Herb Lore - Broom-Rape to Cherry Tree
Herb 52: Broom-Rape
Common Name: Broom-Rape (also known as Orobanche)
Latin Name: Orobanche minor
Medicinal Parts: Whole Plant
Habitat: The Heartlands, New Hanover. Parasitic plant, found where clover or broom grow, in fields and meadows.
Medical Use:
Powerfully astringent; stops bleeding and fluxes.
Used to heal wounds, ulcers, and sore throats (as a gargle).
Preparation Methods:
Decoction: Boiled and used as a wash or gargle.
Poultice: Herb bruised and applied to wounds.
Herb 53: Buck's-Horn Plantain
Common Name: Buck's-Horn Plantain (also known as Star of the Earth)
Latin Name: Plantago coronopus
Medicinal Parts: Leaves
Habitat: Along the coastlines of New Hanover and Lemoyne. Prefers sandy, salty, or poor ground.
Medical Use:
Used to cool the liver and stop bloody flux and diarrhea.
Clears obstructions of the liver and spleen.
Used in washes for sore eyes.
Preparation Methods:
Decoction: Leaves boiled in wine.
Eaten: Leaves eaten in salads (cooling).
Herb 54: Buckwheat
Common Name: Buckwheat (also known as Beech Wheat)
Latin Name: Fagopyrum esculentum
Medicinal Parts: Seeds (Grain), Herb
Habitat: The Heartlands, New Hanover. Cultivated crop, thriving in agricultural fields.
Medical Use:
Grain is highly nutritive and easily digestible.
Used to treat diarrhea (astringent properties in the leaves).
Modern use: Leaves/flowers used to strengthen capillaries.
Preparation Methods:
Food: Seeds cooked as a grain/flour.
Decoction: Leaves boiled.
Herb 55: Burnet Saxifrage
Common Name: Burnet Saxifrage (also known as Pimpinella)
Latin Name: Pimpinella saxifraga
Medicinal Parts: Root, Seeds
Habitat: Big Valley, West Elizabeth. Found in dry meadows and chalky, open ground.
Medical Use:
Used to clear the lungs and treat coughs, hoarseness, and pleurisy.
Provokes urine and relieves colic (moving wind).
Used against venomous bites.
Preparation Methods:
Decoction: Root boiled in water or wine.
Chewed: Root chewed for toothache.
Herb 56: Butcher's Broom
Common Name: Butcher's Broom (also known as Knee Holly)
Latin Name: Ruscus aculeatus
Medicinal Parts: Root, Leaves
Habitat: Tall Trees, West Elizabeth. Found in shaded, dry woodlands and thickets.
Medical Use:
A strong diuretic, used to break and expel kidney stones and clear urinary blockages.
Opens obstructions of the liver and spleen.
Modern Use: Improves venous circulation (varicose veins).
Preparation Methods:
Decoction: Root boiled in water or wine.
Herb 57: Cabbage
Common Name: Cabbage (also known as Colewort)
Latin Name: Brassica oleracea
Medicinal Parts: Leaves, Juice, Seeds
Habitat: Scarlett Meadows, Lemoyne. Widely cultivated in gardens and fields.
Medical Use:
Warming and nutritive. Used to help with drunkenness (prevents intoxication if eaten first).
Juice is used to heal internal ulcers.
Leaves applied externally for gout and swelling.
Preparation Methods:
Eaten: Cooked or raw leaves.
Poultice: Boiled leaves applied externally.
Herb 58: Calendula
Common Name: Calendula (also known as Marigold, Pot Marigold)
Latin Name: Calendula officinalis
Medicinal Parts: Flowers
Habitat: Saint Denis, Lemoyne. Cultivated in gardens, preferring full sun and rich soil.
Medical Use:
Antiseptic and vulnerary (wound healing). Highly effective for cuts, burns, and skin ulcers.
Used to induce sweating (diaphoretic) and break fevers.
Relieves stomach upset and vomiting.
Preparation Methods:
Infusion: Flowers steeped.
Oil/Ointment: Flowers infused in lard or oil for external application.
Herb 59: Calamint
Common Name: Calamint (also known as Mountain Mint, Lesser Calamint)
Latin Name: Calamintha nepeta
Medicinal Parts: Leaves, Flowering Tops
Habitat: Roanoke Ridge, New Hanover. Prefers dry, open ground, hedgerows, and calcareous soil.
Medical Use:
Warming and carminative (moves wind). Used to treat colic and strengthens the stomach.
Used against venomous bites and to expel afterbirth.
Relieves melancholy and nervous issues.
Preparation Methods:
Infusion: Leaves steeped in water or wine.
Herb 60: Calamus
Common Name: Calamus (also known as Sweet Flag, Flag Root)
Latin Name: Acorus calamus
Medicinal Parts: Root (Rhizome)
Habitat: Bluewater Marsh, Lemoyne. Grows in marshy areas, ponds, and slow-moving water.
Medical Use:
Aromatic stimulant that warms the stomach and relieves flatulence and colic.
Used to clear congestion and soothe coughs.
Chewed to freshen the breath and relieve toothache.
Preparation Methods:
Decoction: Root boiled in water.
Chewed: Raw root pieces.
Herb 61: Camomile
Common Name: Camomile (also known as Roman Camomile, Ground Apple)
Latin Name: Chamaemelum nobile
Medicinal Parts: Flowers
Habitat: The Heartlands, New Hanover. Found on dry lawns, heaths, and roadsides, often in poor soil.
Medical Use:
A premier calmative and anti-spasmodic. Used for colic, cramps, and nervous tension.
