Herbs of Utnapisjtim: The Master Thread

Herbs of Utnapisjtim
In this series I seek out to analyse common weeds, trees and other well known and other times not so well known plants, digging up info about their inner chemistry and their medical properties and applications, their place in lore and history and so on, presenting my research and experiences in a shortened and easily available format for easy access and quick reference. I intend to post a new plant atleast once a day for a while until the most important ones have been dealt with.

Seeing several people have expressed the need for a Master thread for indexing, I figured I'd put one together.

As per Saturday 15 March 2014 the following herbs have been covered:
[1] Agrimonia [Agrimonia Eupatoria] ==> www.abovetopsecret.com...
[2] Yarrow [Achillea Millefolium] ==> www.abovetopsecret.com...
[3] Plantain [Plantago Major] ==> www.abovetopsecret.com...
[4] Dandelion [Taraxacum Officinale] ==> www.abovetopsecret.com...
[5] Burdock [Arctium] ==> www.abovetopsecret.com...
[6] Aspen [Populus Tremula] ==> www.abovetopsecret.com...
[7] Garlic [Allium Sativum] ==> www.abovetopsecret.com...
[8] Elderberry [Sambucus Nigra] ==> www.abovetopsecret.com...
[9] Nettles [Urtica Dioica] ==> www.abovetopsecret.com...
[10] Common Sage [Salvia Officinalis] ==> www.abovetopsecret.com...
[11] St John's Wort [Hypericum Perforatum] ==> www.abovetopsecret.com...
[12] Ironwood [Guaiacum Officinale] ==> www.abovetopsecret.com...

My hope is that when people go out digging the weeds in their lawns, they will know better than to just toss them away afterwards. Many of these plants are great medical herbs with long standing and often well documented effects on many health related issues, and many of them taste good and are often excellent foods. We all need to eat more fruit and vegetables. Start up by adding dandelion leaves to your salad, just cut away the stem, it's rather bitter.

Excellent, thank you. Whenever spring decides to show its face, I plan to go looking for wild garlic and other goodies.

reply to post by aboutface


The first flowers are in bloom here already. And it's a week ago I heard the first blackbird sing. Nearly no snow left, and the temperature and weather generally is getting there too, with doors and windows open. I love this time of year.

reply to post by Utnapisjtim


After seeing how many of the threads seem to also be about plant minerals, I posted a new thread:

Herbs of Utnapisjtim: The Mineral Thread ==> www.abovetopsecret.com...

I know some people may think I am spamming a wee bit with all the threads popping up in no time, just relax, the frequency will go down soon as the basics get covered. So bear with me

reply to post by Utnapisjtim


No, you are making a really good series, please continue and be herbal and multiply.

Aleister

be herbal and multiply.

Hehe. Thanks. Kudos.

reply to post by Utnapisjtim

Good to have a central thread on the plants.

Nettle (urtica family?) could be a good one for you to look at.
A great plant for nutrition and minerals,but not to be over used.
Great as a Spinach type plant in omlettes with garlic and cheese-boiled lightly first though to kill the stings.
A very under rated plant-treated as a "weed"(No such thing IMO)by most folks,
but a great all round plant really.
Makes very strong cordage-use the skin in thin strips,twisted or plaited together.
Tough,long lasting baskets can be weaved.

Almost as strong as the Mother of all natural fibres-Hemp,the plant which has been demonised by todays society for stupid reasons sadly.

Thank you again for your herb threads Utnapisjtim.

Silcone Synapse
reply to post by Utnapisjtim

 

Good to have a central thread on the plants.

Nettle (urtica family?) could be a good one for you to look at.

Indeed, I am working on it. Quite a lot to read through to get the good idea. A little unsure how I will present it, and that was the reason I made the elderberry one today and not nettles. Not sure whether to use the old classification system for this one, I sure am tempted,
##snipped##

And there you let the damn cat out of the bag. Now what do we do? Come kitty kitty....

[9] Nettles [Urtica Dioica]
Thanks to Silcone Synapse and others for requesting a thread on nettles. From now on forward the Herbs of Utnapisjtim series will continue in this thread.

Nettles is a loose cannon in respect to taxonomy. Stinging nettles, or Urtica currently is still being placed in the Rosales order, but it's nowdays been given it's own family name, Urticaceae. About 100+ years ago it was concidered a close relative of hemp, in the Cannabaceae principality, and it would make sense, for they share many things, like how they grow and what they look like. Like hemp, nettles come in many strains since they adapt very quick to it's environment and it's lovelife is somewhat similar to that of hemp with new strains and hybrids showing up every now and then. It's about as versatile as hemp, fibres matching those of flax, and paper can be made from it of many qualities. Fabrics spun and woven from nettle is said to be as strong as hemp and as soft as cotton. And of course nettles and hemp look sort of similar.

