An Illustrated Flora of the Northern United States and Canada
Medicinal Plant excerpts
Michael’s Commentary: Nathaniel Lord Britton (1857-1934) was the first director-in-chief of The New York Botanical Garden and a giant of a taxonomist. From 1896 to 1898 he published the three-volume landmark floristic study An Illustrated Flora of the Northern United States and Canada (Brown financed it), and revised it again in 1913. There are about 4,600 monographs, each illustrated, with a terse taxonomic description and approximate distribution…little capsuled data kernels that I have scanned and updated botanically. It was revised in 1956 by Gleason, but that version is still copyrighted, so here I am with these three monster books from 1913. Dover has also published these titles, which are still readily available…haven’t seen them, just have my three big maroon volumes.
I have extracted all the plants that have substantial therapeutic use, either pharmaceutical or herbal, by the eclectic or physio-medicalist or homeopathic medical sects of the time, or that have widespread former or current Native American use. I have cut some corners…there are 39 Salix monographs, all willows are useful, so I have included the four most widely used species. Some herbs may seem obscure, but I know them to be of value. Some plants are at risk or endangered…were then, are now. I just figure knowledge is power, and as much of this site is heavily tilted towards the North American West, this is some broadening of scope.
All files are gifs, and approximately 1000 X 650 pixels and 30 to 40 K in size.
VOLUME I – Ophioglossaceae to Polygonaceae
- Abies_balsamea.gif – Balsam Fir
- Acorus_calamus.gif – Sweet Flag
- Adiantum_capillus-veneris.gif – Maiden-hair Fern
- Adiantum_pedatum.gif – Western Maiden-hair Fern
- Agropyron repens.gif – Couchgrass
- Aletris_farinosa.gif – Stragrass, “True” Unicorn Root
- Alisma_subcordatum.gif – Water Plantain
- Alnus_incana.gif – Black or Tag Alder
- Aplectrum_hyemale.gif – Adam-and-Eve Root
- Arisaema_dracontium.gif – Green Dragon
- Arisaema_pusillum.gif – Little Jack-in-the-Pulpit
- Arisaema_stewardsonii.gif – Stewardson’s Indian Turnip
- Arisaema_triphyllum.gif – Jack-in-the-Pulpit, Indian Turnip
- Aristolochia_clematitis.gif – European Birthwort
- Aristolochia_macrophylla.gif – Dutchman’s Pipe
- Aristolochia_serpentaria.gif – Virginia Snakeroot
- Aristolochia_tomentosa.gif – Woolly Pipe-Vine, Woolly Dutchman’s Pipe
- Asarum_canadense.gif – Wild Ginger
- Asparagus_officinalis.gif – Asparagus
- Asplenium_scolopendrium.gif – Hart’s Tongue
- Avena_fatua.gif – Wild Oat
- Avena_sativa.gif – Cultivated Oat
- Betula_alleghaniensis.gif – Southern Yellow Birch
- Betula_lenta.gif – Sweet Birch
- Betula_papyrifera.gif – Paper Birch
- Boehmeria_cylindrica.gif – False Nettle
- Botrychium_virginianum.gif – Virginia Grape Fern
- Calypso_bulbosa.gif – Calypso
- Cannabis_sativa.gif – Hemp, Marijuana
- Carya_alba.gif – White Hickory
- Carya_ovata.gif – Shagbark Hickory
- Castanea_dentata.gif – Chestnut
- Chamaelirium_luteum.gif – Unicorn Root, Blazing Star, Devil’s Bit, and, incorrectly, “False” Unicorn
- Clintonia_borealis.gif – Yellow Clintonia
- Commelina_communis.gif – Asiatic Dayflower
- Commelina_virginica.gif – Virginia Dayflower
- Comptonia_peregrina.gif – Sweet Fern
- Convallaria_majalis.gif – Lily of the Valley
- Corallorrhiza_maculata.gif – Coral Root, Crawley
- Corallorrhiza_odontorhiza.gif – Little Coral Root
- Corallorrhiza_striata.gif – Striped Coral Root
- Corylus_rostrata.gif – Beaked Hazelnut
- Cypripedium_acaule.gif – Pink Lady Slipper
- Cypripedium_passerinum.gif – Northern Lady Slipper
- Cypripedium_pubescens.gif – Yellow Lady Slipper
- Cypripedium_reginae.gif – Showy Lady Slipper
- Dioscorea_villosa.gif – Wild Yam
- Dryopteris_filix-mas.gif – Male Fern
- Dryopteris_marginalis.gif – Wood Fern
- Epipactis_helleborine.gif – Helleborine, Stream Orchid
- Equisetum_arvense.gif – Field Hosetail
- Equisetum_hyemale.gif – Scouring Rush
- Equisetum_pratense.gif – Meadow Horsetail
- Erythronium_americanum.gif – Yellow Adder’s Tongue
