originally posted: March 25, 2002 | by chelsie

The dumbcanes (Dieffenbachia Schott spp.) are native to tropical America. The genus has been well known for hundreds of years as being toxic. The plants contain an undefined proteolytic (protein breaking) enzyme and microscopic needle-like oxalate crystals (raphides) within the leaves and stem. [Click here to read more...]

originally posted: March 18, 2002 | by chelsie

In the 1590s, when John Gerard was writing The Herbal or General History of Plants, he spoke of the three leafed grasses, "There be diverse sorts...and first...the meadow trefoiles, called in Irish Shamrocks." Gerard identified them as Trifolium pratense, a name which he dates to the 'Latine'. The name Trifolium pratense stands today, though Hortus III identifies the shamrock as Trifolium procumbens. [Click here to read more...]

originally posted: March 11, 2002 | by chelsie

The lily-of-the-valley (Convallaria majalis Linnaeus) is said to signify happiness. This European native perennial contains twenty cardioactive glycosides (having a specific action on the heart muscle); the most significant is convallatoxin. [Click here to read more...]

originally posted: March 4, 2002 | by chelsie

Moly or sorcerers garlic (Allium spp.) is a plant of legends, said to protect against sorcerers, witches, and vampires. Probably the first mention of this garlic is the story of Odysseus told in Homer's Odyssey (eighth century BCE?). Odysseus and the crew of the "fast black ship" could not get themselves back to Greece after the Trojan War and sailed the Mediterranean for years. [Click here to read more...]

originally posted: February 25, 2002 | by chelsie

Garden thyme (Thymus vulgaris Linnaeus) is a centuries-old potherb native to the western Mediterranean. The herb was called thymon by the ancient Greeks from thyein meaning to make a burnt offering. Thyme was burned as incense in temples and later to sanctify or purify houses. [Click here to read more...]

originally posted: February 18, 2002 | by chelsie

Native to southern Europe, the pot marigold (Calendula officinalis Linnaeus) has been considered both a medicinal and culinary herb since ancient times. One of the earliest references is attributed to Macer*. He believed that one only needed to look upon the 'golde' to draw wicked humours out of the head and to restore eyesight. [Click here to read more...]

originally posted: February 11, 2002 | by chelsie

Rhea Silvia was a vestal, a maiden dedicated to the goddess Vesta. Mars, the god of agriculture saw Silvia one day while she was drawing water in a sacred grove. He fell in love and changed into a wolf to hunt her. During an eclipse of the sun, Mars promised to make Silvia the mother of heroes. [Click here to read more...]

originally posted: February 4, 2002 | by chelsie

Catnip (Nepeta cataria Linnaeus) is a well-known legal recreational herb for felines. This mint is native to Eurasia. Catnip was grown in ancient Greece and Rome for household cats. The active chemical in catnip is a terpene, nepetalactone. [Click here to read more...]

originally posted: January 28, 2002 | by chelsie

The dent de lion (Taraxacum officinale Wiggers) is a potherb from Europe. The herb was carried world-wide intentionally by those who valued its medicinal use and inadvertently in straw used as animal bedding. The herb was valued as a tonic, but attitudes change especially in the 'light' of advertising, and the dandelion is now a weed. [Click here to read more...]

originally posted: January 21, 2002 | by chelsie

The golden-shower tree (Cassia fistula Linnaeus) has cascading racemes of fragrant, brilliant yellow flowers during the summer. Native to Asia, the tree grows to about 30 feet. Linnaeus officially named it Cassia fistula in 1753, but the tree was listed under that name in John Gerard's The Herbal in 1633. The tree was commonly called the pudding-pipe. [Click here to read more...]

originally posted: January 14, 2002 | by chelsie

Linnaeus had no respect for lichen calling these colonial organisms, "the poor peasants of the plant world". Lichen were not even scientifically studied until the mid-1800s. Considering these small colonies cover ten times the area of the earth as rainforests, perhaps more attention should come their way. But studied or not, lichen have been useful. [Click here to read more...]

originally posted: January 7, 2002 | by chelsie

Houseleeks or hen-and-chicks (Sempervivum tectorum Linnaeus) are native to central and southern Europe and the islands of the Mediterranean. Houseleeks were considered sacred to Jupiter in Roman mythology and Thor in Teutonic. In both mythologies, it is said the god's beard can be seen in the flowers. Both gods were associated with thunderbolts so houseleeks planted on the roof protected the structure against lightning and fire. [Click here to read more...]