Materia Medica

Plantain (Plantago major & Plantago lanceolata) — Common Plantain, Ribwort, White Man's Foot
A guide to Plantago major and P. lanceolata covering plantain leaf identification, traditional poultice and tea use, psyllium differences and safety. Read more...
Red Clover (Trifolium pratense) — Purple Clover, Meadow Clover
Red clover (Trifolium pratense) is a traditional flowering-top tea herb and nitrogen-fixing meadow legume now widely studied for isoflavones such as formononetin and biochanin A. This full guide covers traditional preparations, menopause and bone research, hormone-sensitive conditions, harvesting, growing, folklore and practical safety. Read more...
Rosemary (Salvia rosmarinus) — Compass Plant, Dew of the Sea
Rosemary (Salvia rosmarinus; syn. Rosmarinus officinalis) is a Mediterranean culinary and traditional herbal shrub associated with digestion, remembrance, aromatic baths, scalp care and household use. This full guide covers tea and culinary preparations, rosmarinic and carnosic acids, human memory and hair research, essential-oil safety, growing, harvesting, storage and folklore. Read more...
Sage (Salvia officinalis) — Garden Sage, Common Sage
A guide to Salvia officinalis covering sage culinary use, menopause and cognition research, thujone, essential-oil seizure risk and folklore. Read more...
Thyme (Thymus vulgaris) — Common Thyme, Garden Thyme
A guide to Thymus vulgaris covering thyme's culinary and respiratory traditions, cough-product research, essential-oil chemotypes, irritation risk and safety. Read more...
Valerian (Valeriana officinalis) — All-Heal, Garden Heliotrope
A guide to Valeriana officinalis covering valerian root, traditional sleep use, mixed insomnia research, sedation interactions, rare liver-safety reports and folklore. Read more...
Yarrow (Achillea millefolium) — Milfoil, Soldier's Woundwort, Nosebleed
A guide to Achillea millefolium covering yarrow identification, traditional wound and digestive use, Asteraceae allergy, pregnancy cautions and folklore. Read more...
Ipecac (Carapichea ipecacuanha) — Ipecacuanha, Brazilian Root
A safety-first guide to ipecac or ipecacuanha (Carapichea ipecacuanha), covering its emetine and cephaeline alkaloids, historic use as an emetic, why routine ipecac-induced vomiting is no longer recommended, and the risks of cardiac and muscular toxicity. Read more...
Yellow Dock (Rumex crispus) — Curly Dock, Sour Dock
A guide to Rumex crispus covering yellow-dock root, anthraquinones, traditional bitter use, leaf oxalates, kidney-stone cautions and safety. Read more...
Zedoary (Curcuma zedoaria) — White Turmeric, Kua
A guide to Curcuma zedoaria covering zedoary rhizome, culinary history, traditional digestive and menstrual use, limited research, pregnancy and essential-oil safety. Read more...
Jujube (Ziziphus jujuba) — Chinese Date, Red Date
A guide to Ziziphus jujuba covering jujube fruit as food, medicinal seed traditions, sleep research context, sugar content and safety. Read more...
Cinnamomum verum (Cinnamon), realistic botanical photo
Ceylon Cinnamon (Cinnamomum verum) — True Cinnamon, Sweet Cinnamon
A guide to Cinnamomum verum covering Ceylon cinnamon, cassia differences, coumarin, culinary use, glucose research and safety. Read more...