Show 80: Announcements, Injuries and Artichokes

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  • Torey
    Torey Posts: 5,679 admin

    It won't be Arnica season for a few weeks yet, depending on the weather. Its been a cold wet spring.

    We have 17 species of Arnica listed in BC. The two most common in my area are Heart-leaved Arnica (A. cordifolia) and Streambank Arnica (A. lanceolata). I've identified a couple of the others but some are difficult to differentiate.

    I make Arnica oil every year in small batches. I also infuse it in rubbing alcohol to use on its own or add liniments.

    Arnica one of the most commonly used homeopathic remedies in my kit. Great for any sort of blunt force trauma and/or the shock that can accompany injuries.

    A really nice combo trauma oil is Arnica, St. John's Wort and Mullein flower.

  • dipat2005
    dipat2005 Posts: 1,290 ✭✭✭✭✭

    I really like Arnica for healing wounds.

  • Tave
    Tave Posts: 952 ✭✭✭✭✭

    Hello:) I had been looking for arnica at the herb store and gave up because what they were selling wasn't even close. Then I went hiking in the mountains and saw these gorgeous flowers blooming everywhere. My plant ID app gave arnica as a third option, but the first two options didn't quite look like it. I'd like to be sure before I pick some. So is this arnica, or is it something else? Thanks:)


  • Torey
    Torey Posts: 5,679 admin

    @Tave I've been through all the pics in my plant atlas and can't find one exactly like this.

    I don't think this is an Arnica species from the looks of the leaves. The leaves actually look more like a Grindelia species. Is the plant sticky? It might also be one of the Hawkweeds, although the flower is different from ones that I am accustomed to.

    What part of the world is the picture taken?

  • Tave
    Tave Posts: 952 ✭✭✭✭✭

    Thanks, @torey. Pl@ntNet id's it as African daisy (senecio pterophorus). But it's not exactly like the picture, either. The second option was false yellowhead (dittrichia viscosa), which also doesn't look quite the same. I'm in South America in the Andes. No, it wasn't sticky.

  • Torey
    Torey Posts: 5,679 admin

    @Tave It doesn't look like Senecios I am familiar with, either. But there are local variations on plants that can be different from the standards. Let us know if you figure it out.

  • judsoncarroll4
    judsoncarroll4 Posts: 5,490 admin

    Wow, I just don't know with this one!

  • Tave
    Tave Posts: 952 ✭✭✭✭✭

    Thanks:) I'll keep working on it.

  • nicksamanda11
    nicksamanda11 Posts: 755 ✭✭✭✭

    The leaves look very "oxe-eye daisyish" but the yellow petals throw me. When hawkweed was mentioned I felt a check.

  • Tave
    Tave Posts: 952 ✭✭✭✭✭

    Thanks, everyone. I finally found out what it is. You were right, @torey. It's grindelia boliviana.

  • Torey
    Torey Posts: 5,679 admin

    @Tave How lucky! Have you found out any more info on the medicinal uses in your area? Grindelia species that I am familiar with make excellent medicines. A bit more challenging to find info on this particular species but here goes.

    This is just an abstract of a study but shows good anti-inflammatory results for G. boliviana.

    I couldn't get this one to translate but my really bad Spanish indicates that they are talking about the antioxidant properties.

    This very short article suggests it is good as a lip balm.

    Again, in Spanish, but I it is talking about the antibacterial properties.

    I found another brief mention that leaves of G. boliviana might be used as a compress to heal broken bones.

    I look forward to learning anything you find out about your species.

  • Tave
    Tave Posts: 952 ✭✭✭✭✭

    That's great. Thanks, @torey . I found some books in Spanish on local herbs, and I'm in the process of figuring them out. Some herbs are so unique to this area that there's nothing in English on them. Just this week, I met someone who knows where I can take classes here. I've also been enjoying Doc Jones' Homegrown Herbalist School of Botanical Medicine.