Mugwort

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Family: Compositae

Latin Name: Artemisia vulgaris

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Description

A single-stemmed plant with floppy leaves. The height is up to 6 feet with a width of 1-2 feet. The flowers are tiny, red-brown, wooly, and clustered on stem tips. Native to Europe and Asia and naturalized in the U.S.

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Common Uses

A digestive and tonic herb, mugwort has a wide variety of traditional uses. Milder in action than most other Artemisia species, it can be taken over the long term at a low dose to improve appetite and digestive function, as well as promoting liver detoxification and absorption of nutrients.

Myrrh

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Family: Burseraceae

Latin Name: Commiphora myrrha

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Description

Thorny tree with light bark growing in East Africa from Sudan to Somalia and in southern Arabia. Leaves appear only during rainy season. Resin is found in the bark and used commercially.

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Common Uses

Germany's Commission E has endorsed powdered myrrh for the treatment of mild inflammations of the mouth and throat because it contains high amounts of tannins. Myrrh improves digestion, diarrhea, and immunity. It treats coughs, gum disease, wounds, Candida, overactive thyroid, and scanty menstruation.

Catnip

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Family: Labiatae

Latin Name: Nepeta cataria

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Description

An erect perennial which produces small, whitish or pinkish, purple- or red-dotted flowers. The plant is strongly scented with a mint like odor, rather like pennyroyal.

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Common Uses

Catnip has been employed orally to treat colic, diarrhea, flatulence, hiccups, whooping cough, the common cold, measles and chicken pox (reducing the eruptions). It also treats asthma, jaundice, yellow fever, scarlet fever, smallpox, and induces parturition and encourages menstruation. The Chinese consider it bitter, cold, and spicy. They use it to harmonize the liver, nerve and lungs, and in cases of nervous tension due to too much emotional upheaval.