Plectranthus amboinicus, Coleus aromaticus - Cuban Oregano

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       PLANT PROFILE

   The plant that You can see on photos here is a herb that have many names. Its most popular latin name is Plectranthus amboinicus, but this name is also used commonly, mistakenly for closely related species Plectranthus tomentosa, Plectrantus cremnus and their many hybrids. Other are Coleus aromaticus, Coleus amboinicus, and Plectranthus aromaticus. Most popular english common name seems to be Cuban Oregano, but its also called Mexican Mint, Country Borage, Indian Borage, Big Thyme, Spanish Thyme, Allherb, Queen of herbs and by many other names, all of which are also used for closely related Plectranthus genotypes mentioned above. There is a mess about its origin as well. According to some sources it is native to south-east of Africa, but other claims it to come from south-east Asia. What's certain about this plant, is that it is valuable herb, known in India since ancient sanskrit times and nowadays very popular around whole tropical world. The reason for this is colonial history that helped to spread it to places where it thrive well. European colonists probably quickly found out that their beloved Mediterranean Oregano and Thyme can't cope with tropical weather. And luckily they've found good substitute, as Plectranthus amboinicus contain thymol and carvacrol, chemical compounds responsible for smell and taste of Oreganos and Thymes. In few recent years this earlier unknown herb gained some popularity in northern Europe, and with its easy indoor maintance, pleasant aroma and many health benefits. I think it is just the matter of time when it'll become as popular as Aloe vera.

     CULTIVATION AND HARVESTING

   Coleus aromaticus is small succulent shrub with tendency for climbing or creeping, it can reach over 1m hight and even more in width. It have strong stems with fleshy, hairy leaves and blue-violet or white-pink flowers in summer time. It grows best in rich, compost soil with neutral pH and high humidity, but if there will be excess of water in the ground its roots might start to rot. On the other hand it cope well with severe droughts, as it have lots of water stored in its succulent flesh. It also cope well with severe heat and scourging sun, as well as with strong shade (except variegata form with white staid green leaves), but feels best in partial shade. For all those reasons, it is very easy to grow indors and that is why it is becoming more and more popular house plant in northern Europe. Cuban oregano can't stand temperatures lower than 0'C and feel bad even when its colder than 10'C. Best way for using it is to pick it fresh, as its leaves and stems contain so much water, that even cuted into small pieces it won't dry well. Besides with good conditions, You can enjoy its fresh, tender, crunchy leaves all year round, so there's no point to gather and storage any for later.

      CULINARY USES

   Cuban oregano is quite similar in taste to Greek Oregano (Origanum vulgare), so it might be used in the same way. It can be cutted in small pieces and added to salads, sandwiches, soups, meat dishes and many other meals. In India its whole, fresh, crunchy leaves are dipped in batter and fried in deep oil, this snack is called ,,Ajwain ke patta pakoda''. It also can be pickled or mashed into chutney. Squizzed juice or chopped fresh leaves are added to both alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks for its flavour.


     MEDICINAL USES

   Coleus aromaticus is still quite unknown among Eastern herbalists, but as the plant is becoming more popular, so is the knowledge about it. There is growing number of researches that are proving its effectiveness in fighting ailments, that it was used for in Asia for centuries. It contain carvacrol, thymol, eugenol, quercetin, apigenin, luteolin, salvigenin, genkwanin caryophyllene, patchoulane and p-cymene. This herb is antioxidant, antimicrobial, antibacterial, antiviral, antifungal, radioprotective, carminative, tonic, stimulant, emmenagogue, hepatoprotective, diaphoretic, antiepileptic and galactagogue.
   Cuban oregano leaves are simply eaten fresh for coughs, colds, malarial fevers, asthma, bronhit, mouth and nasal infections, diarrhea, indigestion, flatulence, dyspepsia, epilepsy, rheumatism, kidney stones and helminthiasis. Fresh crushed leaves are applied on burns, sprains, skin infections, scorpio bites or on forehead to ease headache. Decoction from leaves is giving after childbirth and soup with it is given to breastfeeding mothers to support lactation. It is also given to children for colic and colds. For ear aches (otalgia) pure fresh juice is poured into the ear and keep for 10 minutes.

