Materia Medica

Medicago sativa alfalfa with trifoliate leaves, violet-purple pea flowers and coiled pods
Alfalfa (Medicago sativa) — Lucerne, Purple Medic
Alfalfa / Lucerne (Medicago sativa) materia medica covering botanical identity, leaf/seed/sprout differences, traditional nutritive use, saponins and coumestans, the 1987 heat-treated-seed cholesterol study, vitamin K and warfarin, L-canavanine and lupus,... Read more...
Alkanna tinctoria with blue flowers and hairy foliage in natural habitat
Alkanet (Alkanna tinctoria) — Dyer's Bugloss, Spanish Bugloss
A whole-plant guide to alkanet covering identification, its famous red-purple root dye, traditional uses, history, and important safety context. Read more...
Pimenta dioica allspice branch with glossy leaves, white flowers and green unripe fruits
Allspice (Pimenta dioica) — Pimento, Jamaica Pepper
Allspice / Pimento (Pimenta dioica) materia medica covering botanical identity, dried berry and leaf use, Caribbean culinary traditions, eugenol-rich chemistry, essential-oil safety, modern research limits, cultivation, harvesting and folklore. Read more...
Aloe vera plant with thick fleshy leaves
Aloe Vera (Aloe vera) — Aloe, Barbados Aloe, Burn Plant
Aloe Vera (Aloe vera) materia medica clearly separating clear inner gel, yellow latex, and whole-leaf products; covering topical research, acemannan and aloin chemistry, FDA laxative history, oral safety, pregnancy cautions,... Read more...
Amaranthus with green foliage and flower spikes
Amaranth (Amaranthus spp.) — Pigweed, Redroot
A whole-plant guide to amaranth covering edible leaves and seeds, traditional foodways, nutrition, preparation, cultivation, and safety. Read more...
Erythronium americanum yellow trout lily with mottled leaves and yellow flower
American Adder's Tongue (Erythronium americanum) — Trout Lily, Dogtooth Violet
A guide to Erythronium americanum, also called American adder’s tongue or trout lily, covering identification, woodland ecology, traditional use, historical food context, and safety. Read more...
Panax quinquefolius American ginseng with compound leaves and red berries
American Ginseng (Panax quinquefolius) — Canadian Ginseng, Five-Fingers
A guide to Panax quinquefolius covering American ginseng tradition, glucose and respiratory research, warfarin and diabetes cautions, and conservation. Read more...
Ophioglossum vulgatum Adder's Tongue fern with single oval frond and fertile spike in natural habitat
Adder's Tongue Fern (Ophioglossum vulgatum) — Serpent's Tongue, Snake Tongue
A whole-plant guide to Ophioglossum vulgatum, the European adder’s tongue fern, covering identification, traditional topical use, folklore, ecology, and safety. Read more...
Aconitum napellus monkshood with deep blue-violet hooded flowers in alpine habitat
Aconite (Aconitum napellus) — Monkshood, Wolf's Bane
A safety-focused whole-plant guide to Aconitum napellus covering identification, historical medicinal use, aconitine toxicity, folklore, poisoning risk, and why home preparation is unsafe. Read more...
Achyranthes bidentata plant with upright stems, opposite leaves and slender flower spikes in natural light
Achyranthes (Achyranthes bidentata) — Ox Knee, Niu Xi
A whole-plant guide to Achyranthes bidentata covering identification, root use in East Asian herbal traditions, research context, preparation history, and safety. Read more...
Phyllanthus emblica Amla fruits whole and cross section
Amla (Phyllanthus emblica) — Indian Gooseberry
A whole-plant guide to amla, or Indian gooseberry, including identification, fruit and other plant parts, Ayurvedic tradition, culinary preparations, research context, growing notes and safety. Read more...
Aconitum carmichaelii (Chinese aconite / Fu Zi) in flower, realistic botanical photo
Chinese Aconite (Aconitum carmichaelii) — Fu Zi, Prepared Aconite
A safety-focused guide to Aconitum carmichaelii, known in Chinese herbal medicine as a source of fu zi, covering traditional processing, toxic alkaloids, historical use, research, and poisoning risk. Read more...