Materia Medica

Boswellia serrata Indian frankincense original botanical visualization: serrated pinnate leaves, peeling bark and golden resin
Boswellia (Boswellia serrata) — Indian Frankincense, Salai
A whole-plant guide to Boswellia serrata covering resin harvest, Ayurvedic tradition, boswellic-acid research, incense history, sustainability, and safety. Read more...
Alangium salviifolium flowering branch with cream recurved flowers, simple leaves and short spines
Alangium / Ankol (Alangium salviifolium) — Ankola / Sage-Leaved Alangium
Alangium / Ankol (Alangium salviifolium) materia medica covering botanical identity, traditional part-specific uses, alkaloids including cephaeline, preparations and dose limitations, preclinical anti-inflammatory and other research, reproductive and alkaloid safety, cultivation,... Read more...
Agathosma betulina (Buchu), realistic botanical photo
Buchu (Agathosma betulina) — Round-Leaf Buchu
A whole-plant guide to buchu covering South African botanical tradition, aromatic leaves, historical urinary use, volatile oils, research, and safety. Read more...
Albizia julibrissin silk tree with bipinnate leaves, pink silky flower heads and flat pods
Albizia / Silk Tree (Albizia julibrissin) — He Huan Pi / He Huan Hua
Albizia / Silk Tree (Albizia julibrissin) materia medica covering He Huan Pi bark and He Huan Hua flowers, 2025 Chinese Pharmacopoeia dose ranges, traditional calming and mood use, julibroside saponins,... Read more...
Lycopus virginicus (Bugleweed), realistic botanical photo
Bugleweed (Lycopus virginicus) — Virginia Bugleweed, Water Horehound
A whole-plant guide to American bugleweed covering identification, traditional thyroid and heart-related use, research context, medication interactions, and safety. Read more...
Frangula alnus glossy buckthorn with alternate glossy leaves and red to black fruits
Alder Buckthorn / Glossy Buckthorn (Frangula alnus) — Frangula Bark
Alder Buckthorn / Glossy Buckthorn (Frangula alnus; syn. Rhamnus frangula) materia medica covering dried frangula bark, EMA hydroxyanthracene dosing, glucofrangulins, stimulant-laxative safety, contraindications, pregnancy and pediatric restrictions, invasive ecology, and... Read more...
Original full-color botanical visualization of Burdock Arctium lappa purple flower heads and hooked green burs
Burdock (Arctium lappa) — Burdock Root, Beggar's Buttons, Clotbur
A whole-plant guide to burdock (Arctium lappa), including identification in the wild, roots, leaves, stalks, flowers and burs, cut-and-sifted and powdered forms, traditional uses, modern research, preparation, safety and folklore. Read more...
Tanacetum balsamita costmary with gray-green crenate leaves and yellow button flower heads
Alecost / Costmary (Tanacetum balsamita) — Bible Leaf / Sweet Mary
Alecost / Costmary (Tanacetum balsamita) materia medica covering botanical identity, Bible Leaf and culinary history, traditional digestive use, polyphenols, variable carvone/camphor/thujone essential-oil chemotypes, research limits, pregnancy and essential-oil safety, cultivation... Read more...
Petasites hybridus (Butterbur), realistic botanical photo
Butterbur (Petasites hybridus) — Sweet Coltsfoot, Pestilence Wort
A comprehensive guide to butterbur (Petasites hybridus), covering European herbal history, standardized migraine and allergy research, historical preparation, petasins, pyrrolizidine alkaloid liver risk, PA-free processing, pregnancy, allergies and quality control. Read more...
Aletris farinosa true unicorn root with narrow basal leaves and white mealy flower spikes
Aletris / True Unicorn Root (Aletris farinosa) — White Colic-Root / Star Grass
Aletris / True Unicorn Root (Aletris farinosa) materia medica covering botanical identity, Indigenous and later American traditions, true-vs-false-unicorn confusion, unusual root sesterterpenes, dose and human-evidence gaps, gastrointestinal safety, pregnancy caution,... Read more...
Smyrnium olusatrum Alexanders with glossy divided leaves and yellow-green compound umbels
Alexanders / Alisander (Smyrnium olusatrum) — Black Lovage / Wild Celery
Alexanders / Alisander (Smyrnium olusatrum) materia medica covering its historic vegetable use, botanical identity, Apiaceae foraging safety, roots/leaves/shoots/fruits, isofuranodiene-rich furanosesquiterpenes, heat conversion to curzerene, modern research limits, cultivation and food... Read more...
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...