Trifolium pratense Papilionaceae Habitat: Widely distributed throughout Europe including Britain, naturalized in N. America and many other parts of the world. Collection: The flowerheads are gathered between May and September. Part Used: Flowerheads...
Avena sativa Gramineae Habitat: Widely distributed as a cereal crop. Collection: The fruit and straw are gathered at harvest time, inAugust. The stalks are cut and bound together. Leave them upright to dry andthen thresh out the fruit. The straw is...
Glycyrrhiza glabra Leguminosae Habitat: Native to the Mediterranean region and parts of Asia, cultivated worldwide. Collection: The roots are unearthed in the late autumn. Clean thoroughly and dry. Part Used: Dried root. Constituents: Triterpenes of...
Lobelia inflata Campanulaceae Common name: Pukeweed, Indian tobacco. Habitat: Eastern USA, cultivated elsewhere. Part used: Aerial parts. Collection: The entire plant above ground should be collected at the end of the flowering time, between August...
Pulmonaria officinalis Boraginaceae Habitat: Shady places throughout Europe including Britain, cultivated in gardens. Part used: Leaves. Collection: The leavres should be gathered during and after flowering, between March and September...
Ephedra sinica Ephedraceae Names: Ephedra Habitat: China Collection: Gather the young branches in the autumn before the first frost, as the alkaloid content is then highest. They may be dried in the sun. Part Used: Aerial stems. Constituents:...
Althaea officinalis Part Used: Root and leaf. Constituents: In the root: Mucilage, l8-35% Miscellaneous; about 35% pectin, l-2% asparagine, tannins. In the leaves: Mucilage; including a low molecular weight D-glucan Flavanoids such a kaempferol...
Filipendula ulmaria Names: Queen-of-the-Meadow, Bridewort. Habitat: A common wild plant in Britain, throughout Europe, parts of Asia and an escape in North America. Collection: The fully opened flowers and leaves are picked at the time of flowering...
Silybum marianum Part Used: The seeds. Constituents: Flavolignans; the mixture of these is known as “silymarin” and composed mainly of silybin (=silibinin), with isosilybin, dihydrosilybin, silydianin, silychristin, and in some varieties...
Cetraria islandica Parmeliaceae Habitat: Grows in most Northern Countries. Part used: The entire plant. It is a lichen. Collection: The lichen may be gathered throughout the year, though between May and September is perhaps best. It should be freed...
David L. Hoffmann BSc Hons MNIMH