Herb Library

Orobanche ludoviciana

Native American medicinal plant used as dermatological aid. Documented among Blackfoot, Pima.

Artemisia ludoviciana

Native American medicinal plant used as dermatological aid, pediatric aid, pulmonary aid, respiratory aid, throat aid, veterinary aid. Documented among Blackfoot, Cheyenne, Comanche.

Dasyochloa pulchella

Native American medicinal plant used as laxative. Documented among Havasupai.

Asparagus lucidus

Traditional medicinal plant used for diuretic, expectorant, impotency, nervine, stimulant, stomachic, tonic.

Berlandiera lyrata

Native American medicinal plant used as psychological aid, sedative. Documented among Keres, Western.

Salvia lyrata

Native American medicinal plant used as dermatological aid, antidiarrheal, cold remedy, cough medicine, diaphoretic, gynecological aid. Documented among Catawba, Cherokee.

Macaranga tanarius

Southeast Asian and Pacific tree used in Filipino, Indonesian, and Melanesian folk medicine for wound healing, fever, and stomach complaints. Contains stilbenes (schweinfurthins) with antitumor properties. Leaf used as natural bandage.

Hedysarum boreale

Native American medicinal plant used as poison. Documented among Alaska Native, Eskimo, Inupiat, Tanana, Upper.

Cicuta virosa

Native American medicinal plant used as poison. Documented among Alaska Native, Eskimo, Inupiat, Eskimo, Kuskokwagmiut.

Macropiper excelsum

New Zealand pepper tree closely related to kawakawa. Maori rongoā for stomach complaints, bladder issues, and as topical pain reliever. Leaves often characteristically riddled with insect holes. Contains myristicin and elemicin. Important cultural plant.

Micromeria varia subsp. thymoides

A medicinal plant (Micromeria varia) from the Lamiaceae family used in traditional medicine.

Euphorbia helioscopia

Native American medicinal plant used as gastrointestinal aid, pediatric aid. Documented among Iroquois.

Maerua crassifolia

Sahelian tree used in Sudanese, Nigerien, and Malian traditional medicine for stomachache, wounds, and fever. Leaves eaten as famine food. Bark decoction for malaria. Important in Tuareg and Hausa folk medicine systems.

Asplenium trichomanes

Native American medicinal plant used as abortifacient, breast treatment, cough medicine, liver aid. Documented among Cherokee.

Centaurea melitensis

Native American medicinal plant used as kidney aid. Documented among Mahuna.

Aquilegia micrantha

Native American medicinal plant used as gynecological aid, hemostat. Documented among Navajo, Kayenta.

Cephalotaxus mannii

A medicinal plant (Cephalotaxus mannii) from the Cephalotaxaceae family used in traditional medicine.

Ziziphus talanai

Philippine folk remedy for diarrhea and dysentery; bark is astringent; fruit is eaten for nutrition.

Mansoa hirsuta

Brazilian caatinga vine with garlic-like odor used in northeastern Brazilian folk medicine for respiratory infections, flu, and inflammation. Contains alliin-like sulfur compounds despite being unrelated to garlic. For colds and infections.

Schkuhria multiflora

Native American medicinal plant used as oral aid. Documented among Navajo, Ramah.

Hydrocotyle umbellata

Native American medicinal plant used as cough medicine, respiratory aid, sedative. Documented among Seminole.

Hackelia floribunda

Native American medicinal plant used as poison, orthopedic aid. Documented among Isleta, Navajo, Ramah.

Equisetum sp.

Native American medicinal plant used as poison, abortifacient, contraceptive, urinary aid, cough medicine, kidney aid. Documented among Aleut, Costanoan, Modesse.

Margaritaria discoidea

West African tree used in Ghanaian and Nigerian traditional medicine for malaria, pain, and as purgative. Bark decoction for fever. Contains securinine alkaloids with CNS stimulant properties. Used in traditional veterinary medicine.

