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PLANTS AND WILDFLOWERS


Alfalfa

Medicago sativa

Location:
Typically cultivated for livestock use, but may escape.
Culinary use: Sprouts can be eaten and the leaves used for tea. Contains many good minerals and vitamins as well as essential salts about 40% protein good for all ill health and recovering persons contains vitamin K, B8, and P.
Other uses: Good to provide better production from farm animals.


Barberry
Berberis trifoliolata

Location: central, south, and west Texas in arid soil
Fruit: late spring
Culinary use: Fruit can be used for jellies, raisins, but are too acidic for eating raw. To extract juice heat the berries in a close covered stone jar without water till the juice flows A drink can be made by adding lemon, mint, and sugar to the juice.
Medical use: Tincture of bark treats colic, bilious attack, bladder affections, calculus, duodenum, dysmenorrhea, fevers, fistula, gallstones, herpes, irritation, jaundice, joint affections, leukorrhea, liver disorders, lumbago, opthalmia, oxaluria, polypus, renal colic, rheumatism, neuralgia of spermatic cords, spleen, tumors, urine, vaganismus. Root tea is good for a blood tonic, cough medicine, and kidney ailments, early stage tuberculosis, choleric, tetters, ringworm, and liver ailments. Liquid chewed from the root is placed on injuries and wounds, or washed with an decoction. A preparation of bark or berries can be a gargle for sore mouth and for chronic opthalmia. Extract is good for female genital organs, pain and inflammation of the gallbladder, increasing bile, and reducing high blood pressure. Dose: 1/2 oz to 1 pt boiling water, steep for 10 min., 1-4 c per day before meals, made fresh daily. Of tincture 1/2 - 1 fluid dram. Can be combined with fringe tree and cherry.
Other use: yellow dye


Blackberry, Zarzamora
Rubus trivialis

Location: east, central, and southern Texas in thickets, along fences, etc....
Fruit: spring-summer
Culinary use: Fruit is edible raw or cooked, aspics, brandy, jam, jelly, and vinegar.
Medical use: treats chronic diarrhea, dysentery, cholera, excessive menstruation, fevers, and hot distempers of the body, head, eyes, and other parts. Leaves when bruised treat hemorrhoids and when in tea form for sore throat. do not use wilted leaves A decoction of root or leaves may be used freely 4-5 times pre day.
Dose: 1 tsp. of root or leaves to 1 c boiling water for 15 min., 3-4 per day depending on age Of tincture 1/2 - 1 dram, 3-4 times per day.


Blue Flag
Iris versicolor

Location:
Medical use:
good for gastric disturbances, titration of resinoid, irisin for anus fissure of, bilious attack, constipation, crusta lactea, diabetes, diarrhea, dysentery, dysmenorrhea, dyspepsia, eczema, fistula, gastrodynia, intermittent headache, impetigo, liver affections of, migraine, neuralgia, nocturnal emissions, pancreas affections of, parotid glands affections of, pregnancy morning sickness, psoriasis, rectum burning in, rheumatism, salivation, sciatica, vomiting, whitlow, herpes zoster. External uses infected wounds, ulcers, fistula, and freckles. Fresh root pulp relieves external pain Tincture excites salivary and biliary excretions, the tincture is prepared from roots gathered in early spring or autumn 1 part root to 2 parts alcohol
Dose: tincture 10-25 drops in water three times per day. Of powdered root 1 tsp in boiling water, 2-3 tbsp 6 times per day.
WARNING: DO NOT CONFUSE WITH THE DEADLY CALAMUS


Cardinal Flower
Lobelia cardinalis

Location: in most parts of the state in shady wetlands or beside streams
Flower: Spring-Fall
Medical use: Treats fevers, phrenitis, meningitis, pneumonia, pleurisy, hepatitis, peritonitis, nephritis, and periostitis. Convulsions can be treated with an injection of herb infusion. Plant should be gathered from late July - mid October, dried in the shade then preserved in packages or covered vessels, especially in powdered form. Should be administered with another drug, as alone it does not work.
Dose: 1 oz to 1 pt boiling water makes ordinary infusion, 1 tbs. every hour or half hour. Weak infusion every 10 min. to relax the muscular system to aid in setting broken bones and dislocations. Or a cloth soaked in warm infusion is applied to the area.
WARNING: FOR USE BE PROFESSIONAL HERBALISTS ONLY! BE VERY CAREFUL IN ADMINISTRATION, DEATH HAS OCCURRED FROM OVERDOSES, NEVER GIVE WHEN THE SYSTEM IS RELAXED OR WHEN THERE IS CONGESTION.