- Fagus_grandifolia.gif – American Beech
- Goodyera_pubescens.gif – Downy Rattlesnake Plantain
- Goodyera_repens.gif – Rattlesnake Plantain
- Goodyera_tesselata.gif – Checkered Rattlesnake Plantain
- Helonias_bullata.gif – Swamp Pink
- Hierochloë_odorata.gif – Sweet Grass
- Humulus_lupulus.gif – Hops
- Iris_germanica.gif – Orris Root
- Iris_missouriensis.gif – Western Blue Flag
- Iris_versicolor.gif – Blue Flag
- Juglans_cinerea.gif – Butternut
- Juglans_nigra.gif – Black Walnut
- Juniperus_communis.gif – Common Juniper
- Juniperus_sibirica.gif – Northern Juniper
- Juniperus_virginiana.gif – Red Cedar, Savin
- Laportea_canadensis.gif – Wood NettleLarix_laricina.gif – American Larch, Tamarack
- Lilium_canadense.gif – Canadian Lily
- Lilium_tigrinum.gif – Tiger Lily
- Lycopodium_clavatum.gif – Club Moss
- Maclura_pomifera.gif – Osage Orange
- Morus_alba.gif – White Mulberry
- Morus_rubra.gif – Red Mulberry
- Myrica_carolinensis.gif – Small Bayberry
- Myrica_cerifera.gif – Bayberry
- Myrica_gale.gif – Sweet Gale
- Ophioglossum_engelmanni.gif – Englemann’s Adder’s Tongue
- Ophioglossum_vulgatum.gif – Adder’s Tongue
- Orontium_aquaticum.gif – Golden Club
- Osmunda_cinnamomea.gif – Cinnamon Fern
- Osmunda_regalis.gif – Royal Fern
- Ostrya_virginiana.gif – Hop Hornbeam
- Parietaria_pennsylvanica.gif – Pellitory
- Phoradendron_flavescens.gif – American Mistletoe
- Picea_canadensis.gif – White Spruce
- Picea_mariana.gif – Black Spruce
- Pilea_pumila.gif – Rich Weed, Cool Weed
- Pinus_palustris.gif – Georgia Pine
- Pinus_strobus.gif – White Pine
- Polygonatum_biflorum-comm.gif – Smooth or Giant Solomon’s Seal
- Polygonatum_biflorum.gif – Solomon’s Seal
- Polygonum_amphibium.gif – Water Persicaria
- Polygonum_bistorta.gif – Bistort
- Polygonum_hydropiper.gif – Smartweed
- Polygonum_hydropiperoides.gif – Western Smartweed
- Polygonum_pensylvanicum.gif – Pennsylvania Smartweed
- Polygonum_persicaria.gif – Lady’s Thumb
- Polypodium_vulgare.gif – Common Polypody
- Populus_alba.gif – White Poplar
- Populus_angustifolia.gif – Narrow-leaved Cottonwood
- Populus_balsam-balsam.gif – Balm of Gilead
- Populus_balsamifera.gif – Balsam Poplat, Tacamahack
- Populus_deltoides.gif – Cottonwood
- Populus_nigra.gif – Black Poplar
- Populus_tremuloides.gif – Aspen
- Quercus_alba.gif – White Oak
- Quercus_rubra.gif – Red Oak
- Rumex_acetosa.gif – Sorrel
- Rumex_acetosella.gif – Sheep Sorrel
- Rumex_crispus.gif – Yellow Dock
- Sagittaria_cuneata.gif – Arum-leaved Arrowhead
- Sagittaria_latifolia.gif – Broad-leaved Arrowhead
- Salix_alba.gif – White Willow
- Salix_fragilis.gif – Crack Willow
- Salix_nigra.gif – Black Willow
- Salix_purpurea.gif – Purple Willow
- Saururus_cernuus.gif – Swamp Root, Lizard Tail
- Sisyrinchium_albidum.gif – White Blue-eyed-Grass
- Sisyrinchium_angustifolium.gif – Pointed Blue-eyed-Grass, Blue-eyed Mary
- Smilacina_racemosa.gif – False Solomon’s Seal
- Smilacina_stellata.gif – Starry Solomon’s Seal
- Smilacina_trifolia.gif – Three-leaved Solomon’s Seal
- Smilax_bona-nox.gif – Bristly Greenbrier
- Smilax_glauca.gif – Smooth Greenbrier
- Smilax_herbacea.gif – Carrion Flower
- Smilax_hispida.gif – Bristly Sarsaparilla
- Smilax_pseudochina.gif – Greenbrier
- Smilax_rotundifolia.gif – Greenbrier, Roundleaf Sarsaparilla
- Symplocarpus_foetidus.gif – Eastern Skunk Cabbage
- Taxus_canadensis.gif – American Yew
- Thuja_occidentalis.gif – White Cedar, Arbor Vitae
- Tradescantia_occidentalis.gif – Western Spiderwort
- Tradescantia_virginiana.gif – Spiderwort
- Trillium_erectum.gif – Birthroot
- Trillium_grandiflorum.gif – Large Wake-robin
- Trillium_sessile.gif – White Trillium
- Tsuga_canadensis.gif – Hemlock
- Typha_latifolia.gif – Broadleaf Cattail
- Ulmus_rubra.gif – Slippery Elm
- Urtica_dioica.gif – Stinging Nettle
- Urtica_gracilis.gif – Slender Nettle
- Urtica_urens.gif – Dwarf Nettle
- Veratrum_viride.gif – False or Green Hellebore
- Yucca_baccata.gif – Banana Yucca
- Yucca_glauca.gif – Soapweed Yucca
All images, 4 to a page at 200 dpi for printing – Acrobat .pdf file, 38 pages, 3.7 MB