A Guide to Medicinal Plants of Appalachia
LACTUCA SCARZOLA L. (ASTERACEAE) COMMON NAMES: Prickly lettuce, compass plant, wild let- tuce, wild opium. DESCRIPTION: An annual or perennial that grows to 2 feet in height. Flowers are yellow, but purple or bluish when dried. Stem has a few prickles. Leaves are cleft, with lobes arranged on either side of a common axis. FLOWERING PERIOD: June to October. HABITAT: Cultivated fields, waste or disturbed areas, dry soil, and gardens. HARVEST: Leaves in summer or fall; milky juice of the stem in summer. USES: The milky juice of this plant is extremely irritating to the eyes. The whole herb has been used as a diuretic, antispasmodic, and emollient. LACTUCA SCARZOLA L. (ASTERACEAE) LEONURUS CARDZACA L. (LAM1ACEAE) COMMON NAMES: Motherwort, common motherwort, lion's ear, lion's tail, lion's tart, throwwort. DESCRIPTION: A perennial that grows to 3 to 6 feet in height. Stems are stout, with 2- to 5-inch long petioled leaves. The palmately lobed leaves have sharp teeth. Flowers are white to pink, and very hairy. FLOWERING PERIOD: May to August. HABITAT: Waste places, roadsides, gardens, and pastures. HARVEST: Herb at flowering time. USES: The herb is used as a stimulant and emmenagogue. In Europe it has been used to treat heart palpitations and asthma. LEONURUS CARDZACA L. (LAMIACEAE) LZNDERA BENZOIN (L.) BLUME (LAURACEAE) COMMON NAMES: Common spicebush, auspice bush, Benja- min bush, feverbush, spiceberry, spicebush, wild allspice. DESCRIPTION: A deciduous shrub that grows to more than, 15 feet in height. Leaves are 3 to 5 inches long, alternate, elliptical, aromatic, with smooth margins. Produces greenish- -yellow flowers in dense clusters and long, bright red berries.
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