Medicinal plants Medicinal plants Aloe is a genus of succulent, flowering plants in the family Asphodelaceae, which contains about 400 different species. They are native to the drier parts of Africa, especially South Africa's Cape Province and the mountains of tropical Africa. ...more on Wikipedia about "Aloe"
Anise (stressed the first syllable, rhyming with "Janice"), or less common anís (stressed on the second syllable, as "a niece") (Pimpinella anisum) is an herb in the family Apiaceae (formerly Umbelliferae) whose seed-like fruit (also called aniseed) is used in sweet baking as well as in anise-flavored liqueurs (for example, ouzo). The fruit consists of two united carpels, called a cremocarp, and has a strong aromatic taste and a powerful odour. Anise seed is also used in some curries and seafood dishes, and is used as a breath sweetener and digestive aid. It is also used to make aniseed balls, a hard UK sweet. ...more on Wikipedia about "Anise"
The Bay Laurel (Laurus nobilis, Lauraceae), also known as True Laurel, Sweet Bay, Grecian Laurel, Laurel, or Bay Tree, is an evergreen tree or large shrub reaching 10–18 m tall, native to the Mediterranean region. ...more on Wikipedia about "Bay Laurel"
The Betel (Piper betle) is a spice whose leaves have medicinal properties. The plant is evergreen and perennial, with glossy heart-shaped leaves and white catkins, and grows to a height of about 1 metre. The Betel plant originated in Malaysia and now grows in India, Indonesia and Sri Lanka. The best Betel leaf is the "Magahi" variety (literally from the Magadha region) grown near Patna in Bihar, India. ...more on Wikipedia about "Betel"
Betel nut, also known as Pinang or Areca nut, is the seed of the Betel Palm (Areca catechu), a species of palm which grows in much of the tropical Pacific, Asia, and parts of east Africa. It is a medium-sized tree growing to 20 m tall, with a trunk 20-30 cm diameter. The leaves are 1.5-2 m long, pinnate, with numerous, crowded leaflets. ...more on Wikipedia about "Betel nut"
The bitterwood, quassiawood or quassia is the heartwood of Quassia amara (presumably the sole species in the genus Quassia). Bitterwood is famous for its use as a febrifuge; it contains quassin, a bitter-tasting substance. ...more on Wikipedia about "Bitterwood"
Blessed thistle is a thistle-like plant, Cnicus benedictus of the family Compositae, which includes the true thistles. A native of the Mediterranean and Western Europe, it has some use as a herb to promote lactation. It is sometimes also called Cursed Thistle. ...more on Wikipedia about "Blessed Thistle" Don't hesitate to contact stuff on shortopedia
Boxthorn (Lycium) is a genus (tribe Lycieae, family Solanaceae) of about 100 species of plants native throughout much of the sub-tropical zones of the world, mostly found in dry, semi-saline environments. Other names include Christmas berry, Matrimony vine, and the confusing "Tea-tree" (it is not related to tea, and with the foliage being toxic, should not be used as such). ...more on Wikipedia about "Boxthorn"
The Broadleaf Plantain or Greater Plantago (Plantago major) is a member of the plantago family, Plantaginaceae. In North America, this plant is primarily a weed, though it is edible and is used in herbal medicine. The plant is native to Europe, and is believed to be one of the first plants to naturalize in the colonies. ...more on Wikipedia about "Broadleaf Plantain"
The buchu, or buka, shrub's leaves were previously used to treat urinary tract infections and kidney stones and to increase the production of urine. The buchu include several shrubby plants belonging to the genus Barosma, order Rutaceae, natives of the Cape of Good Hope. The principal species, B. crenulata, has leaves of a smooth leathery texture, oblong- ovate in shape, from an inch to an inch and a half in length, with serrulate or crenulate margins, on which as well as on the under side are conspicuous oil-glands. The other species which yield buchu are B. serratifolia, having linear-lanceolate sharply serrulate leaves, and B. betulina, the leaves of which are cuneateobovate, with denticulate margins. They are all, as found in commerce, of a pale yellow-green color; they emit a peculiar aromatic odor, and have a minty and slightly astringent bitter taste. Buchu leaves contain a volatile oil, which is of a dark yellow color, and deposits a form of camphor on exposure to air, a liquid hydrocarbon being the solvent of the camphor within the oil glands. There is also present a minute quantity of a bitter principle. The leaves of a closely allied plant, Empleurum serratulum, are employed as a substitute or adulterant for buchu. As these possess no glands they are a worthless substitute. The British Pharmacopoeia contains an infusion and tincture of buchu. The former may be given in doses of an ounce and the latter in doses of a dram. The drug has the properties common to all substances that contain a volatile oil. The infusion contains very little of the oil and is of very slight value. Until the advent of the modern synthetic products buchu was valued in diseases of the urinary tract, but its use is now practically obsolete. ...more on Wikipedia about "Buchu"
The name cardamom (sometimes written cardamon) is used for species within three genera of the Ginger family ...more on Wikipedia about "Cardamom"
