Michael’s Commentary: Most of the best plant medicines are the sum of their constituents, and cannot be reduced to the actions of specific compounds. Although a painting is MADE from three primary colors, it is seldom enough to describe it by how much blue or red is present. A plant may contain HUNDREDS of compounds, although these, too, may be reduced to “primary” colors, such as sugars, alkenes, lignans, terpenoids, etc.
Although the actual constituents found in such plants as Bloodroot, Greater Celandine and California Poppy are really rather similar…as if drawn by the same artist…the different paintings (plants) are VERY different when taken internally.
This is what divides those of us that use WHOLE plants (herbalists) from those of us that, often for sound reasons, prefer to extract or reduce some plant constituents into simpler and refined forms for use in medicine: phytopharmacy, if you will. Refined substances usually work better in pathology-driven therapy. WHOLE plants usually work better in wholistic or constitution-driven therapy.
All this said, we herbalists need to know what’s IN our stuff, and these are some files I have been ferreting away for a while. They are heavily drawn from the Phytochemical and Ethnobotanical Databases started by James Duke, as well as Paperchase and NAPRALERT (the latter two are available for a fee only), and much other material I have gathered over the years. Researchers can locate citations for most constituents through the Phytochemical and Ethnobotanical Databases.
Further bear in mind that MOST of the plant research done in the last several decades has been done in Asia and Europe, with special emphasis given toward those plants that have phytopharmaceutical or medical implications… and that also grow in Asia or Europe. As there is little interest in plant-derived medicine in the United States, one might think that North American plants are either inferior or lacking in interesting constituents.
There is an immense body of information that has been published regarding Glycyrrhiza glabra (Eurasian Licorice) and G. uralensis (Chinese Licorice), but hardly any research regarding G. lepidota (American Licorice), in many respects a superior HERBAL medicine. As in any field of work, some areas are “sexy”…it is sometimes easier to research a plant that grows in the rainforests of Amazonia that to obtain information about a far more widespread relative growing in Kansas. Chinese researchers have examined their native sages or Salvias (an interesting genus, by any standards)…there are, however, few studies in recent years on the 50 or so Salvias growing in North America. Nonetheless, here are a few hundred of the plants that I like.
BY LATIN NAME:
- Acacia farnesiana (Leguminosae) “Cassie, Huisache”
- Acer negundo (Aceraceae) “Box Elder”
- Achillea millefolium (Compositae) “Yarrow”
- Acorus calamus (Acoraceae) “Sweetflag”
- Adiantum capillus-veneris (Adiantaceae) “Maidenhair Fern”
- Aesculus hippocastanum (Hippocastanaceae) “Horse Chestnut”
- Agathosma (Barosma) (Rutaceae) “Buchu”
- Agrimonia eupatoria (Rosaceae) “Agrimony”
- Ailanthus altissima (Simaroubaceae) “Stinktree, Tree Of Heaven”
