Alfalfa

Medicago saliva L. Buffalo Herb, Lucerne, Purple Medic

PEA FAMILY

Leguminosae

An important forage and hay crop, sweet-smelling alfalfa originated as a wild legume, presumably in the dry uplands of western Asia. The Medes of ancient Persia are thought to have been the first to domesticate the plant, hence its Latin name, Medicago sativa, which means "sowed by the Medians." The plant reached Mediterranean Europe by way of the Greeks, who planted it as early as 490 B.C. It pleased the Arabs so well that they dubbed it al-fasfasah, "the best fodder." Not only did they feed the leaves, sprouts, and seeds to their horses to give the animals superior speed and strength, but they considered it excellent food for themselves, too. In Spain the Arabic word al-fasfasah became alfalfa.

Ultimately, alfalfa reached the New World with the Spanish Conquistadores, who planted it in Mexico and Chile. California setders, calling the novelty Chilean clover, began grow¬ing it as fodder in the mid-1800's, and it has been a significant American crop ever since.

Although there is no scientific evidence that alfalfa alters the course of any disorder, herbal¬ists prescribe alfalfa tea and alfalfa tablets, for example, for a variety of complaints, from diabe¬tes to alcoholism to tooth decay. But alfalfa does have a future in human nutrition, particularly as an inexpensive source of vitamins C, D, E, and K.

Habitat: Can be cultivated almost everywhere, even in dry regions. Naturalized varieties spring up along roadsides, in abandoned fields and lots, and in low valleys.

Range: Introduced from Europe, alfalfa has been naturalized in most of North America, especially in the West.
Identification: A bushy perennial 1-3 feet tall. The leaves are alternate and pinnately divided, with three dark green leaflets that are toothed toward the tips. Purple to yellowish flowers (May-October) arranged in heads produce twisted pods containing seeds in the fall. 

Uses: Alfalfa's rich nutritional content makes it a valuable food for man as well as animals. In recent years health food advocates have made many extravagant claims for its used even as a cure for cancer. None of these claims have been substantiated in any way.

Alder Buckthorn

Despite its name, buckthorn is neither thorns. The name Sea Buckthorn is a translation of Italian fancy name bush inaccurate, squamous Matterhorn, or "deer without thorns." Espino was imported from Europe to North America long ago and grows wild in nurseries for much of the northern continent. today are growing a variety called hedges and windbreaks Tallhedge.

Galen, a Greek physician of the second century AD. Did alder buckthorn, although it did not distinguish clearly in his, written between it and other species. All were credited at different times, with the power to protect against witchcraft, demons, married, and headache. The old man ignored the more secular, but the real value of the bark as a laxative, and it was only in 1300 that electricity-century sea buckthorn has been used for this purpose. Sea buckthorn bark is a laxative is relatively mild and may not have been considered strong enough to be worthy of attention in a day when violent laxatives were in vogue.

Buckthorn tree was previously used for footwear products, nails and veneers. Its coal were evaluated by the manufacturers of gunpowder. The bark yields a yellow, and green berries produce a green color.

Sea buckthorn wood was previously used for shoes, nails and veneers. Its coal was evaluated by powder manufacturers. The bark yields a yellow and green berries produce a green color.

The berries are slightly toxic and can cause vomiting.

Habitat: hedgerows, old fields, Forest edges, prefers well-drained soils.

Range: Native to Eurasia and North Africa, buckthorn has naturalized in North America from Nova Scotia to Quebec to southern New Jersey and western Illinois.

Identification: deciduous shrub or small tree that grows up to 20 meters in length. It has glossy green oval leaves 1 to 3 cm in length, which is an alternative, and toothless. Bark is green when young, becoming gray and marked with whitish transverse ridges when older. Small greenish-white flowers (May-July) will be developed in small groups of leaves in the joints or the tips of the branches. Berries pea-size change from green to red to black when ripe (in September).

Uses: Herbalists recommend a tea made from the bark as a laxative. In Europe, the bark is a common ingredient in pharmaceutical laxatives prepared.

Agrimony

Agrimonia eupatoria L.

Church Steeples, Cocklebur, Philanthropos, Stickwort

Rose Family

Rosaceae

A beautiful plant, with spikes of small yellow flowers (church steeples) and fruit with hooked bristles at the top (cocklebur), agrimony grows wild drunk roads, fields and forests. Although the plant has narcotic properties, tradition dictates that when placed under the head of a village, Agrimony induce a deep sleep that lasted until he retired.

Folklore aside, agrimony has a long history of medicinal use. The English poet Michael Drayton once hailed as a "cure-all" and through the ages seemed to be the panacea The ancient Greeks used agrimony to treat eye diseases, and was made to treat the chest diarrhea and disorders of the gallbladder, liver and kidneys.