Botanical Name of Holly: Ilex aquifolium. Other Common Names: Common holly, English holly, acebo (Spanish), kristþyrnir (Icelandic), Stechpalme (German), houx (French), järnek (Swedish), kristtorn (Danish), orjanlaakeri (Finnish). Habitat: Holly is native to western and southern parts of Europe, West Asia, and North Africa. It grows best in calcareous soil in moist and shady areas. The […]
Medicinal Herb Profiles
Wild Strawberry Benefits and Uses
Botanical Name of Wild Strawberry: Fragaria vesca. Other Common Names: Wood strawberry, alpine strawberry, English strawberry, fresa (Spanish), villijarðarber (Icelandic), Walderdbeere (German), fraises des bois (French), smultron (Swedish), Skovjordbær (Danish), markjordbær (Norwegian), ahomansikka (Finnish). Habitat: The plant grows wild in areas with cool, temperate climate in Europe, North Asia, Australia and North America. Description: Wild […]
Knotgrass Herb – Uses and Benefits
Botanical Name of Knotgrass: Polygonum aviculare. Other Common Names: Knotweed, prostrate knotweed, wireweed, beggarweed, doorweed, bird knotgrass, sparrow tongue, cowgrass, crawlgrass, centinodia (Spanish), bian xu (Chinese), Vogelknöterich (German), centinode (French), trampört (Swedish), vej-pileurt. (Danish), blóðarfi (Icelandic), tungras (Norwegian). Habitat: Knotgrass can be found in almost all temperate regions throughout the world, and it is perhaps […]
Cumin Uses as a Medicinal Herb
Botanical Name: Cuminum cyminum. Cumin should not be confused with black cumin (Nigella sativa), a similar and closely related species from Pakistan and India with slightly larger and bent seeds. Other Common Names: Cummin, Roman caraway, Egyptian caraway, comino (Spanish), spisskummen (Norwegian), roomankumina (Finnish), Kreuzkümme (German), cumin de prés (French), zi ran qin (Chinese), spiskummin […]
Marsh Woundwort Herb Uses
Botanical Name: Stachys palustris. Marsh woundwort is a species with several subspecies. Other Common Names: Woundwort, clown’s woundwort, downy woundwort, hedge nettle, marsh betony, espiga palustre (Spanish), åkersvinerot (Norwegian), Sumpf-Ziest (German), épiaire des marais (French), knölsyska (Swedish), galtetand (Danish). Habitat: Marsh woundwort is native to Europa and Vest-Asia but it has been introduced and become […]
Sun Spurge Uses, Benefits and Side Effects
Botanical Name: Euphorbia helioscopia. The genus Euphorbia (spurge) contains over 1600 species making it one of the most species-rich plant genus in the world. The common characteristic of all these species is that they contain poisonous, milky latex-like sap that tastes strong and bitter. Since it is the sap that has been used medicinally, these […]
Dang Shen (Poor Man’s Ginseng) Herb Uses and Benefits
Botanical Name: Codonopsis pilosula. Codonopsis is a genus ( a taxonomic category that ranks above species and below family) that contains about 40 species of herbaceous, perennial plants, all of which are native to central and eastern Asia, some as far south as Malaysia. More than half of the species have been used in traditional […]
Purslane Benefits and Uses as Herbal Medicine
Botanical Name: Portulaca oleracea. There exist two sub species of purslane, wild or common purslane (Portulaca oleracea ssp. oleracea) and garden purslane (Portulaca oleracea ssp. sativa) but forty or more cultivars are currently grown. It is garden purslane that is grown and used as a vegetable plant while common purslane is mostly used as a […]
Chicory Uses in Herbal Medicine
Botanical Name: Cichorium intybus L. Other Common Names: Common chicory, wild chicory, coffee chicory, coffee weed, succory, wild succory, blue saisy, blue sailors, achicoria (Spanish), sikuri (Finnish), Wegwarte (German), chicorée (French), cikoria (Swedish), cikorie (Danish). Habitat: Chicory is found growing wild in Europe, North Africa, and West Asia. It has been introduced to North America, […]
Dichroa Root Uses and Benefits
Botanical Name: Dichroa febrifuga. Dichroa’s species name “febrifuga” means “medicine used to reduce fever” and refers to the use of it to treat high fever, particularly related to malaria. The plant’s applications in this regard are known from the Himalayas, Malaysia, and China. Other Common Names: Blue evergreen hydrangea, Chinese quinine, and fever-flower. In Chinese […]