- Albizia julibrissin (Leguminosae) “Mimosa”
- Alisma plantago-aquatica (Alismataceae) “Water Plantain, Tse-Hsieh, Ze-Xie”
- Aloe vera (Aloaceae/Liliaceae) “Bitter Aloes”
- Althaea officinalis (Malvaceae) “Marshmallow”
- Ambrosia artemisiifolia (Compositae) “Wormwood-leaved Ragweed”
- Ammi majus (Umbelliferae) “Bishop’s Weed”
- Angelica archangelica (Umbelliferae) “Garden Angelica”
- Angelica sinensis (Umbelliferae) “Dang Gui, Don Quai”
- Apium graveolens (Umbelliferae) “Celery”
- Apocynum androsaemifolium (Apocynaceae) “Bitterroot, Spreading Dogbane”
- Apocynum cannabinum (Apocynaceae) “Bitterroot, Canadian or Indian Hemp”
- Arctium lappa (Compositae) “Gobo, Great Burdock”
- Arctostaphylos uva-ursi (Ericaceae) “Bearberry, Uva Ursi”
- Argemone mexicana (Papaveraceae) “Prickly Poppy”
- Arnica montana (Compositae) “Leopard’s-Bane, Arnica”
- Artemisia ludoviciana (Compositae) “Estafiate”
- Artemisia vulgaris (Compositae) “Mugwort”
- Asarum canadense (Aristolochiaceae) “Wild Ginger”
- Asarum sieboldii (Aristolochiaceae) “Siebold’s Wild Ginger”
- Asclepias speciosa (Asclepiadaceae) “Common or Showy Milkweed”
- Asclepias syriaca (Asclepiadaceae) “Milkweed”
- Asparagus officinalis (Liliaceae) “Asparagus”
- Aspidosperma (Apocynaceae) “Quebracho”
- Astragalus membranaceus (Leguminosae) “Huang-Chi”
- Balsamorhiza sagittata (Compositae) “Balsam Root”
- Baptisia tinctoria (Leguminosae) “Wild Indigo”
- Berberis vulgaris (Berberidaceae) “Barberry”
- Bidens pilosa (Compositae) “Tickseed”
- Borago officinalis (Boraginaceae) “Borage”
- Bryonia alba (Cucurbitaceae) “White Bryony”
- Bursera microphylla (Burseraceae) “Elephant Tree”
- Calendula officinalis (Compositae) “Calendula, Pot-Marigold”
- Capsella bursa-pastoris (Cruciferae) “Shepherd’s Purse”
- Capsicum annuum (Solanaceae) “Chilis, Bell Pepper”
- Capsicum frutescens (Solanaceae) “Cayenne, Chili, Tabasco”
- Carthamus tinctorius (Compositae) “Safflower, Mexican Saffron”
- Caulophyllum thalictroides (Berberidaceae) “Blue Cohosh”
- Ceanothus velutinus (Rhamnaceae) “Red Root, Snow Brush”
- Centella asiatica (Umbelliferae) “Gotu Kola, Pennywort”
- Chimaphila umbellata (Ericaceae) “Pipsissewa”
- Chondrus crispus (Gigartinaceae) “Irish Moss”
- Chrysanthemum parthenium (Compositae) “Feverfew”
- Cimicifuga racemosa (Ranunculaceae) “Black-Cohosh”
- Cnicus benedictus (Compositae) “Blessed Thistle”
- Commiphora spp (Burseraceae) “Myrrh”
- Convallaria majalis (Liliaceae) “Lily-Of-The-Valley”
- Conyza canadensis (Compositae) “Canadian Fleabane”
- Coptis spp (Ranunculaceae) “Generic Goldthread”
- Cornus canadensis (Cornaceae) “Bunchberry”
- Corydalis spp (Papaveraceae) “Generic Corydalis”
- Crataegus oxycantha (Rosaceae) “Hawthorn”
- Cucurbita foetidissima (Cucurbitaceae) “Buffalo Gourd”
- Curcuma longa (Zingiberaceae) “Turmeric”
- Cytisus scoparius (Leguminosae) “Scotch Broom
- Datura innoxia (Solanaceae) “Thorn Apple”
- Datura stramonium (Solanaceae) “Jimsonweed
- Dodonaea viscosa (Sapindaceae) “Hop Bush”
- Drosera spp (Droseraceae) “Generic Sundew”
- Echinacea spp (Compositae) “Generic Echinacea”
- Eleutherococcus senticosus (Araliaceae) ” Siberian Ginseng”
