Binomial Schisandra chinensis Common name: Five flavour fruit, Schisandra, Magnolia vine, Bei-Wuweizi, Wu Wei Zi [3], gomishi (in Japan), amika (in Korea), ng may gee (in Hong Kong) [13] Family: Magnoliaceae/Schisandraceae Parts used: Berries Native to: China and Eastern Russia Distribution: Northeast Asia, Eastern Russia, Japan, Korea Botanical Description: Deciduous or evergreen woody vine that... Continue Reading →
Binomial: Avena sativa Common names: Oats, groats, oatmeal, joulaf, common oats, wild oats, Common wild oats, sterile oats, cat grass Family: Poaceae Parts used: Young seed, stalk Native to: Believed to have originated in the Fertile Crescent of the Middle East [1]. Evidence of domestication since the Bronze Age in Europe [1] Distribution: Found growing... Continue Reading →
Binomial: Hypericum perforatum Common names: (Common St. John’s Wort, perforate St. John’s Wort [4]), (Klamath Weed [7]), (Amber, Cammock, Penny John, Touch-and-heal, Balm of the warrior’s wound, Rosin rose [11]) Family: Hypericaceae Parts used: Flowers, leaves, buds (approximately top 10 cm of the plant) Native to: Europe, Western Asia [4] and Northern Africa [10] Distribution:... Continue Reading →
Binomial: Rosa spp., R. canina, R. Damascus, R. pimpinellifolia, R. rubiginosa Common names: Rose, Damascus rose, Wild rose, Dog rose, Queen of flowers, Rosa, Shatapatri, Witch’s briar Family: Rosaceae Parts used: Flowers, fruit (hips), the youngest leaves Native to: Persia Distribution: Middle East, N. Africa, Mediterranean, Europe, Asia, N. America Botanical description: There are thirteen... Continue Reading →
Binomial: Nepeta cataria Common names: Cat mint, catnep, cat(s)wort Family: Lamiaceae Parts used: Aerial parts Native to: Europe and most of Asia Distribution: Worldwide Botanical description: A hardy perennial; catnip grows 1 ft – 3ft tall. As with others of the mint family, it’s stem is square, growing erect with branched opposing stems. A down... Continue Reading →
Binomial: Matricaria chamomilla/recutita Common names: Chamomile, German Chamomile, wild chamomile, may weed, ground apple, maythen [4], manzanilla (Spanish), whig plant [4] Family: Asteraceae Parts used: Flowers Native to: Southern Europe [7] Distribution: Egypt, Morocco, Eastern Europe, Western Europe, N. America, temperate Asia and North Africa [4] Spread widely in the middle ages. Commonly grown in... Continue Reading →
Binomial: Calendula officinalis Common names: Jin Zhan Ju, pot marigold, common marigold, Calypso orange, Scotch marigold, (marybud, gold-bloom, Summer’s bride, husbandman’s dial, holigold, Bride of the sun, spousa solis, golds, the sun’s gold, ball’s eyes, bees-love, oculis-christi, drunkard, marigold, mary gowles, ruddles, solis sponsa, solsequia, English marigold Family: Asteraceae Parts used: Flowers, single petals (florets)... Continue Reading →
Herbal She Wrote 