'In Scotland, I have eaten nettles, I have slept in nettle sheets, and I have dined off a nettle tablecloth. The young and tender nettle is an excellent potherb. The stalks of the old nettle are as good as flax for making cloth. I have heard my mother say that she thought nettle cloth more durable than any other species of linen.' (botanical.com, link below)

Very good for the soil, or atleast nettles growing is a good indicator of the soil being rich in phosphates and nitrogen, it should be welcomed near any compost bin, and my dad says that there should be nettles in every garden and even works as a wasp repellent growing along the brook by the fence in his garden.

Nettles are good to to eat too. When we were lads we were taught how to eat them fresh by an old man. He taught that only skin with hairs in it will be stung, so inside your hands and mouth nettle won't sting you, since there are no hair follicles there. The nettle's sting delivers an array of chemicals including "acetylcholine, histamine, 5-HT (serotonin), moroidin, leukotrienes, and possibly formic acid" (see wikipedia article below). Much the same is also found in those nasty jellyfish we call them 'Brannmaneider', in English it seems to go by the name 'Lion's mane jellyfish' and is part of the Cnidaria also called 'sea nettles'. Swich back to the Plantae kingdom, nettles taste good and are among my favorite snacks of nature, eating some if I pass one. Good for cooking, it makes very good soup, just make sure to season it and give in some salt. There are many recipes around, feel free to experiment. Boiling or steaming it (or even soaking it) in water will disarm it's sting. Like hemp it is a friend of anyone with those troublesome allergies, and it will relieve bronchial and asthmatic troubles, partly since it's contained antihistamines which ease the symptoms, particularly in traditional hay-fever or running eyes. Juice from root and leaves mixed with some honey or sugar is one simple recipe.

Most nettles are rich in vitamins A and C and contains generous amounts of many important minerals, like calcium, iron, manganese and potassium. It's also rich in proteins, peaking up to 25% when in bloom. Since it contains 3,4-divanillyltetrahydrofuran, nettle extracts are popular among certain bodybuilders "in an effort to increase free testosterone by occupying sex-hormone binding globulin" and further "Extracts of Urtica dioica leaves may help with glycemic control in type 2 diabetes patients that need to use insulin." (wikipedia link below) Also, as quoted from witchipedia.com linked below: "Nettle tea, steamed nettles and other preparations containing nettle may be given to pregnant and lactating women and animals to keep them strong and healthy and to increase milk production. // A traditional remedy for rheumatism calls for smacking the affected area with fresh nettles, sting and all to relieve pain and inflammation." not that I would recommend this painful couter-effective flagelancy as a treatment of rheumatism though, but included the quote to show that the pain involved in rheumatism is very real and a laugh can clear away many ailnesses, at least momentarily

Nettles have been used traditionally to treat a wide range of health related ailments, including arthritis, since it has the ability to reduce certain cytokines (TNF-α and IL-1B) in the tissue connecting the joints. Fresh leaves and tea has been used "for treatment of disorders of the kidneys and urinary tract, gastrointestinal tract, locomotor system, skin, cardio-vascular system, hemorrhage, flu, rheumatism and gout" and apparently it is good for the prostate and hair or fur leaving it all fluffy and soft (wikipedia link below).

Nettle beer anyone?

These days almost all beers are flavoured with hops, but you might be surprised to learn that it wasn’t always so. In fact, hopped beer has only been popular in the UK for the last five hundred years – less than a quarter of the time that we’ve been brewing. Before hops took hold, beers were flavoured with herb mixes known as ‘gruit’ which could contain any number of things, including bog myrtle, mugwort, heather, ground ivy and henbane. The Celts may have used nettles for making nettle beer as far back as the Bronze Age but there’s no way to know, since they didn’t keep written records!

(Excerpt from farminmypocket.co.uk, link below)

According to botanical.com juice of nettles is actually an antidote to it's sting, and nettles often grow together with dock, and it also cures the sting of the dock. There's an olde rhyme that goes 'Nettle in, dock out -- Dock rub nettle out!' Rosemary, Mint or Sage leaves also cancel out the nettles' sting. It also works as antidote to poisoning by hemlock, henbane and nightshade which is useful to know, but I don't know it's effectiveness.