- Ephedra nevadensis, E. viridis (Ephedraceae) “Mormon Tea”
- Ephedra sinica (Ephedraceae) “Ma Huang”
- Epilobium angustifolium (Onagraceae) “Fireweed, Great Willow He
- Equisetum arvense (Equisetaceae) “Field Horsetail, Horsetail”
- Equisetum hyemale (Equisetaceae) “Horsetail, Scouring Rush”
- Eriodictyon californicum (Hydrophyllaceae) “Yerba Santa”
- Eschscholzia californica (Papaveraceae) “California Poppy
- Eucalyptus globulus (Myrtaceae) “Blue Gum Eucalyptus”
- Euonymus atropurpureus (Celastraceae) “Burning Bush, Wahoo”
- Eupatorium perfoliatum (Compositae) “Boneset
- Ferula assafoetida (Umbelliferae) “Asafetida”
- Ferula sumbul (Umbelliferae) “Sumbul”
- Filipendula ulmaria (Rosaceae) “Meadowsweet, Queen Of The Meadow”
- Foeniculum vulgare (Umbelliferae) “Fennel”
- Fouquieria splendens (Fouquieriaceae) “Ocotillo””
- Gaultheria procumbens (Ericaceae) “Wintergreen”
- Gelsemium sempervirens (Loganiaceae) “Gelsemium, Yellow Jessamine”
- Gentiana lutea (Gentianaceae) “Yellow Gentian”
- Ginkgo biloba (Ginkgoaceae) “Ginkgo, Maidenhair Tree”
- Glycyrrhiza glabra (Leguminosae) “Licorice”
- Gossypium spp (Malvaceae) “Cotton”
- Guaiacum spp (Zygophyllaceae) “Guaiac, Lignum Vitae, Guayacan”
- Hamamelis virginiana (Hamamelidaceae) “Witch Hazel”
- Haplopappus laricifolius (Compositae) “Turpentine Bush”
- Harpagophytum procumbens (Pedaliaceae) “Devil’s Claw”
- Hedeoma drummondii (Labiatae) “Drummond’s Pennyroyal, Poleo Chino”
- Hedeoma pulegioides (Labiatae) “American Pennyroyal”
- Heracleum lanatum (Umbelliferae) “Cow Parsnip, Yerba del Oso”
- Humulus lupulus (Cannabaceae) “Hops”
- Hydrangea arborescens (Hydrangeaceae) “Hydrangea, Seven Barks”
- Hydrastis canadensis (Ranunculaceae) “Goldenseal”
- Hypericum perforatum (Clusiaceae) “St. Johnswort, Hypericum, Klamath Weed”
- Hyptis suaveolens (Labiatae) “Desert Lavender, “
- Hyssopus officinalis (Labiatae) “Hyssop”
- Ilex paraguariensis (Aquifoliaceae) “Mate, Paraguay Tea”
- Illicium verum (Illiciaceae) “Star-Anise”
- Inula helenium (Compositae) “Elecampane”
- Iris missouriensis (Iridaceae) “Western Blue Flag”
- Iris versicolor (Iridaceae) “Blue Flag”
- Juglans cinerea (Juglandaceae) “Butternut”
- Juniperus communis (Cupressaceae) “Common Juniper”
- Lactuca scariola (Compositae) “Prickly Lettuce”
- Larrea tridentata (Zygophyllaceae) “Chaparral, Creosote Bush”
- Ledum palustre (Ericaceae) “Labrador Tea”
- Leonurus cardiaca (Labiatae) “Motherwort”
- Lepechinia calycina (Labiatae) “Pitcher Sage”
- Levisticum officinale (Umbelliferae) “Lovage”
- Liatris punctata (Compositae) “Blazing Star, Cachana”
- Lobelia inflata (Campanulaceae) “Indian Tobacco”
- Lomatium dissectum (Umbelliferae) “Leptotaenia, Lomatium”
- Lycopus uniflorus (Labiatae) “One-Flowered Bugleweed”
- Lycopus virginicus (Labiatae) “Bugleweed”
- Magnolia officinalis (Magnoliaceae) “Chinese Magnolia, Hou Pu”
- Mahonia aquifolia (Berberidaceae) “Oregon Grape”
- Mahonia repens (Berberidaceae) “Creeping Barberry, Yerba de Sangre”
- Malva spp (Malvaceae) “Generic Common Mallow”
- Marrubium vulgare (Labiatae) “Horehound”
- Matricaria recutita (Compositae) “Annual Camomile, German Camomile”
- Medicago sativa (Leguminosae) “Alfalfa, Lucerne”