Chickweed
Stellaria media

Location: in moist disturbed soils, common and weedy
Culinary use: leaves are good eaten raw or cooked like spinach
Medical use: Treats internal inflammation, liver ailments internally and externally. bronchitis, pleurisy, coughs, colds, hoarseness, rheumatism, inflammation or weakness of the bowels and stomach, lungs, bronchial tubes, scurvy, kidney trouble, to ease hemorrhoids, and to increase circulation in the liver, gout, and psoriasis. Externally used for swellings, weals, scabs, boils, burns, sore or inflamed eyes apply on cotton pads over closed eyes, erysipelas, tumors, hemorrhoids, cancer-swollen testes, ulcerated throat and mouth.
Dose: 1 oz of plant to 1 1/2 pt of water simmered to 1 pt, one wineglass every 2-3 hours. Use externally as a poultice for inflamed surfaces, boils, and skin eruptions.


Cleavers
Galium aparine

Location: east, northeast, and south Texas in fields, gentle slopes, in woods, and along seashores
Medical use: whole herb is used as a diuretic, tonic, refrigerant, alterative, and aperient. Good for urinary obstructions, cooling scarlet fever, measles, and acute fevers. Also used for weight loss 1/4 c of fresh herb or dried in 1/2 pt of boiling water Poultices are used for skin afflictions. Dose: 2-4 oz dried herb or 20-40 drops of the tincture in water given 3-4 times per day


Clover, Crimson
Trifolium incarnatum

Location: east Texas along the Louisiana and Oklahoma borders with an area stretching into central Texas. Grows in fields, along roadsides, and is very abundant.
Culinary use: Leaves are good to add to salads, or as a tea. Clover is high in protein. You should dip the clover in salt water before using, and do not overindulge in clover as it causes bloating. Dried flowers can be used for tea.
Medical use: Leaves are made into s strong infusion to suspend the spasms of whooping cough or into a salve for indolent sores.


Coneflower, purple
Echinacea sanguina

Location: in east Texas in sand or gravel in prairies, and pine forests.
Flower: Late spring


Corydalis, Scrambled Eggs
Corydalis var.

Location: in sandy or rocky areas, prairies, fields, and woods
Flower: Late winter


Damiana Turnera
Turnera diffusa

Location: western Texas
Medical use: A decoction of leaves are used to treat dysentery, malaria, syphilitic diseases, pains in the stomach and intestines, dyspepsia, and paralysis. Diuretic, astringent, tonic, expectorant, and laxative properties.


Damianita
Chrysactinia mexicana

Location: central to west Texas and a small area near Laredo
Flower: Spring-Fall Medical use: used for fever, rheumatism, and as a diuretic, sudorific, antispasmodic, and aphrodisiac
NOTE: not to be confused with the pharmicutical drug Damiana which is prepared from Turnera diffusa


Dandelion
Taraxacum officinale

Location: an invader in broken ground, lawns, and fields across Texas
Flower: nearly year round
Culinary use: The leaves can be used like greens, the flowers fried, or made into wine. Be sure to pick early in the spring, pick plants that have grown in the shade for bright sun makes the greens bitter. If they are bitter, then blanch before using. Roots can be roasted and used as a coffee substitute.
Medical use: A mild detergent, aperient, and diuretic. Recommended for hepatic obstruction, hypochondriasis, and icterus. Fresh root is gathered in March, July, or November and is chopped and pounded to a pulp then pressed. The juice is then mixed with an equal part of alcohol and allowed to stand for eight days, the whole is then separated by filtration.


