I
am
constantly asked to identify a medicinal herb
someone has found reference to in a medicinal
plant book. The reason they have trouble is they
don't compare the scientific names with our
native and imported species.
You will find that
in other parts of the world, as with here in
America, the common names are very misleading
and often refer to totally unrelated
species.
Here are some of
the most frequently confusing plants. Caution!
Mis-identifying medicinal plants can prove
fatal:
European
Herb: Alder: Prinos verticillatus.
American Plant: Alder: Alnus crispa. Not
related to that European plant.
European
Herb: Angelica: Angelica archangelica.
American plant: Birch: Angelica lucida and
Angelica genuflexa.
European
Herb: Balm: Mellisa officinalis. A Mint.
American Plant: Cottonwood: Populus
balsamifera/tricocarpa.
European
Herb: Bayberry: Myrica sp.
American Plant: Sweet Gale: Myrica
Gale.
European
Herb: Bilberry: Vacciniun
vitis-idaea.
American Plant: Lingonberry/Lowbush
Cranberry: Vaccinium vitis-idaea.
European
Herb: Birch: Betula virucossa.
American Plant: Betula
papyrifera.
European
Herb: Black Currant: Ribes nigrum.
American Plant: Black Currant: Ribes
glandulosum.
European
Herb: Borage: Borago officinalis.
American Plant: We do not have the genus
Borago.
European
Herb: Boxwood: Cornus florida. A Dogwood.
American Plant: Boxwood: Buxus sp. True
Boxwood.
European
Herb: Butterbur: Petasities sp.
American Plant: Colt's Foot: Petasities
sp.
European
Herb: Cajuput: Melaleuca alternifolia, native to
Australia.
American Plant: Tea trea Oil/Melaleuca
Melaleuca alternifolia. Import
product.
European
Herb: Clivers: Galium aparine.
American Plant: Bed Straw: Galium
aparine.
European
Herb: Coltsfoot: Tussilago farfara.
American Plant: Coltsfoot: Petasites
sp.
European
Herb: Cowslip: Primula veris. It is a
primrose.
American Plant: Cowslip: Caltha palustris. It
is a crowfoot
European
Herb: Crampbark: Viburnum edule.
American Plant: Highbush Cranberry: Viburnum
edule.
European
Herb: Crawley: Corallorhiza sp.
American Plant: Coral Root Orchid:
Corallorhiza sp.
European
Herb: Cup Moss: Cladonia pyxidata. A Lichen, not
related to mosses.
American Plant: Pyxidate Lichen: Cladonia
pyxidata.
Eurasian
Name: Ma Huang: Ephedra sinica.
American Plant: Ephedra: Ephedra
sinica.
European
Herb: Five-leaf-grass: Potentilla sp. Not a
grass.
American Plant: Cinquefoil/Fivefinger:
Potentilla sp.
European
Herb: American Ground Pine: lycopodium
complanatum.
American Plant: Creeping Jenny: Lycopodium
complanatum. A Club Moss.
European
Herb: European Ground Pine: Ajuga sp. a species
of Mint.
American Plant: Ajuga is not indigenous to
America.
European
Herb: Heartsease: Viola tricolor, Pansy.
American Plant: Pansy/Johnny Jump-up: Viola
tricolor. Introduced.
European
Herb: Helebore: Hellaborus nigrum and Adonis
vernalis.
American Plant: Hellebore: Veratrum
viride.
European
Herb: Hemlock: Conium maculatum, Poisonous
Umbelifera species.
American Plant: Hemlock: Tsuga Mertensiana
non-poisonous tree. Pine Family.
American Plant: Poison Water Hemlock: Cicuta
mackenzieana/Douglasii.
European
Herb: Iceland Moss: Cetraria islandica.These are
Lichens, not mosses.
American Plant: Iceland Lichen: Cetraria
islandica.
European
Herb: Ladies Bedstraw: Galium verum.
American Plant: Not in America. Many related
forms are, but not this species.
European
Herb: Life Everlasting: Antennaria dioca.
American Plant: Pussy Toes: Antennaria
dioca,
European
Herb: Liverwort: Peltigera canina. A Lichen.
American Plant: Liverwort: Hepatica nobilis.
In the Buttercup Family.
European
Herb: Lung Moss: Lobaria pulmonaria. This is a
Lichen.
American Plant: Lungwort: Pulmonaria
officinalis. Borage Family.
American Plant: Lobaria pulmonaria. A
Lichen.
European
Herb: Melilot: Melilotus officinalis. A
clover.
American Plant: Yellow Clover: Melilotus
officinalis.
European
Herb: Mugwort: Artemesia vulgaris.
American Plant: Common Wormwood: Artemesia
vulgaris.
European
Herb: Pinus Bark: Tsuga sp.
American Plant: Hemlock: Tsuga sp. In the
Pine family.
European
Herb: Psyllium: Plantago sp.Plantain, pronounced
(plan-tin).
American Plant: Plantain: Plantago
sp.
European
Herb: Sage: Salvia officinalis, it is a
Mint.
American Plant: Sage: Artemesia tricuspdata,
Sagebrush/Wormwood.
European
Herb: Savin: Juniperus sabina/horizontalis.
American Plant: Creeping Jubiper/Savin:
juniperus horizontalis.
European
Herb: Skunk Cabbage: Symplocarpus foetidus.
American Plant: Skunk Cabbage: Lysichiton
americanum.
Learn
to identify native species before you use
them.
Books
to consider in Alaska and the Pacific
Northwest:
Discovering
Wild Plants, Schofield
Flora
of Alaska and Neighboring Territories,
Hultén
Flora
of South Central Alaska, Shaffer. KPC
Publication
-End