- Melaleuca alternifolia (Myrtaceae) “Tea-Tree”
- Melilotus alba (Leguminosae) “White Sweet Clover”
- Melissa officinalis (Labiatae) “Lemon Balm”
- Mentha spicata (Labiatae) “Spearmint”
- Mentha arvensis (Labiatae) “Brook Mint, Field Mint, Poleo”
- Mentha pulegium (Labiatae) “European Pennyroya
- Mentha spicata (Labiatae) “Spearmint”
- Mentha x piperita (Labiatae) “Peppermint”
- Menyanthes trifoliata (Menyanthaceae) “Buckbean, Marsh Trefoil”
- Monarda didyma (Labiatae) “Beebalm, Oswego Tea”
- Monarda fistulosa (Labiatae) “Wild Bergamot”
- Monarda punctata (Labiatae) “Horsemint, Wild Oregano”
- Myrica cerifera (Myricaceae) “Bayberry, Wax Myrtle”
- Ocimum basilicum (Labiatae) “Basil”
- Oenothera biennis (Onagraceae) “Evening-Primrose”
- Opuntia ficus-indica (Cactaceae) “Indian Fig”
- Paeonia lactiflora (Paeoniaceae) “Chih-Shao, Peony”
- Paeonia officinalis (Paeoniaceae) “Double Peony”
- Panax ginseng (Araliaceae) “Chinese Ginseng, Oriental Ginseng”
- Panax quinquefolius (Araliaceae) “American Ginseng”
- Parthenocissus spp (Vitaceae) “Virginia Creeper”
- Passiflora incarnata (Passifloraceae) “Passionflower”
- Paullinia cupana (Sapindaceae) “Guarana”
- Pausinystalia johimbe (Rubiaceae) “Yohimbe”
- Peganum harmala (Zygophyllaceae) “Syrian Rue”
- Pericome caudata (Compositae) “Pericome, Yerba de Chivato”
- Phytolacca americana (Phytolaccaceae) “Pokeweed”
- Pinus edulis (Pinaceae) “Pinyon Pine”
- Pinus strobus (Pinaceae) “White Pine”
- Piper cubeba (Piperaceae) “Cubeb”
- Piper methysticum (Piperaceae) “Kava-Kava”
- Piscidia piscipula (Leguminosae) “Jamaica Dogwood, Habin”
- Plantago major (Plantaginaceae) “Common Plantain”
- Plantago psyllium (Plantaginaceae) “Psyllium”
- Podophyllum peltatum (Berberidaceae) “American Mandrake, Mayapple”
- Poliomintha incana (Labiatae) “Purple Sage, Eagle Feather Medicine”
- Polygala senega (Polygalaceae) “Seneca Snakeroot, Senega”
- Polygonum hydropiper (Polygonaceae) “Common Smartweed”
- Polygonum multiflorum (Polygonaceae) “Hu shou wu, Fo Ti”
- Polypodium vulgare (Polypodiaceae) “Common Polypody, Sweet Fern”
- Populus balsamifera (Salicaceae) “Balsam Poplar”
- Populus nigra (Salicaceae) “Black Poplar”
- Prosopis juliflora (Leguminosae) “Mesquite”
- Prunella vulgaris (Labiatae) “Self-Heal”
- Prunus serotina (Rosaceae) “Black or Wild Cherry”
- Psoralea esculenta (Leguminosae) “Indian Bread-Root, Contrayerba (N.M. Spanish)”
- Ptelea trifoliata (Rutaceae) “Wafer Ash, Hop Tree”
- Ptychopetalum olacoides (Olacaceae) “Muira Puama”
- Punica granatum (Punicaceae) “Pomegranate”
- Pycnanthemum incanum (Labiatae) “Hoary Mountain Mint”
- Pycnanthemum montanum (Labiatae) “Mountain Mint”
- Rehmannia glutinosa (Scrophulariaceae) “Chinese Foxglove”
- Rhamnus purshianus (Rhamnaceae) “Cascara Sagrada”
- Rheum officinale (Polygonaceae) “Chinese Rhubarb”
- Rheum palmatum (Polygonaceae) “Chinese Rhubarb”
- Rhus copallina (Anacardiaceae) “Dwarf Sumac, Winged Sumac
- Rhus glabra (Anacardiaceae) “Smooth Sumac”
- Robinia pseudoacacia (Leguminosae) “Black Locust”
- Rosa canina (Rosaceae) “Dog Rose”
- Rosmarinus officinalis (Labiatae) “Rosemary”
- Rubus fruticosus (Rosaceae) “Blackberry”