Markhamia tomentosa

West African tree used in Yoruba and Igbo traditional medicine for rheumatism, cough, and wound healing. Bark decoction for pain. Leaf preparations for skin conditions. Contains lapachol-type naphthoquinones with antimicrobial properties.

Campanula aparinoides

Native American medicinal plant used as gynecological aid. Documented among Iroquois.

Viola cucullata

Native American medicinal plant used as analgesic, antidiarrheal, blood medicine, cold remedy, cough medicine, dermatological aid. Documented among Cherokee.

Rorippa islandica

Traditional medicinal plant used for deobstruent, detergent, digestive, diuretic, hepatic, scurvy, stimulant, tonic.

Gnaphalium uliginosum

Native American medicinal plant used as orthopedic aid, respiratory aid. Documented among Iroquois.

Senecio congestus

Native American medicinal plant used as poison. Documented among Eskimo, Inuktitut, Eskimo, Western.

Stachys palustris

Native American medicinal plant used as gastrointestinal aid, venereal aid. Documented among Chippewa, Delaware, Delaware, Oklahoma.

Equisetum palustre

Native American medicinal plant used as gastrointestinal aid, laxative. Documented among Ojibwa.

Althaea officinalis (flower)

The flowers of marshmallow — milder and prettier than the root. Used as a gentle soothing tea for sore throat and mild respiratory support.

Castilleja lineata

Native American medicinal plant used as gastrointestinal aid. Documented among Navajo.

Scutellaria galericulata

Traditional medicinal plant used for ague, anodyne, astringent, epilepsy, fever, laxative, malaria, nervine, and other conditions. Known from ethnobotanical records across multiple cultures.

Ledum palustre

Traditional medicinal plant used for abortifacient, bronchitis, cold, cough, diuretic, expectorant, lactogogue, narcotic, and other conditions. Known from ethnobotanical records across multiple cultures.

Chrysopsis mariana

Native American medicinal plant used as pediatric aid, sedative, tonic. Documented among Delaware, Delaware, Oklahoma.

Sanicula marilandica

Native American medicinal plant used as antidote, dermatological aid, emetic, kidney aid, laxative, pediatric aid. Documented among Iroquois, Malecite, Menominee.

Senna marilandica

Native American medicinal plant used as analgesic, cathartic, dermatological aid, febrifuge, heart medicine, misc. disease remedy. Documented among Cherokee, Iroquois, Meskwaki.

Peucedanum ostruthium

Traditional medicinal plant used for bronchitis, cancer, catarrh, diuretic, liqueur, stomachic, tumor.

Lepidium didymum

South American folk remedy for fracture healing — crushed whole plant applied as poultice to broken bones. Also used for respiratory infections and intestinal parasites. Contains glucosinolates. Widely used in Brazilian and Andean traditional medicine.

Astragalus mollissimus

Native American medicinal plant used as ceremonial medicine, emetic. Documented among Navajo, Ramah.

Mayaca fluviatilis

South American aquatic plant used in Brazilian Amazonian folk medicine for earache and fever. Plant material warmed and applied as poultice to ear. Also used for toothache and headache in ribeirinho (river people) communities.

Trientalis borealis

Native American medicinal plant used as panacea, tuberculosis remedy. Documented among Montagnais.

Gymnosporia senegalensis

Pan-African savanna tree used in traditional medicine from Senegal to South Africa for dysentery, wound healing, snakebite, and toothache. Root bark chewed for dental pain. Contains maytansine-related compounds (ansamacrolides) with antitumor activity.

Polygonum bistorta

Native American medicinal plant used as tonic. Documented among Aleut.

Zigadenus venenosus

Native American medicinal plant used as emetic, poison, analgesic, antirheumatic (external), dermatological aid, orthopedic aid. Documented among Chehalis, Haisla and Hanaksiala, Klamath.

Tragopogon pratensis

Native American medicinal plant used as ceremonial medicine, dermatological aid, throat aid, veterinary aid. Documented among Navajo, Ramah.