Download medicinal and edible plants

MEDICINAL AND EDIBLE PLANTS
Medicinal Uses
Butterfly Milkweed
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o Indians, roots eaten for bronchial and pulmonary problems
o Indians, chewed, or dried and pulverized, and placed on wounds
o Anglo, called pleurisy root, used to relief inflammation of lung lining and thorax
o Scientific, known to contain cardiac glycosides that are poisonous, is what is
used by the Monarch as a chemical defense
Wild Indigo
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Indians, seeds mixed with buffalo fat rubbed on abdomen for colic
Indians, eyewash
Indians, white indigo to produce vomiting
Anglo, root and herbage used as emeto-cathartic and intestinal stimulant
Scientific, extracts potential stimulants of immune system
White Prairie Clover
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Indians, food and medicine, roots for food and leaves for beverages
Indians, pulverized root boil and drink supernatant ward off disease
Indians, large taproot tea
Indians, mixed with other things to make treatment for diarrhea
Purple Coneflower
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Indians, most widely used medicinal plant (possible trade to Mexico)
Indians, for painkiller, toothache, coughs, colds, sore throats
Indians, macerated root for snake bite
Indians, ground root to inflamed area to reduce burning sensation
Indians, free scraped root for hydrophobia
Indians, sore eyes
Indians, macerated root as an anesthetic
Indians, dried seed head as a comb or brush
Indians, chew root and let drain down throat for sore throat
Indians, root tea for sore throat
Anglo, snake bite
Anglo, Meyer’s Blood Purifier, see story in packet
Scientific, active medicinal properties, mild antibiotic, immunostimulatory
properties, insecticidal,
Rattlesnake Master
o Indians, leaves and fruit in rattlesnake medicine song and dance
o Indians, diuretic, stimulant, expectorant, laryngitis and bronchitis, irritation of
mucous membranes, exhaustion from sexual depletion with loss of erectile
power…
o Scientific, Jordan plant in same genus used as antivenin for scorpion sting
Gayfeather
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Indians, pulverized root and ate to improve appetite
Indians, powdered whole plant and made tea for heart pains
Indians, tea for stomachache
Indians, chewed root for swollen testes
Indians, cut root, chewed, warm damp pad for wounds
Indians, tea for bladder and kidney problems
Indians, boiled leaves and root to make tea for children with diarrhea and
abdominal troubles
o Anglo, for gonorrhoea, sore throats, rattlesnake bites
Beebalm
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Indians, flower clusters made to tea for fevers and colds
Indians, boiled leaves wrapped and placed on eyes overnight to relieve pain
Indians, leaves and flowers for abdominal pain
Indians, stimulant
Indians, drank tea after childbirth
Indians, boiled leaves applied to pimples
Indians, tea for coughs and swollen neck glands
Indians, crumpled leaves mixed with spittle for lotion for soothing insect bites and
stings
o Indians, respiratory problems
o Indians, perfume for hair, bodies, homes, and horses
o Anglo, headache and fever
Prairie Coneflower
o Indians, tea from stalks and leaves for stomachache
o Indians, tea from flower tops for headaches
o Indians, boiled leaves and stems applied to relieve pain of rattlesnake bites
Yarrow
o Indians, wide use 58 different tribes
o Indians, fresh or dried plants for treat coughing, throat irritations, and stop
bleeding most common uses
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Indians, toothache and flower heads as perfumes
Indians, dried chewed and place on wounds
Indians, wad of leaf in ear for earache
Anglo, wide use in Europe for long time, leaves close up wounds and stop
inflammation
o Scientific, lactones interesting biological effects, antimicrobial, cytotoxic, and
anticancer activities
o Scientific, flavonoids, antispasmodic activity
o Scientific, Volatile oils expectorant, analgesic, may help relieve cold symptoms
Smooth Sumac
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Indians, tea from fruit for painful menstruation and bloody diarrhea
Indians, roots and fruits together to make wash for sores
Indians, leaves in smoking mixtures
Indians, roots for yellow dye
Indians, berries acidic tasting flavorful beverage
Anglo, similar European species used for similar uses
Anglo, chew stick to clean the teeth
Anglo, folk medicinal uses
Scientific, large amounts of tannins, which act a astringent so may be effective in
treating burns (bad for liver though)
o Scientific, active ingredient in preventing tooth decay
Edible Plants
Leadplant
o Indians, leaves to make tea, yellow and pleasant to taste
Common Milkweed
o Indians, young shoots cooked as asparagus
o Indians, flowers, buds, and immature fruits cooked
o Need to be cooked for four minutes with at least one change of water to rid of
toxins
o Indians, dried pods served as spoons
Prairie Clover
o Indians, roots chewed for pleasant sweet taste
o Indians, leaves dried and used in tea
Gayfeather
o Indians, small edible root baked over fire (withstands drought so ancient food)
o Indians, store roots over winter gain in sweetness as starch changed to sugar
Beebalm
o Indians, fragrant herb used for seasoning, tea, perfume, and medicine
o Indians, flavor meat
New Jersey Tea
o Indians, leaves caffeine free tea, substitute for black tea in Revolutionary times
o Anglo, used to make fires
Sunflower
o Indians, domesticate this wildflower and thus weedy in nature now
o Indians, Lewis and Clark said seed for bread and thickening soup
o Anglo, seed can be eaten raw, boiled, or roasted taste as good as large seeds
Spiderwort
o George Washington Carver, rich flavor
o Indians, young growth parboiled and then fried with other greens
o Indians, salads, and flowers for show (steamed or cooked without changing
water)