Yerba Mansa (Anemopsis Californica)

MATERIA MEDICA MATERIA Anemopsis californica (yerba mansa) Monograph Dara Saville nemopsis californica (yerba regarding the continuum of use. Across the Dara Saville is the founder of mansa), once known as Houttuynia Southwest, numerous nations have documented Albuquerque Herbalism, a biore- californica, is a legendary uses for yerba mansa, which was frequently gional herbal studies program, medicinal plant that forms considered an herb for many ailments, especially and the Executive Director of the Yerba Mansa Project, a non-prof- spreading stands in wetlands and for purification and the treatment of respiratory A it organization. She has an MS in riparian habitats in the arid American Southwest conditions and wound care. According to Geography and Environmental and Mexico. Its uniqueness is readily noticed by ethnobotanist Jan Timbrook, Chumash People Studies from the University its gleaming white flowers composed of bracts have traditionally made tea of the root and of New Mexico and is also a that reflect the ever-changing layers of muted rhizomes as a wash for wounds and a drink graduate of Tierona LowDog’s light characteristic of the desert landscape. for colds, asthma, urinary disorders, venereal Foundations of Herbal Medicine Furthermore, it is one of only six plants in the disease, and blood purification (1987). Dr. James program. A former community global Saururaceae family and singular in the D. Adam Jr. and Frank Lemos, who worked herbalist, her current work genus Anemopsis. Considered to be a paleo-herb, alongside Chumash healer Cecilia Garcia (1955- involves teaching herbalists, organizing the community to un- yerba mansa is ancient and believed to be close 2012), echoed this in their piece Healing Plants dertake native medicinal plant to the origins of monocotyledons (Carlquist et al. of the Chumash (2003) and they added that the restoration on public lands, 1995). Its floral anatomy, morphology, growth, root and rhizome has also been traditionally working with local schools to en- and development have been discussed by Quibel prepared as a soak for arthritis or venereal gage students in medicinal plant (1941) and Tucker (1985). In the Southwest diseases. Ethnographer John P. Harrington studies, and fostering a renewed yerba mansa is considered by many to be an listed in an unpublished document an additional land connection through public essential apothecary remedy, a panacea, and a unclarified use of chewing or drinking the root events and field trips. Dara is universally important herb of elevated stature or inhaling steam to strengthen and protect a regular columnist for Plant (George 1877, Webster 1909, Munk 1913, a person “carrying dangerous substances” Healer Quarterly, an instructor in UNM’s Holistic Health Program, Curtin 1965, Timbrook 1987, and others). (Timbrook 1987). Leland C. Wyman and Stuart and a board member of the K. Harris (1941) documented how Navajos Albuquerque Chapter of the New Medical History traditionally use the herb as a diuretic for the Mexico Native Plant Society. The history of medicinal use for yerba mansa is treatment of venereal disease, hematuria, pelvic She is also the author of her first extensive throughout the plant’s natural range pain, bladder stones, and anuria. Pueblo People forthcoming book through UNM and includes multi-cultural ethnobotanical, including the Tewa used a root decoction for Press, Ecological Herbalism: eclectic, and scientific sources of information stomach ache (Robbins et al. 1916) and in his Medicinal Plants and Living Land- scapes of the Southwest. J A H G Volume 18 | Number 1 | Spring 2020 Journal of the American Herbalists Guild 33 master’s thesis, Volney H. Jones described how and Leonora Scott Muse Curtin (1908, 1949- the Isleta use yerba mansa leaves powdered for 1984) described how the Pima, like many other burns and wounds or chewed fresh and applied Southwestern Indigenous Peoples, consider yerba as a poultice to burns (1931). George R. Swank mansa one of the most important of all plants and documented similar uses for the herb by the they reported numerous uses including preparing Acoma and Laguna Peoples in his thesis The powdered roots as a poultice for upset stomach, Ethnobotany of the Acoma and Laguna Indians root decoction or chewing roots for as an emetic MATERIA MEDICA MATERIA (1932). or for coughs including tuberculosis treatments, Ethnobotanists Julian Steward and Shirley C. and a root tea or root held in the mouth for colds Tucker (1933, 1941) took note of how Paiute, and dry cough with itchy or sore throat. Curtin Shoshone, and Washoe Peoples traditionally also documented that the Pima traditionally use it boil the leaves as a bath for muscular pain for colds by drinking tea while covered in blankets and achy feet; mash the