Ethnomedical plant - Plant Encyclopedia Results

Soapberry flowers are small and usually whitish, in broad many flowered panicles with 4-5 sepals and petals. Flowers bloom in late spring, and form large, dense, intensely, fragrant terminal clusters.

Soapberry is very tolerant of soils with limited moisture and low fertility.

The drupes, which lather when combined with water, were once used in varnish, floor was, and soap. In some parts of Mexico soapberry is still preferred for washing hair and delicate clothing. As a soap it also has medicinal effects, helping to relieve itching and prevent the spread of various tineas and scalp seborrhea.

Koelreuteria paniculata, also known as the golden rain tree, is native to China and Korea. It is a small tree that grows to be 10-20ft tall. This tree thrives in full sun or semi-shade and requires moderate water. It is salt tolerant and can grow near the sea. Its bright yellow and orange flowers are attractive to butterflies and hummingbirds and bloom from summer through fall, possibly even into winter.

In addition to its beauty, Koelreuteria paniculata has a number of practical uses. The tree's fruit is edible and its seeds are dispersed when the inflated capsular fruits shatter and are blown by the wind. The tree is also used as a dye and in traditional medicine. It is considered low maintenance and has no serious pests or diseases. It is drought resistant and grown for its flowers and papery, lantern-like fruit.

The tree has a small, open-branching, deciduous form with a rounded crown. Its leaves are pinkish bronze to purplish when they first emerge in spring, turn bright green in the summer, and yellow (the intensity of the color may vary) in the fall. In China, the tree is known as "Luan" and its flowers are used as a yellow dye and in traditional medicine.

Koelreuteria paniculata thrives in USDA Zone 6-10. It can be grown in pots and is suitable for urban planting due to its adaptability to a wide range of soils and its tolerance of wind, drought, and city air pollutants. It grows best in well-drained soil in full sun and has a low growth rate. It can be staked in the early years to ensure a straight trunk and makes a nice patio tree, providing light shade. However, its brittle wood can break easily in windy weather.

According to ancient Chinese manuscripts, the Golden Rain Tree (Koelreuteria paniculata) is crucial for Dragons, as it is believed to be connected to their existence, guarding and complementing each other. Growing these plants is considered auspicious and is believed to safeguard the Dragon family.

Read more about Year of the Dragon.

A sweet-scented plant which is called Heliotrope because it follows the course of the sun. After opening it gradually turns from the east to the west and during the night turns again to the east to meet the rising sun. The Ancients recognized this characteristic of the plant and applied it. In homoeopathic medicine a tincture of the whole fresh plant is used for clergyman's sore throat and uterine displacement. A wonderfully exotic plant with dark green veined leaves and honey-vanilla scented deep violet flowers 4-6 inch wide in clusters above branching stems. The flowers open alternately, on the left, then the right, unfolding from coiled clusters of buds. They are strongly scented. Variety Alba has white flowers that smell like pure vanilla. The unforgettable vanilla fragrance is sensuous but not overpowering. Heliotrope's flowers are a first choice for every scented bouquet and will transform a terrace into a perfumed retreat. Prefers to be grown in part shade in warm climates. It can be brought indoors and enjoyed as a winter houseplant and placed back into the garden in the spring. See Heliotropium peruviana Cherry Pie.

Capparis micracantha, also known as Capertree or Caper, is a small tree native to Eastern Asia. It typically grows 10-20 ft in height with an upright habit and a spreading canopy. Its branches bear evergreen leaves and white or off-white flowers, which emit a pleasant, fragrant scent. This plant is also an ethnomedical plant, used in traditional healing and steam baths to treat a variety of ailments.

In terms of growing conditions, Capparis micracantha requires full sun and moderate water. The plant is best-suited for USDA Zones 9-11, but can do well in other regions if given the right conditions. One way to grow this plant in cold regions is by potting it. This way, the plant can be brought in or outside as needed, and its root ball can be kept moist in winter months.