Sources:
en.wikipedia.org...
www.botanical.com...
Nettles on Witchipedia
bioweb.uwlax.edu...
www.farminmypocket.co.uk...

reply to post by Utnapisjtim


Just to inform you that the links of the indexed threads in the OP can be grouped in two. Links from [1] through [8] leads to seperate threads on each one, while [9] and onwards will be links to posts here in this one 'Herbs of Utnapisjtim: Master Thread'. I hope this transition will run smoothly as I intend to continue posting new herb species regularily. I believe it's a good solution, so

Thanks to the mods and admin for finding this solution. And thanks to all of you out there who have contributed to the quality of these threads. All much obliged

reply to post by Utnapisjtim


I am carefully watching the nettles at the moment as I plan on making some nettle and potato soup. They are just coming through but should be just right before the end of the week. For cooking purposes, the leaves need to be young and tender. Vigorous as they are though, if you cut them regularly, they will, much like most herbs, keep producing leaves suitable for the pot for a much longer period than if allowed to get leggy. Plus, it prevents them from seeding, and spreading any further than you want them to.

reply to post by KilgoreTrout


Kool. It's a great herb and makes for good soups. If you're by the sea, use a part seawater for flavour, that will also add trace amounts of selene to the dish.

Utnapisjtim
reply to post by KilgoreTrout

 

Kool. It's a great herb and makes for good soups. If you're by the sea, use a part seawater for flavour, that will also add trace amounts of selene to the dish.

Oh I wish! When I am not wishing for a deep, dark wood to live in, I am longing for the sound of the sea...but I only ever use sea salt in cooking...not nearly as romantic, but it'll have to do

KilgoreTrout

Utnapisjtim
reply to post by KilgoreTrout

 

Kool. It's a great herb and makes for good soups. If you're by the sea, use a part seawater for flavour, that will also add trace amounts of selene to the dish.

Oh I wish! When I am not wishing for a deep, dark wood to live in, I am longing for the sound of the sea...but I only ever use sea salt in cooking...not nearly as romantic, but it'll have to do

As for using seawater in cooking, after Fukushima, Exxon Valdes, Deepwater Horizon and other accidents seawater is not what seawater was. Spring is here, boat sea-son....

reply to post by Utnapisjtim


awesome work Utnapisjtim... thanx

dont forget PARSLEY.... it should be in the TOP 10....

everyone,,almost,, can get it easy... it comes with food in restaurants etc etc

and its easy to grow... but dont let it get too dry, it doesnt like droughts,,,!

parsley (Petroselenium sp) contains good levels of Vit A, vit C + vit K en.wikipedia.org...

and parsley also contains Apigenin... en.wikipedia.org...

parsley is said to be good for helping with... digestion/ kidney and urinary tract probs/ bad breath...

Parsley is a source of Flavonoid, and Antioxidants (especially luteolin), apigenin,[15] folic acid, vitamin K, vitamin C, and vitamin A. Half a of tablespoon (a gram) of dried parsley contains about 6.0 µg of lycopene and 10.7 µg of alpha carotene as well as 82.9 µg of Lutein+Zeaxanthin and 80.7 µg of beta carotene.[16]
Excessive consumption of parsley should be avoided by pregnant women. It is safe in normal food quantities, but large amounts may have uterotonic effects

see: en.wikipedia.org...



seeya

shaneR
reply to post by Utnapisjtim

 

awesome work Utnapisjtim... thanx

No problem. It's a pleasure doing this kind of research.

dont forget PARSLEY.... it should be in the TOP 10....

There are actually quite a few balls in the air for the 10th species. Parsley is now added to the drill. I do believe I will go for Sage though, with it's positive connection to clearity of mind and common sense. Another one is rowan, Selfheal is yet another being a great astringent resource and full of interesting chemicals. There seem to some kind of lore connected to this one. Mandrake... there are a few more on my list. Guess we'll just have to see what I figure out tomorroe for which herb I decide to research.

reply to post by Utnapisjtim


hi again Utnapisjtim and thanx again

it should / could be a TOP 100...

i mentioned PARSLEY because it is SO easy to get... some of the others (selfheal eg) is harder to find ( i think)

U mentioned probably the best / EASIEST already = DANDELION... if only people realised how good it is....!!!

keep up the awesome work....

+ seeya

Common Sage [Salvia Officinalis]
Common sage or garden sage, or simply sage, is an evergreen medical herb of the Lamiaceae family, that also has culinary properties as a spice (Americans would typically stuff it up the far end of a turkey once a year). Originally native to the Mediterranean region, it has been spread around the globe, mostly found in gardens among other spices and medical herbs, but also in the wild.