- Rubus idaeus (Rosaceae) “Red Raspberry”
- Rudbeckia laciniata (Compositae) “Cutleaf Coneflower”
- Rumex acetosella (Polygonaceae) “Sheep Sorrel”
- Rumex crispus (Polygonaceae) “Yellow Dock, Lengua De Vaca,”
- Rumex hymenosepalus (Polygonaceae) “Canaigre”
- Ruscus aculeatus (Liliaceae) “Butcher’s Broom”
- Ruta graveolens (Rutaceae) “Rue”
- Sagittaria spp (Alismataceae) “Arrowroot”
- Salix alba (Salicaceae) “White Willow”
- Salsola kali (Chenopodiaceae) “Tumbleweed, Russian Thistle”
- Salvia officinalis (Labiatae) “Sage”
- Sambucus canadensis (Caprifoliaceae) “American Elder, Elderberry”
- Sambucus nigra (Caprifoliaceae) “European Alder”
- Sanguinaria canadensis (Papaveraceae) “Bloodroot
- Santalum album (Santalaceae) “White Sandalwood”
- Sassafras albidum (Lauraceae) “Sassafras”
- Satureja douglasii (Labiatae) “California Yerba Buena”
- Scrophularia spp (Scrophulariaceae) “Figwort”
- Scutellaria galericulata (Labiatae) “Marsh Skullcap”
- Scutellaria lateriflora (Labiatae) “Mad dog Skullcap”
- Selenicereus grandiflorus (Cactaceae) “Night-Blooming Cereus”
- Senecio aureus (Compositae) “Liferoot, Squaw Root”
- Serenoa repens (Arecaceae) “Saw Palmetto”
- Sida rhombifolia (Malvaceae) “Sida, Alkali Mallow
- Silybum marianum (Compositae) “Milk Thistle”
- Simmondsia chinensis (Simmondsiaceae) “Jojoba”
- Smilax spp (Smilacaceae) “Sarsaparilla”
- Solanum dulcamara (Solanaceae) “Bittersweet”
- Solidago virgaurea (Compositae) “European or Great Goldenrod”
- Sophora secundiflora (Leguminosae) “Mescal Bean”
- Spartium junceum (Leguminosae) “Spanish Broom”
- Spirulina (Oscillatoriaceae) “Spirulina”
- Stachys officinalis (Labiatae) “Betony”
- Stellaria media (Caryophyllaceae) “Chickweed”
- Stillingia sylvatica (Euphorbiaceae) “Yaw Root, Queen’s Delight”
- Symphytum officinale (Boraginaceae) “Comfrey”
- Tabebuia heptaphylla (Bignoniaceae) “Pau D’Arco”
- Tanacetum vulgare (Compositae) “Tansy”
- Taraxacum officinale (Compositae) “Dandelion”
- Tecoma stans (Bignoniaceae) “Trumpet Bush, Yellow Elder, Copa de Oro”
- Thuja occidentalis (Cupressaceae) “Arbor-Vitae, Northern White-Cedar”
- Tribulus terrestris (Zygophyllaceae) “Puncture-vine”
- Trifolium pratense (Leguminosae) “Red Clover”
- Trigonella foenum-graecum (Leguminosae) “Fenugreek”
- Turnera diffusa (Turneraceae) “Damiana”
- Tussilago farfara (Compositae) “Coltsfoot”
- Ulmus rubra (Ulmaceae) “Slippery Elm”
- Umbellularia californica (Lauraceae) “California Bay”
- Uncaria tomentosa (Rubiaceae) “Una de Gato”
- Urtica dioica (Urticaceae) ” Stinging Nettle”
- Vaccinium myrtillus (Ericaceae) “Bilberry, Whortleberry”
- Vaccinium vitis-idaea (Ericaceae) “Cowberry, Blueberry, Lingonberry”
- Valeriana officinalis (Valerianaceae) “Valerian”
- Verbascum thapsus (Scrophulariaceae) “Mullein”
- Verbena officinalis (Verbenaceae) “Vervain”
- Viburnum opulus (Caprifoliaceae) “Crampbark, Guelder Rose”
- Viola odorata (Violaceae) “Common Violet, Sweet Violet”
- Viola tricolor (Violaceae) “Pansy, Wild Violet”
- Viscum album (Viscaceae) “European Mistletoe”
- Vitex agnus-castus (Verbenaceae) “Chaste Tree”
- Zanthoxylum americanum (Rutaceae) “Prickly Ash, Northern”
- Zingiber officinale (Zingiberaceae) “Ginger”