Induces sweating to break fevers (diaphoretic).
Excellent for stomach upset and promotes sleep.
Preparation Methods:
Infusion/Tea: Flowers steeped in hot water.
Poultice: Flowers steeped in oil for external pain relief.
Herb 62: Caraway
Common Name: Caraway (also known as Wild Cumin)
Latin Name: Carum carvi
Medicinal Parts: Seeds, Root
Habitat: Big Valley, West Elizabeth. Found in meadows and open, grassy areas.
Medical Use:
Highly carminative (moves wind). Used to relieve flatulence and colic.
Strengthens the stomach and helps with poor appetite.
The root is nutritive, similar to parsnip.
Preparation Methods:
Eaten: Seeds chewed or added to food.
Oil: Seeds pressed for essential oil (digestive aid).
Herb 63: Cardamom
Common Name: Cardamom (also known as Malabar Cardamom)
Latin Name: Elettaria cardamomum
Medicinal Parts: Seeds (Fruit)
Habitat: Bayou Nwa, Lemoyne. Tropical plant, likely cultivated in the hot, humid bayou or imported to Saint Denis.
Medical Use:
Warming and carminative. Excellent for indigestion and breaking up wind (flatulence).
Stimulates appetite and helps with nausea.
Used to freshen the breath.
Preparation Methods:
Eaten: Seeds chewed or added to food.
Tincture: Alcohol extract of seeds.
Herb 64: Carrot
Common Name: Carrot (also known as Daucus, Wild Carrot)
Latin Name: Daucus carota
Medicinal Parts: Root, Seeds
Habitat: The Heartlands, New Hanover. Cultivated widely; wild variety found on roadsides and fields.
Medical Use:
Nutritive tonic and diuretic.
Seeds and root are used to provoke urine and treat kidney stones.
Poultice of grated root cleanses and heals festering sores and wounds.
Preparation Methods:
Eaten: Root (cooked or raw).
Poultice: Grated root applied externally.
Infusion: Seeds steeped in wine.
Herb 65: Cashew Nut
Common Name: Cashew Nut (also known as Acajou)
Latin Name: Anacardium occidentale
Medicinal Parts: Nut, Oil
Habitat: Bayou Nwa, Lemoyne. Tropical tree requiring a hot, humid climate (likely cultivated/imported).
Medical Use:
Nutritive. Nut oil traditionally used to treat warts and calluses.
Note: Raw cashew shell oil contains caustic irritants and must be roasted/processed.
Preparation Methods:
Eaten: Roasted nut.
Oil: Applied topically (cautiously).
Herb 66: Catchfly
Common Name: Catchfly (also known as Viscid Catchfly)
Latin Name: Silene armeria
Medicinal Parts: Whole Herb
Habitat: Grizzlies West, Ambarino. Found in dry, rocky, and mountainous regions.
Medical Use:
Highly effective for treating the biting of vipers and serpents.
Used to clear jaundice and obstructions of the liver.
Used in washes for sore eyes.
Preparation Methods:
Decoction: Herb boiled in wine and consumed.
Poultice: Bruised herb applied to the bite.
Herb 67: Cedar
Common Name: Cedar (also known as Cedarwood, Juniperus)
Latin Name: Juniperus virginiana (Eastern Red Cedar is common in the region)
Medicinal Parts: Berries, Bark, Wood Oil
Habitat: Roanoke Ridge, New Hanover. Grows on dry, rocky slopes and highlands.
Medical Use:
Diuretic and antiseptic. Used for urinary tract infections and water retention.
Oil from the wood is used externally for skin diseases and to repel insects.
Used for coughs and short breath.
Preparation Methods:
Decoction: Berries boiled in water.
Oil: Wood distilled and applied externally.
Herb 68: Celandine (Lesser)
Common Name: Celandine (Lesser) (also known as Pilewort)
Latin Name: Ficaria verna
Medicinal Parts: Root, Herb
Habitat: Tall Trees, West Elizabeth. Prefers shaded, moist ground, woods, and hedge banks.
Medical Use:
Specific remedy for piles (hemorrhoids), often applied as an ointment.
Cleanses the skin and clears warts (due to caustic sap).
Used to stop the bloody flux.
Preparation Methods:
Ointment: Root boiled in lard or oil.
Poultice: Herb bruised and applied topically.
Herb 69: Celandine (Greater)
Common Name: Celandine (Greater) (also known as Tetters Wort)
Latin Name: Chelidonium majus
Medicinal Parts: Whole Herb, Juice (Sap)
Habitat: Cumberland Forest, New Hanover. Grows on waste ground and hedgerows, often near old ruins.
Medical Use:
Juice is a specific for clearing eye disorders and jaundice (clears liver obstructions).
Caustic yellow sap used topically to remove warts and fungal infections.
Cleanses the blood and helps with scabs.
Preparation Methods:
Juice: Sap applied directly to the affected area (use with caution).
Decoction: Herb boiled in water or wine.
Herb 70: Cherry Tree
Common Name: Cherry Tree (Black Cherry, Wild Cherry)
Latin Name: Prunus serotina (Common Wild Cherry)
Medicinal Parts: Bark, Fruit
Habitat: Heartlands of New Hanover, typically in open woodlands, fields, and along forest edges.
Medical Uses:
Bark acts as a sedative and expectorant, helpful for coughs, bronchitis, and nervous tension.
Cherries are nutritious and possess diuretic effects.
- The gum from the bark is used to make cough syrup.
Preparation Options:
Syrup/Infusion: Steep bark in cold water to create a cough remedy.
- Fruit: Consumed raw or preserved.