Sage is to me sacred and it somehow makes me think of wizards and volves. It's like the saint that is recognised and exhalted, but somehow forgotten and neglected and left alone in a way. It has so many interesting properties-- especially it's psychoactive element and it's use as a natural antidepressant being known as a comfort to the sad, and in a double blind, randomized and placebo-controlled trial it proved to have positive effects on Alzheimer's disease, as it seems to strengthen the memory. Also, an astringent it is great for stopping or reducing bleeding, and was traditionally used to ease women's troubles due to it being astringent and antihemorrhagic [stops bleeding][1]:

• Sage is used for digestive problems, including loss of appetite, gas (flatulence), stomach pain (gastritis), diarrhea, bloating, and heartburn. It is also used for reducing overproduction of perspiration and saliva; and for depression, memory loss, and Alzheimer's disease.
  
• Women use sage for painful menstrual periods, to correct excessive milk flow during nursing, and to reduce hot flashes during menopause.
  
• Sage is applied directly to the skin for cold sores; gum disease (gingivitis); sore mouth, throat or tongue; and swollen, painful nasal passages.
  
• Some people inhale sage for asthma.
  
• In foods, sage is used as a commonly used spice.
  
• In manufacturing, sage is used as a fragrance component in soaps and cosmetics.
  

However, "Known as a diaphoretic herb, hot sage tea will increase the flow of bodily fluids (e.g. perspiration and delayed periods) and decrease the flow when taken cold." and an important detail: "Sage is to be avoided during pregnancy as it can stimulate uterine contractions."[2] Like yarrow, it contains certain amounts of thujone. Concidered toxic to the brain, and being a stimulant of the nervous system that may induce anxiety, many countries therefore have regulations for how much thujone is allowed for consumptions in food and drink. That said, common sage is perfectly legal and it still has an array of medical benefits, esp. it's immune-system stimulating effects[3].

Together with garlic, common sage was one of the main ingrediences in the promised 'Four Thieves Vinegar' that was used to ward off the plague[4] and Sage is also prominent for warding off black magic and curses. "An old English custom states that eating Sage every day in May will grant immortality. It was also said that a woman who ate sage cooked in wine would never be able to conceive and its fresh leaves were said to cure warts." and back to it's psychoactive properties: "The Romans regarded sage quite highly and much sacrifice and ceremony was associated with its harvest. They believed it stimulated the brain and memory" and "Sage is sacred to the Greek Zeus and Roman Jupiter. It is also a symbol of the Virgin Mary."[5].

Sources:
[x] ==> www.amazon.com...
[x] ==> en.wikipedia.org...
[1] ==> Sage on webmd.com
[2] ==> botanical.com...
[3] ==> en.wikipedia.org...
[4] ==> en.wikipedia.org...
[5] ==> Sage at Witchipedia

Having brewed a hearty Sage Ale, I can contest to the thujone being there. I was on the verge of Saki-silly, and no depressant effect like that of hopped beers. And, any rub on lamb is not complete without sage in my opinion.

The Sage Ale Recipe I used is from Sacred and Herbal Healing Beers by Stephen Harrod Buhner.
Adapted from Page 197.
4 Pounds Malt Extract
2 Pounds Brown Belgian Candy Sugar
1/4 Pound Fresh Sage During Boil
1/4 Pound Sage in Fermenter During Primary
5 Gallons Water for full boil
British Ale Yeast.

I forgot about the ale for over a year, and, it was nothing short of an herbal cola... Delicious. It made many a merry night


Oh, and of note; The volatile oils of sage are not especially water solute and require alcohol to effectively extract them from the plant. Sage ales benefit from adding sage to the fermenter so that as the yeast produces alcohol, the more active constituents [thujone] are diffused into the ale. [Page 203, not exactly verbatim]

J.B. Aloha
Having brewed a hearty Sage Ale, I can contest to the thujone being there. I was on the verge of Saki-silly, and no depressant effect like that of hopped beers. And, any rub on lamb is not complete without sage in my opinion.

That beer sounds great. When the Germans defined their 'Reinheitsgebot' or the 'Bavarian Purity Law' in 1516, hops were the only herb allowed in the brewing process. However, original 'Pilsen' lager recipes allowed a wide array of herbs, primarly henbane, but also wormwood, yarrow and other often bitter herbs with similar psychoactive effects as that of hops, most often mild sedatives. Unlike stinging nettles, hops is still classified as a plant in the Cannabaceae family, and actually has much the same medicinal properties as it's famed cousins.

Oh, and of note; The volatile oils of sage are not especially water solute and require alcohol to effectively extract them from the plant. Sage ales benefit from adding sage to the fermenter so that as the yeast produces alcohol, the more active constituents [thujone] are diffused into the ale. [Page 203, not exactly verbatim]

Yes, using alcohol or ether and other strong solvents for extraction, is a good idea if one you are aware of the dangers involved. and want to extract those gems hidden inside many, if not most herbs. But be careful, for the result will be concentrated chemicals of varying toxicity depending on which plant you are using. We wouldnt want people to extract and drink sarin, would we?