Name: Gelsemium (Gelsemium sempervirens)
Otherwise known as: Yellow Jessamine, Wild Woodbine
Habitat: A perennial climber of the Loganiaceae family with opposite, green, lanceolate leaves bearing fragrant clusters of yellow, trumpet-shaped flowers forming in the axils. It grows up to 12m in rich forest soils in North America; all parts of the plant are highly toxic.
What does it do: Prior to the 19th century very little was known about the plant; it first came to notice in North America when taken up by the Eclectics, a group of pioneering physicians among the white settlers. They observed how extracts from the roots were used by the native medicine men, to relieve intense pain caused either by disease or injury. However, some of the early experiments proved to be fatal for the patients.
The plant is a powerful relaxant to the central nervous system, a vasodilator, analgesic, hypotensive, anti-spasmodic, anti-hysteria and a tranquilliser. Herbalists and homeopaths use this plant with great care; it has been found to be effective in cases of migraine, facial neuralgia, cramp, intermittent claudication (disabling lameness or spasmodic pain in the legs), coccydinia (pain in the tailbone), osteopathetic lesions, restlessness in children, and as a diaphoretic, a febrifuge, in cardiac arrhythmia, contracted pupils and circulatory excitement.
In North American folk medicine there is a long history of it being used to treat sexually transmitted diseases, dysentery, diarrhoea, fevers, insomnia, pelvic disorders in women, leucorrhoea, and severe pain.
The plant must not be taken by anyone that has a heart condition or low blood pressure.
There have been many attempts to grow this climber in northern Europe but the results have been disappointing although there is no reason why this handsome plant should not grow here. In the United States it is known as Yellow Jasmine, but is not related to any of the Jasminoides.
0 σχόλια