Farkleberry
Vaccinium arboreum

Location: east Texas as an understory shrub in dry sandy soil in pine and hardwood forests
Fruit:
fall
Culinary use: The fruit is a little dry but good for jellies
Medical use: berries cool feverish liver and for stomach conditions. also in arresting vomiting and dropsy and gravel. To make tincture place 2-3 handfuls of bilberry in a bottle and pour brandy over them. Violent continuous diarrhea accompanied by great pain, sometimes with loss of blood, is stopped by taking 1 tablespoon of the brandy in 1/4 pint of water, may be repeated in 8-10 hours. for diarrhea, dysentery, and derangement's of the bowels, a decoction of the leaf tea will bring relief. Also as a gargle for sore throat and feminine hygiene for leukorrhea. May be similar to insulin for sugar diabetes.
Dose: of leave 1 tsp to 1 c of boiling water. of the tincture 10-30 drops depending on the severity of the case and age.. Externally fresh tea is used for sores, wounds, and ulcers.
Other use: used to dye leather brown or yellow.


Fringe Tree
Chionanthus virginicus

Location: east Texas woodlands, thickets, and moist woods


Groundsel, Texas
Senecio ampullaceus

Location: east and south Texas along the gulf. usually in sunny, sandy soils and forming large colonies
Flower: spring


Horehound
Marrubium vulgare

Location: disturbed soil, fields, farms, just about anywhere
Flower: nearly year round


Linden, Basswood
Tilia caroliniana

Location: east and central Texas in moist soil along streams
Flower: spring-summer


Mandrake, Mayapple
Podophyllum peltatum

Location: east Texas in lush forests, moist shady fields, growing in large colonies
Flower: early spring


Milkweed, Green
Asclepias asperula

Location: north, central, and west Texas in sandy and rocky soil
Flower: spring - fall
Culinary use: Young sprouts substitute for asparagus.
Medical use: Juice when applied to the skin forms a tough adhesive pellicle and is used to cover ulcers and recent wounds Fluid extract 10 drops - 1 fluidrachm is used to treat amenorrhoea, dropsy, urine retention, asthma, dyspepsia, cough, and dyspnoea. Tincture is prepared by gathering fresh root in full vigor then pounding to a pulp. The pulp is then weighed and mixed with two parts by weight alcohol and let stand for eight days. The mix is then decanted, strained, and filtered.


Mint 

Location: usually cultivated be sometimes escapes
Culinary use: Can add to salads or other foods
Other use: an aromatic oil can be extracted


Mountain Pink
Centaurium beyrichii

Location: rocky limestone hills of central and southwestern parts of the state
Flower: late spring into summer


Mullein
Verbascum thapsus

Location: in sunny disturbed ground, fields, and open woods statewide
Flower: spring-fall


Nettle, Stinging
Cnidosolus texanus

Location:
Culinary use: Young nettles are tender and require little cooking, high in vitamin A and C. Also up to 40% protein. Starch can be extracted from the root, but it is difficult to remove from the ground, and is very fiberous.
NOTE: If you are stung by the spines, you can stop the burning by applying a weak solution of ammonia (such as windex), rinsing with cold water (but it takes a while), or if you are not squeamish by using urine.


Plantain, Heller's
Plantago helleri

Location: central and southwestern Texas in sand or gravel on hillsides
Flower:
Culinary use: Good in salad and high in vitamin A and C
Medical use: Used to treat pulmonary ailments. Decoction of roots is used to treat tertian intermittent 1-4 oz for chill Infusion of seeds in milk checks hemorrhages from mucous surfaces. Fibrous strings in the petioles are used for aching teeth when placed in the ear of the affected side and helps to treat the bites of venomous reptiles and insects. Tincture is prepared by gathering the plant when it is coming into flower and then pounded to a pulp. The pulp is weighed and twice its weight in alcohol is added, allowed to stand for eight days, and strained. 


Pokeweed, Small
Rivina humilis

Location: in south, west, and parts of north Texas in shade, woods, shrubs, and along streams in limestone soil.


Ragweed
Ambrosia artemisiaefoila

Location:
Medical use: used to check discharges, mercurial ptyalism, leucorrhoea, and septic forms of diarrhea, dysentery, and enteritis. also an emmenagogue, febrifuge, and anthelmintic. The whole plant should be gathered at the height of the flowering season to retain pollen. Macerated for fourteen days in twice its weight of absolute alcohol, being kept in the dark and shaken twice a day. The tincture is then pressed, strained, and filtered.