                 

                    

                     

 

    Sources

http://www.stuartxchange.com/Oregano.html
http://www.greenpharmacy.info/article.asp?issn=0973-8258;year=2008;volume=2;issue=3;spage=182;epage=184;aulast=Kaliappan
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plectranthus_amboinicus
http://www.tarladalal.com/Ajwain-Patta-ke-Pakode-4970r
http://www.sailusfood.com/2010/06/19/vaamu-aaku-bajji-ajwain-patta-fresh-carom-leaves-ke-pakode/
http://www.bawarchi.com/recipe/vamu-aaku-patchadi-ajwain-leaves-chutney-oeswBjedeiadh.html
http://whateverchumps.blogspot.com/2011/07/ajwain-patta-parantha.html
http://www.lifewithspices.com/2011/11/karpuravallicuban-oregano-rasam.html
http://www.ayurveda-florida.com/Ayurvedic_Materia_Medica_Articles/Table2.htm

Anemopsis californica - Yerba Mansa

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     PLANT PROFILE

   Anemopsis californica is a small perenial plant, growing in form of rosettes of leaves that create clusters. As the latin name indicate it is native to southwest coast of USA, but also Nevada, Arizona, Texas and north Mexico. It have been used for centuries as a healing herb by indigenous people and some of them regarded it as a panaceum. Today it is respected as a valuable medicine, by many doctors from other regions as well, as scientific researches proved its effectivnes. Its common name is Yerba Mansa, yerba means herb in spanish, and mansa means gentle, calm, which might refer to its soothing, antinflammatory properties as well as its action against stomach infections. Whole plant is rich in essential oils which is given it its unique, strong, spicy fragnance, that in sunny days can be smelt from distance. This smell is a bit similar to eucaliptus, as both plants contain significant amounts of the same chemical compound called methyleugenol.


     CULTIVATION AND HARVESTING

  Anemopsis is a low growing perenial plant, with rosettes of leaves and flower stems coming out straight from its fleshy root. It grow no more than 40cm in hight, but thru its stolons with new small clumps of leaves, rooting quicky, it spreads creating big colonies. Even though this plant grows mostly in dessert areas, it is allways in boggy places, near ponds or rivers, often temporally partialy immersed. On the other hand it can stand severe droughts in short term. It likes alkaline soils and it is said to tolerate saline and slightly acidic ground as well. Leaves are turning red and dying before winter to shoot back from its root in early spring. It tolerate frosts to -15'C as well as strong heats. Yerba Mansa prefers light shade but copes very well in full sun. Flowers in summer. Roots should be gathered no sooner than in second year, after leaves turn dead dry or in early spring before new leaves come out. Leaves are best to pick for drying while plants are producing flowers.

     CULINARY USES

  Aromatic leaves and roots of Anemopsis californica can be eaten fresh or cooked. Seeds can be grounded and used as a flour. Tea made from leaves or roots of Yerba Mansa can be drink as a tonic and is consider a panacea.


     MEDICINAL USES

   Yerba Mansa have not only long tradiction of use in herbal medicine, but also high esteem in modern medicine, due to its many values proven by clinic and laboratory tests. Its medical actions are mainly coused by essential oils, that differ significantly between leaves and roots and also noticibly vary acording to chemotype origin. Both parts are astringent, antiseptic, vulnerary, antifungal, analgesic, stomachic, carminative, anti-inflammatory, antirheumatic, anti-emetic, general tonic and blood purifing.
    Leaves essential oil contain elemicin (53%), piperitone (11,5%), methyleugenol (6,9%), (E)-caryophyllene (4,6%), 1,8-cineole (2,5%), alpha-pinene and beta-phellandrene. Fresh pounded leaves are applied on abrasions, cuts, burns, insect bites, ringworms, aching muscles, skin ulcers and for rheumatism. Infusions are used for colds, chest congestions, blood purification and stomach ulcers or to bathe aching muscles, sore feet and veneral infections. Dried, poudered leaves and roots can be applied on wounds, and athletes foot.
    Roots are rich in esssential oil that contain methyleugenol (57%), thymol (13,8%), piperitone (8%), isoeugenol, cymene, limonene, alpha-pinene, 1,8-cineole, myrtenol, elemicin. Roots are chewed for toothache, infalmmations of gums, throat and affections of mucous membranes. Infusion from roots is used for colds, flu, malaria, inflammations, bronchial cough, pleurisy, tuberculosis, gonorrhea, typhoid, dysentery, arthrisis, menstrual cramps, urinary tract infections and as a general pain remedy. Externaly it is applied on wounds, sores and syphylis. Scientific tests proved its bioactivity against uterine and cervical cancer cell lines.