When caring for a potted Capparis micracantha, it is important to select a pot with a good drainage hole - one or two depending on the size of the pot - to help prevent root rot. Be sure to use a well-aerated soil mixture, ideally one made for cacti and succulents, and make sure to water the plant regularly, but don't over-water. Additionally, if the plant is placed outdoors, it should be protected from frost so as to not damage the roots. Overall, regular potting, fertilizing, and trimming can help the plant thrive.

Ground allspice is not a mixture of spices, as some people believe. Rather, it is the dried fruit of the Pimenta dioica plant. This is a slow growing, beautiful little tree with aromatic leaves. It was discovered in Mexico in 16th century by Spanish explorers who called it "pimienta", confusing it with black pepper. The spice made from the dried, unripe fruit of this plant, is a brown powder that smells like cloves, black pepper, cinnamon and nutmeg altogether, hence the common name.

Allspice is the only spice whose commercial production is entirely confined to the New World. Nowadays allspice is grown commercially in Mexico, Honduras, Trinidad, Cuba, and especially in Jamaica, which practically has a monopoly and exports about 5,000 tons a year. To protect the Allspice trade, for long time the plant was guarded against export from Jamaica. Many attempts were made at growing the plant from seeds, but all failed. At one time it was thought that the plant would grow nowhere else except in Jamaica where the plant was readily spread by birds. Eventually it was realized that passage through the bird gut, due to the acidity and the elevated temperature, was essential for germinating the seeds.

The fruit is picked when it is green and unripe and, traditionally, dried in the sun. When dry, the fruits are brown and resemble large brown peppercorns. The whole fruits have a longer shelf life than the powdered allspice and produce a more aromatic product when freshly ground before use.

Allspice is one of the most important ingredients of Caribbean cuisine. The leaves are also used in cooking: they are similar in texture to bay leaves, infused during cooking and then removed before serving. Unlike bay leaves, they lose much flavor when dried and stored. The leaves and wood are often used for smoking meats. Allspice is used in pickles, marinades, and to flavor pumpkin pies, cakes and candies. An oil pressed from the fruits is used in perfumes and cosmetics. The liqueurs, Benedictine and Chartreuse, contain allspice flavoring. Allspice can also be found in essential oil form. The principal essential oil is eugenol, the same as found in cloves. Being an antimicrobial agent, it is used as an anesthetic for tooth aches and as a digestive aid.

Pimenta dioica is valued as a specimen tree with attractive peeling bark and fragrant leaves. It needs near-tropical conditions to survive; can be grown outdoors in the tropics and subtropics with normal garden soil and watering. Smaller plants can be killed by frost, although larger plants are more cold tolerant. Mature trees will stand short periods of light frost, to 26F. The plant adapts well to container and makes an excellent plant for indoor or greenhouse culture. It is dioecious, and hence male and female plants must be kept in proximity in order to allow fruits to develop. It may not flower and fruit outside its native range, but the big glossy aromatic leaves are an attraction.

Mombin is fast growing, spreading tree with thick branches. Compound leaves to 15. Showy, fragrant flowers appear from dormant, leafless branches in red, purple or yellow indicating the color of the fruit to come. Fruit oval to round, 1 - 2 1/2. This is heavy producing tree. The pleasant smell of the fruit can be noted many feet away. The 1 to 2 inch long oval or oblong fruits have a fairly large sigle seed. The skin is waxy and thin and the juicy flesh is aromatic with a plum-like flavor that is acid to subacid. The fruit can be eaten fresh or stewed with sugar as a dessert or can be used to make a very good jam or pickled green in East Indian cooking. Mombin butter, using an apple butter recipe, is exceptionally tasty. The tree is deciduous, fast growing, and may produce fruit before leafing out in the spring. The young leaves can be eaten cooked but they have a sour flavor. The tree grows well in a wide variety of soils. They can be propagated easily by putting large cuttings in the ground and they make a good living fence. It bears May through July.