LATIN NAME: Asclepias tuberosa (Butterfly Weed)

GOOD FOR: Upper Respiratory essence. Good for colds or flu involving the lungs and breathing. Good for coughs.

DID YOU KNOW:

To say the least, you are a mental giant. You think a lot--maybe too much. Your mind is sharp, curious, quick to jump and make up your mind about something. You do very well in academic surroundings. And you're good at memorizing things. Able to learn in classroom situations, you are a "book learner" type. Verbal by nature, you can communicate well in speaking as well as writing. Your world consists of using logic and rationalization. A prove-it-to-me kind of person.

THE HEALTHY YOU:

You're a gut-hunch kind of person whether you realize it or not. A lot of your decisions are based upon primal instinct which may or may not even tweak you consciously. However, you're a wonderful amalgam of rational mind (left brain) and right brain (instincts and intuition) IF you want to be. If you are truly in balance, you become very "whole-brained", utilizing both hemispheres of your brain to a very high degree. Not only can you know the answer to an Algebra problem before doing the math on it, you can also do the math to prove how you know the answer! That's a pretty neat trick!

THE UNHEALTHY YOU:

Insomnia can dog your heels because you are the one that gets the "gerbil running on the wheel" at night, and you can't shut off your thoughts. They just keep rolling along even though you'd like some sleep! You can get dogged, stuck and very stiff-necked about your belief system. Worse, you will be arrogant about it and you're right and the rest of the world is wrong. It's "my way or no way...." kind of blinders-on attitude. The old saying: You are cut off from the neck down, implies that you allow your logic and rational to rule you and you suppress your emotions--not a good thing in the long run!

ARTICLE ON ASCLEPIAS TUBEROSA:

Family: N.O. Asclepiadaceae (Milkweed Family)

Copyright 1998- 2004, Mary Conley, MNH
All Rights Reserved

This beautiful flower not only draws bees and butterflies by the fistful, but it is also helpful in lung related ailments. Note that from a Doctrine of Signature standpoint that the flowers resemble the lung tissue, in that the 'grape clusters' of alveoli which fill with air and the exchange between oxygen and carbon dioxide take place, look similar.

The milkweed family consists of about 120 species, mainly perennial herbs, and most are native to North America. This family is known for producing a fibrous, tough stem that can be used to make twine, or can be woven for cloth. The strongest fibers come from the dryest summers. Also particular to the milkweeds is a milky-white latex which can be seen when the stem is broken.

OTHER NAMES: Pleurisy Root, Butterfly Weed; Indian Posy; Orange Root; Orange Swallowwort; Tuberroot; Windroot; Yellow or Orange Milkweed.

DESCRIPTION: Pleurisy root is a tall, graceful plant that will grow up to two feet in height. The stems are hairy and stouter at the bottom of the plant, branching off into clusters near the top. Unlike other milkweeds this species contains no milky juice, but a sap of clear or green juice when the stem is broken.

The leaves are simple, but quite rough to touch and range from two to six inches long in a broad oval shape. It is the delicious flowers that will catch the eye of the visitor for they are dignified clusters or racemes made up of bright orange to yellow flowers. These flowers are rich in nectar and attract all kinds of insects to the garden especially as it's name suggests, butterflies. It is the root of this plant that is used for medicinal purposes. The root is large and branches off into smaller parts with a white, fleshy cover. The drug from the root part has very little odor, but does taste bitter. Pounded into a fine powder it is yellow in color and contains two to four compound starches visible under the microscope, along with calcium oxalate crystals.

FLOWERING TIME: June through September. Late in the fall it bears pods four to five inches long which contain the seeds nestled in between silky, long hairs.

HABITAT: Pleurisy Root is a perennial shrub which grows from the prairies of North America throughout the Eastern United States. It also has been found to grow quite successfully in Central and South America. It likes to grow in groups in open or pine wooded areas, in dry soil which can contain sand and gravel. It does not like poorly drained soil with a large clay content. It is drought tolerant, but hates to be transplanted due to its long taproot.

PART USED MEDICINALLY: Root, collected in the fall.

MEDICINAL CONSTITUENTS BY PART: There are so many different medicinal components to this plant that I will mention those that are most active in the parts where they are found. I would encourage one who is interested in doing more research on this valuable plant to look into James Duke's website for a further breakdown.

Sprout seedling: alpha-amyrin - antitumor

nicotine - ANS stimulant; herbicide

tannin - antidiarrheic; antioxidant; antiviral; bactericide; immunosuppressant; viricide

Latex Exudate: beta-amyrin-acetate - anticonvulsant

Seed: condurangin - astringent

desglucouzarin - antitumor

glucose - memory enhancer, acetycholinergic; antiketotic; linoleic acid - antiarthritic; anticoronary; cancer prevention

Sap: asclepain - wart remover

Root: asclepiadin - a glucosidal soluable in hot water, alcohol, ether

Whole Plant: cinnamic acid - allergenic; anesthetic; antiinflammatory; bactericide; cancer prevention; choleretic; fungicide; herbicide; laxative; pesticide; spasmolytic; vermifuge.

ACTIONS: antiinflammatory; carminative; mildly carthartic; aperient; diaphoretic; diuretic; antispasmodic; cardiac depressant; fungoid; anodyne; expectorant; tonic

CONDITIONS TREATED: bronchitis and lung problems; pleurisy; colds and flu; asthma; pneumonia; tuberculosis; emphysema; dysentery

Pleurisy is a painful inflammation of the serous pleural membranes which cover the lungs and other organs, and line the abdominal and thoracic cavities. When a person is in good health these membranes secrete a watery, thin "serous fluid" which assists in lubricating the membrane surfaces. When these membranes become inflammed this fluid is not produced. Friction is the result, causing painful breathing. When serous membranes become inflammed they carry another danger as well - a build-up of fluid at the base of the
lung. Pleurisy root reduces inflammation of the pleural membranes and helps secretion of a healthy serous fluid. In addition, it stimulates the lymphatic system to reabsorb liquids that have built up in and around the lung area.

In addition Pleurisy root helps most chest complaints, especially bronchitis because it brings on expectoration while reducing inflammation very quickly. It also can influence the skin and circulation by relaxing capillaries. This can relieve the heart and arteries from tension; stimulate a steady but slow perspiration, easing off fever due to skin congestion. For catarrhal conditions it is one of the most effective plants for use in the early stages, reducing the amount of catarrah and making the patient more comfortable.

Stomach troubles, diarrhea, dysentery when of a catarrhal nature are all assisted by this herb, as well as headache from digestive disorders. For children it is effective with colic; stomach problems; and nervous irritability.

CAUTION: This herb is not to be used when the skin is cold and the pulse is weak. Pleurisy root has a long history of medicinal use with many of the Native American Indian tribes. It is one of the most versatile plants of our heritage and is still revered today. Its beauty in the field equals its beauty as a lifesaving medicine.

BIBLIOGRAPHY:

Bremness, Lesley. HERBS. NY: Dorling Kindersley, 1994.

Christopher, Dr. John. SCHOOL OF NATURAL HEALING. Utah: Christopher Publications, 1976.

Buchanan, Rita (Ed.). TAYLOR'S GUIDE TO HERBS. NY: Houghton Mifflin, 1995.

ONLINE SOURCES:

http://www.healthy.net/library/books/hoffman/materiamedica/pleurisy.htm

http://www.botanical.com/botanical/mgmh/p/pleuri52.html

htttp://www.ars-grin.gov/cgi-bin/duke/ethnobot.pl