The colocynth, bitter apple, egusi, or vine of Sodom is a viny plant found in the Old World. It originally bore the scientific name Colocynthis citrullus, but it is now classified as Citrullus colocynthis. ...more on Wikipedia about "Colocynth"
Creeping cinquefoil (Potentilla reptans) is a plant in the Rosaceae family. ...more on Wikipedia about "Creeping Cinquefoil"
Dipterocarpus retusus is the most famous species in the genus Dipterocarpus. It is famed for its timber and resin. ...more on Wikipedia about "Dipterocarpus retusus"
Dropwort (Filipendula vulgaris), also known as Fern-leaf Dropwort is a perennial herb of the family Rosaceae closely related to Meadowsweet. It is found in dry pastures across much of Europe and central and northern Asia. It has finely-cut, radical leaves, fern-like in appearance, and an erect stem 50-80 cm tall bearing a loose terminal inflorescence of small white flowers. The tiny flowers appear in dense clusters from late spring to mid summer. ...more on Wikipedia about "Dropwort"
Gold Thread (Coptis teeta) is an herb found in the Himalayan regions of India, used medicinally as a bitter tonic for dyspepsia. ...more on Wikipedia about "Gold Thread"
Guaiacum officinale is one of the species yielding the true lignum vitae, a wood once used to treat syphilis. All species in this genus Guaiacum are CITES -listed. ...more on Wikipedia about "Guaiacum officinale"
Harpagophytum procumbens, also called grapple plant, wood spider and Devil's Claw, is a plant of the sesame family, native to South Africa. It got its name from its peculiar appearance. The plant's large tuberous roots are used medicinally to reduce pain and fever, to stimulate digestion. European colonists brought Devil's Claw home where it was used to treat arthritis. ...more on Wikipedia about "Harpagophytum"
Indian Berry (Anamirta cocculus) is a species of Anamirta native to southern Asia including India. It is a climbing shrub. ...more on Wikipedia about "Indian Berry"
The Jequirity, also called Black-eyed Susan, Rosary Pea or Indian Licorice (Abrus precatorius), is a legume with long, pinnate-leafleted leaves. Their seeds are often used as beads and in percussion instruments. The seed is highly poisonous but is unlikely to harm if swallowed raw and unbroken, as they have a hard seed coat. ...more on Wikipedia about "Jequirity"
Jesuit's Bark, also called the Peruvian Bark, is the historical name of the most celebrated specific remedy for all forms of malaria. It is so named because it was obtained from the bark of several species of the genus Cinchona, of the order Rubiaceae, that have been discovered at different times and are indigenous in the Western Andes of South America and were first described and introduced by Jesuit priests who did missionary work in Peru. Other terms referring to this preparation and its source were "Jesuit's Tree", "Jesuit's Powder" and "Pulvis Patrum" ...more on Wikipedia about "Jesuit's bark" If you like you could tell us your opinion about shortopedia
Liquorice ( Br.) or licorice ( Am.) is the root of Glycyrrhiza glabra, from which a sweet flavour can be extracted. The liquorice plant is a legume related to beans and peas and native to southern Europe and parts of Asia. It is a herbaceous perennial plant growing to 1 m tall, with pinnate leaves 7-15 cm long with 9-17 leaflets. The flowers are 8-12 mm long, purple to pale whitish blue, produced in a loose inflorescence. The fruit is an oblong pod 2-3 cm long containing several seeds. ...more on Wikipedia about "Liquorice"
The papaya, also known as mamao, tree melon, or pawpaw (not to be confused with the true pawpaw), is the fruit of the tree Carica papaya, in the genus Carica. Originally from southern Mexico, Central America and northern South America, the papaya is now cultivated in most tropical countries. ...more on Wikipedia about "Papaya"
Podophyllin is a drug obtained from the rhizome of the American Mayapple (‘’Podophyllum peltatum’’), an herbaceous perennial belonging to the natural order Berberidaceae, indigenous in woods in Canada and the United States. The plant is about 1 ft. high, bearing two peltate, deeply-divided leaves, which are about 5 in. in diameter, and bear in the axil a solitary, stalked, white flower, about the size and shape of the garden anemone, with six or more petals and twice as many hypogynous stamens. The fruit is ripe in July, and is an oval, yellowish, fleshy berry, containing twelve or more seeds, each surrounded by a pulpy outer coat or aril. The rhizome, as met with in commerce, occurs in cylindrical pieces 2 or 3 in. long and about 4 in. in diameter, of a chocolate or purplish-brown color, smooth, and slightly enlarged where the juncture of the leafy stem is indicated by a circular scar on the upper and a few broken rootlets on the under side. The odor is heavy and disagreeable, and the taste acrid and bitter. ...more on Wikipedia about "Podophyllin"
Quassia amara is a species in the genus Quassia, with some botanists treating it as the sole species in the genus. It is a shrub or rarely a small tree, growing to 3 m tall (rarely 8 m), native to Brazil. The leaves are alternate, 15-25 cm long, and pinnate with 3-5 leaflets, the leaf rachis being winged. The flowers are produced in a panicle 15-25 cm long, each flower 2.5-3.5 cm long, bright red on the outside, and white inside. The fruit is a small drupe 1-1.5 cm long. ...more on Wikipedia about "Quassia amara"
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