decocted roots and to increase diaphoresis, as a warm bath for apply it as a poultice for swellings or used as revitalization when fatigued, syphilis wash, and an antiseptic wash; a root decoction for upset for wound treatments by washing with a decoction stomach, colds, or as a laxative; and root or leaf or applying powdered roots and then bandaging tea for gonorrhea. Meanwhile, Castetter and with a leaf poultice (1949-1984). Costanoan Underhill (1935) reported an interesting use People used yerba mansa similarly as a wound for yerba mansa among the Papago. In their wash or powdered root poultice but also prepared work Ethnobiological Studies in the American root decoctions for menstrual cramps and general Southwest II, they describe how the Papago pain relief (Bocek 1984). In Temalpakh (from the drank the leaf tea as an emetic and used it in earth): Cahuilla Indian Knowledge and Usage of purification rituals for men who had killed an Plants (1972), Lowell John Bean and Katherine As Anemopsis californica enemy whereby other men would blow tobacco S. Saubel both discuss how broadly used yerba matures, it begin to redden. CREDIT: downtowngal, smoke over the person while holding the root mansa is among the Cahuilla for numerous SOURCE: Wikimedia Commons in their mouths. Ethnobotanists Frank Russell conditions including decocting or powdering the 34 J A H G Volume 18 | Number 1 | Spring 2020 Journal of the American Herbalists Guild MATERIA MEDICA MATERIA root for the treatment of coughs and respiratory ulcers, burns, and injuries of the mucus membranes congestion and pleurisy as well as for ulcers and such as in cases of oral, sinus, throat, vaginal, wounds. Marice L. Zigmond mentions similar uses digestive, or hemorrhoidal irritation (Moore among the Kawaiisu People in his book Kawaiisu 1990). Leaf or root tea is also used for colic, Ethnobotany (1981) and Voegelin (193) noted upset stomachs, and fevers or applied topically that among the Tübatulabal People, the usual for swellings or disorders of the blood (Steward root decoction for colds was employed. He also 1933, Curtin 1965, Moore 1990). One unusual noted the use of salt grass (presumably Distichlis recipe documented by Curtin is an ointment for spicata) crystals as a laxative. This is noteworthy the treatment of in conjunction with the widespread reported use piles: powdered of yerba mansa as a laxative, emetic, or otherwise native tobacco purifying treatment. The eclectic physician Joseph (presumably ...these reports collectively Amasa Munk describes the yerba mansa and salt Nicotiana show a continuum of similar and grass co-occurring relationship: “the needle-pointed attenuata) with salt-grass often pierces entirely through the body chewing tobacco overlapping uses among different of the [root]” (1909). This underground union and “a bit of old of the two plants in the landscape and as healing sole leather that groups of people across remedies for people is a unique relationship that has been heated informs our use of their medicine. The electrolytes in a fire until it yerba mansa’s historic range. sodium and chloride occurring in salt crystals are has become red commonly used to protect against dehydration, and then cooled a perfect pairing when yerba mansa is used as a and ground” all mixed together with yerba mansa laxative or other systemic moving agent. Usage of root and beef drippings. Another recipe recorded yerba mansa certainly did not stop at the United by Curtin was for bloody dysentery: boil an egg soft States border. Indigenous Peoples throughout the enough that the white remains fluid, then remove southern part of Turtle Island (North America), top of the eggshell so that powdered yerba mansa including those in Mexico, used the plant similarly. root can be added and this is consumed directly Felger and Beck Moser (1985) documented from the shell. uses among the Seri, who have traditionally Yerba mansa was first described and brought prepared a number of remedies including: whole to the attention of eclectic physicians in 1877 by plant decoction as a wash or compress that was Dr. W. H. George of Inyo County California, who considered best medicine for treatment of sores; reported in the Eclectic Medicine Journal that it a tea held in the mouth for tooth infections, was regarded as a panacea or universal remedy sometimes combining it with Hyptis emoryi (desert in the traditions of local Indigenous nations and lavender) or Opuntia fulgida (jumping cholla); tea Spaniards. George described it as having tonic, with Mentha sp. (mint species) taken to improve stimulant, astringent, carminative, antiemetic, conception; or making a decoction along with and aromatic properties useful in treatments for Hymenoclea salsola (burrobrush) or Koeberlinia

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