    Sources

 http://medplant.nmsu.edu/yerba.html
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2330197/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anemopsis
http://www.fireflyforest.com/flowers/99/anemopsis-californica-yerba-mansa/
https://deborahsmall.wordpress.com/tag/anemopsis-californica/
http://www.hindawi.com/journals/ecam/2014/273878/
http://abcnews.go.com/Technology/story?id=5456546&page=1
http://doctorschar.com/archives/lizard-tail-anemopsis-californica/
http://www.gardenguides.com/taxonomy/yerba-mansa-anemopsis-californica/
http://hortsci.ashspublications.org/content/42/7/1578.full
http://www.pfaf.org/user/Plant.aspx?LatinName=Anemopsis+californica
http://www.yerbamansa.org/YM-benefits.html
http://nathistoc.bio.uci.edu/Plants%20of%20Upper%20Newport%20Bay%20(Robert%20De%20Ruff)/Saururaceae/Anemopsis%20californica.htm

Houttuynia cordata - Fish Mint, Chameleon Plant

Polska wersja

      PLANT PROFILE

  Houttuynia cordata is a creepy parennial from south east Asia where it is popular vegetable, spice and medicine. Its variegated form called Chameleon Plant is popular in many regions of the world. And while many people from west, complain about how invasive this beautifull ground cover is in their gardens. People from Asia are enjoing its taste and health benefits just like those of its green-leaved sister. It is important herb in many tradicional medicine systems which is well indicated in its Japanese name Dokudami, that meanes ,,poison blocking plant''. Other names of this plant, like Fish Mint or Yu Xing Cao (''fish-smell-herb'' in Chinese) refer to its unique smell that may differ significantly according to conditions of growth and its ancestry. You may find descriptions of its aroma as fishy, orangy, lemony or cilantro like, and some people name it unpleasant. My advice is to try it yourself, and even if you won't like the taste remember about its vast health benefits.


     CULTIVATION AND HARVESTING

   Houttuynia cordata is parennial ground covering plant, spreading rapidly by its ground laying stems and rhizomes. It likes wet soil and grow well even partialy immersed in shalow waters. But unlike many water lowing plants it grow well on sandy ground and cope well with droughts. So if Your plant looks dead dry, just water it and wait untill it will grow back from its rhizomes. Also if You are growing it in cold climate don't worry if aboveground part of the plant looks dead after winter, rhizomes are hardy to aprox. -25'C. This herb adapt well to different conditions and can grow even in very poor soils and with different light volume. But variegated form looks pale (green) in strong shade, it is getting more vivid when exposed to stronger sunlight. With good conditions Houttuynia can be invasive, spreading strongly and threating to small plants, but it ussually not growing higher than 30cm. All parts of this plant are edible and can be harvested all year round (in cold winters you can gather only rhizomes). My advice is to pick it fresh straight before use, becouse especially leaves and stems are loseing its freshness quickly. But it can also be dried and storaged, for this purpose it should be harvested in summer while flowering. You can also grow this herb in pots indoors and have its fresh leaves all year round.

     CULINARY USES

   Leaves, stems and rhizomes of Houttuynia cordata are widely used in many tradicional cousines of south-east Asia, both fresh and cooked. It is used as an aromatic vegetable/spice and is added to salads, soups, stews, fish meals, curry dishes and stir-fries. Leaves can be fried in batter as a kind of Pakora. Herbal tea can be made from both dried and fresh Dokudami parts.




    MEDICINAL USES

   All parts of Houttuynia cordata plant are important herb known in many Asian tradicional medicine systems. It is detoxifing, antiviral (effective against SARS coronavirus, Dengue, Hand, foot, and mouth disease, Herpes simplex, and even HIV), antibacterial, antifungal, antitussive, mildly laxative, diuretic, anti-inflammatory, anti-cancer and anti-alergic herb. It contain myrcene, limonen, alpha-pinene, camphene, sterols, polyphenols, flavonoids, querticin and anti-cancer alkaloids, many uniqe highly antiseptic chemical structures like 3-keto-dodecanol, methyl-nonyl-ketone and 2-nonyl-5-decanoyl-pyridine. It is also rich in potassium, magnesium and sodium.
   Houttuynia decrease histamine release and is effective herb to use for alergies and asthma, it also stimulate immune system by stimulating production of lymphocyts. It is used to treat laryngitis, sinusitis and chronic ear infections, lyme dysease and bartonella, fevers, hangovers, indigestion, dysentery, stomach cramps, constipation, stomach ulcers, intestinal helminthic infections, measles and dysuria. Poultice from fresh herb and infusions to wash, are effective with herpes, hemorrhoids, boils, gout, rheumatism, insect bites, snakebites, inflammations and infectious skin diseases, also applied on site of a fracture to help bone development.