Sage, Mealy
Salvia farinacea

Location: west, south, and parts of northern Texas in dry limestone soil
Flower: spring-fall


Senna
Cassia lindheimeriana

Location: mainly in west Texas along the Rio Grande and south into Brownsville in dry limestone soil
Medical use: used as a laxative, vermifuge, and cathartic to treat colic in infants, exaustion, nitrogenous wastes, sleeplessness, and sneezing.
Dose: tincture 1-2 tbs.., of powder 10-20 grains, and of infusion 1/2 - 1c steeped 30 min.
WARNING: DO NOT ADMINISTER IN INFLAMMATORY CONDITIONS


Skullcap
Scutellaria drummondii

Location: most of Texas except in the panhandle and east Texas Pineywoods
Flower: late summer-winter


Silverleaf Nightshade
Solanum elaeagnifolium

Location: statewide in disturbed soils
Flower: spring-fall
Medical use: Treats cutaneous diseases, syphilitic conditions, excites venereal functions, leprosy, teeter, eczema, scrofula, rheumatic and cachectic affections, ill-conditioned ulcers, glandular swellings, obstructed menstruation, and as a treatment of cancers. Tea is taken 1-2 cups is good for skin/hair diseases and worms. Bark in vodka is taken a few drops at a time for heart disease
Dose: 1 tsp. of cut or powdered leaf in 1 pt of boiling water and steep for 1/2 hour, 1 teaspoon full in 1 c of boiling water as required. Of the tincture 10-20 drops in water 3-4 times per day Externally 1 lb of bark is heated slowly in 1 lb of lard for 8 hours treats painful tumors, ulcers, irritated skin, piles, burns, scalds, etc...


Sunflower
Helianthus annuus

Location: statewide in fields and disturbed soil often covering large areas
Flower: spring-fall
Culinary use: seeds make flour and oil, or roasted. Oil is released by boiling till the oil floated to the top


Trillium, Red
Trillium gracile

Location: far east Texas along the Louisiana border in pine woods though locally diminishing
Flower: spring
Medical use: used as an astringent, restringent, pectoral, tonic, antiseptic, alterative. treats hematuria, uterine hemorrhage, metrorrhagia, hematemesis, leucorrhoea, menorrhoea, and restringent after parturition. Leaves boiled in lard is good for ulcers and tumors Root poultice is good for tumors, indolent and offensive ulcers, insect stings, and to restrain gangrene. Tincture of fresh root treats catarrh of bladder, climacteric, diabetes, dysentery, fainting with flooding, fibroma hemorrhages from, hemorrhages postpartum, antepartum, menorrhagia, metrorrhagia, writer's cramp. Roots are used as an aid to lessen pain during delivery. Tubers are used for external ulcers and inflammation A tincture is prepared from the tubers 1:2 by weight, the tincture is decanted off and a heavy cream sediment should remain
Dose: useful in pulmonary conditions, root with slippery elm and lobelia Lobelia inflata in powder form 10-20 grains 1 tsp. of powdered root boiled in 1 pt of milk is good for diarrhea and dysentery 1 tsp of powdered root in 1 c boiling water 2-3 c per day


Verbena, Prairie
Glandularia bipinnatifida

Location: statewide in sunny, sandy or calcareous soil, forming colonies
Flower: nearly year round, but mainly in the spring


Violet, Prairie
Viola sororia, missouriensis

Location: in east Texas except for a few colonies in north and west Texas. grows in moist woods along rivers and streams
Culinary use: the entire plant can be eaten and is extremely rich in vitamin A and C. Very mild tasting. The flowers can be used to flavor foods such as vinegar, sugar, and drinks


Water-Lilly, White
Nymphaea odorata

Location: east Texas, a large aquatic plant rooted in mud, ponds, lakes, and slow moving streams
Flower: spring-fall
Culinary use: Fresh leaves are boiled and eaten as greens
Medical use: A decoction of root are used for leucorrhoea, and a maceration in poultice form treats suppurating glands and styptic Juice of roots and lemons are used as a facial astringent to treat pimples Tincture is prepared from root gathered in the fall then chopped and pounded to a pulp then weighed. Two parts by weight of alcohol is added and stirred well. Then let sit for eight days and strained.  
Other use: fresh roots substitute for soap


Yarrow, Milfoil
Achillea millefolium
Location: north and northeast Texas in partial shade, fields and at the forest edge
Flower: spring-summer