, East Africa, Malaya and Sri Lanka, as well as parts of Indonesia. Now it is cultivated in China, Australia, the Philippines, South Africa and the US among other countries.

  Its flowers are pinky white through to lavender, and the fruits may be purple-red, orange, yellow and some have stripes running down their skins. The sweetest are the yellow and orange ones, and when you slice them open they have black seeds inside, so they resemble passion fruit and have been mistaken for an egg-shaped persimmon. The tree is fast growing and reaches peak production of fruit at four years old. The fruits hang from the branches and 1-6 of them come from a cluster of flowers that may be comprised of between 10 and 50. Leaves have a faintly musky smell and are evergreen.

  The red fruit contain the most lycopene, which is found in watermelons and tomatoes, and gives them their red colour, while the yellow and orange ones typically contain the most beta-carotene. Lycopene is associated with prostate health, so the red, tarter tamarillos are good to help prevent prostate problems.

  Tamarillos can be eaten raw, scooped out of their skins, or cooked and used in stews and sauces; you can substitute them for tomatoes in hot chilli sauces. They can also be baked or grilled and can be sprinkled with sugar to make them taste sweeter. They are high in pectin, so are ideal for making jam and can also be pickled or used to make chutneys- the red ones are generally best for this. They can be eaten with ice cream, or made into a compote and grilled, go well with meat, chicken or fish as a side vegetable. You can make a refreshing drink by peeling them (put them in boiling water for a few minutes, then dip them in cold, as you would a tomato), then adding sugar and water.

  Tamarillos contain vitamins A, C, and some of the B-complex vitamins, as well as the minerals phosphorous (a lot of phosphorous is in the seeds), calcium, iron, magnesium, and sodium.

  The anthocyanins contained in the darker tamarillos especially, are also found in cranberries, red cabbage, black grapes, blackberries, bilberries and blueberries and have potent antioxidant properties (as do the vitamins tamarillos contain), which help combat scavenging free-radicals which can cause cancer and cardio-vascular disease. They also have anti-microbial and anti-inflammatory properties and can help stave off diabetes, neurological diseases, the aging process and cancer as already mentioned.

  In other words, the tamarillo is packed full of nutrients and is beneficial for our health.