 

 
   Sources

'' Herbal Emisaries : Bringing Chinese Herbs to the West'' - Steven Foster, Yue Chongxi,
Inner Tradictions/BEAR & Co 1992
''Chinese Materia Medica : Combinations and Aplications'' - Xu Li, Elsevier Health Sciences 2002
''Chromatografic Fingerprint Analysis of Herbal Medicines'' - Springer Verlag/Wien 2011

http://www.flowersociety.org/dokudami.htm
http://dokudami.wikispaces.com/The+Medicinal+Herb+Called+Dokudami+Has+Many+Health+Benefits
http://www.1stchineseherbs.com/houtuynia.html
http://www.dokudamihealing.com/about_dokudami.htm
http://www.prolacthailand.com/index.php?cmd=contentdesign&mode=qna
https://www.herbsarespecial.com.au/free-herb-information/vap-ca.html
http://www.vitaminsestore.com/vap-ca-benefits-reviews-side-effects-and-dosage/
http://vietherbs.com/herb-directory/fish-herb/
http://www.tcmwiki.com/wiki/yu-xing-cao
http://beforeitsnews.com/health/2012/10/chinese-herbs-in-western-view-yu-xing-cao-herba-houttuyniae-health-benefits-and-side-effects-2453518.html

Ceanothus americanus - New Jersey Tea, Redroot

     PLANT PROFILE

   Ceanothus americanus is a small shrub that grows on praries in east part of North America, where it have been used as a herb for centuries by local Indians. Nowadays it is prescribed by trained medicians and drink as a tea or coffe alternative but outside USA and Canada it seems to be known only as an ornamental. In fact in this field it's not very popular neither, as its white flowers are not that attractive as blue flowers of its famous cousin Ceanothus thyrsiflorus. Some beekeepers are praising its value as a high volume nectar source for bees. This plant gained name New Jersey Tea during American Revolution, when shortage of tea forced Americans to search for accessible substitute. Native people have been tradicionally drinking infusion made from leaves as a beverage and remedy. But it is the root of the plant that have very significant medicinal value. Redroot is a name of crude drug that refer to red coloured root from few species of Ceanothus.


      CULTIVATION  AND HARVESTING

   Ceanothus americanus is a dense shrub growing up to 1,2m. It grows on sandy, well drained soils (neutral or slightly acidic) and is a drought resistant plant, that can't grow in wet ground. It feels good in full sun or partial shade as it comes from praries and outskirts of forests. It is said to cope even with severe frosts (-30'C) as long as there is no excess of humidity. Thanks to special fungi growing on its roots this plant have a nitrogen fixing ability. Beautifull clusters of white flowers appear for about month in early summer. Leaves are best to gather while plants are in full bloom, it is losing leaves before winter. Roots are best to gather in late fall and early spring.

     CULINARY USES

  Infusion made from dried or fresh leaves of Ceanothus americanus is a good tea substitute called New Jersey tea.

    COSMETIC USES

  Flowers of this plant have contain high volume of saponins and its foam creating properties brought its use as a pleasantly smelling, soaped sponge substitute. Also roots have been used to make soap and shampoo.

    MEDICINAL USES

   Leaves of Ceanothus americanus are tradicionaly used by Cherokee people to cure indigestion, diarrhea, inflammations of chest, throat, nose and mouth. Astringent properties of decoction are used to treat wounds, veneral sores and skin cancer. It is also used to fight depression and is good source of highly antioxidant flavonoids.
  Root of the plant is used to treat fevers, catarrh, sore throat, asthma, syphilis, hemorrhoids, inflammations and indigestion. Redroot stymulates lymphatic system and is astringent, anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, expectorant, antispasmotic, mildly hypotensive and sedative. Powder made from root bark is applied on sores. This herb act as an anti-coagulant, therefore should be used with lot of caution while using other anti-coagulant. It also should be avoided by pregnant and nourishing women.

   Sources

 ''Rodale's 21st-Century Herbal'' - Michael Balick, Rodale Inc 2014

http://bearmedicineherbals.com/ceanothus.html
http://www.redrootmountain.com/red-root-balance-the-body-by-way-of-the-spleen/66
http://www.eattheweeds.com/ceanothus-americanus-revolutionary-tea-2/
http://food-nutrition.knoji.com/herbs-redroot-or-california-lilac-history-nutrition-and-medicinal-uses/
http://www.swsbm.com/FOLIOS/RedRtFol.pdf
http://www.henriettes-herb.com/eclectic/kings/ceanothus.html
http://doctorschar.com/archives/new-jersey-tea-ceonanthus-americana/
http://pubs.acs.org/doi/abs/10.1021/ja01048a032