- Region
- North America
- Origin
- Eastern North America
- Traditions
- Cherokee medicine, Haudenosaunee medicine, Eclectic medicine
North America · Herb · № 826
Podophyllum peltatum
Herb · North America
Mayapple
Podophyllum peltatum
A poisonous plant whose resin, podophyllin, was once used as a laxative. Now only used in the form of medicines against warts.
Safety notes
All parts except the ripe fruit are poisonous. Do not use.
Cautions by tradition (3)
- Healing traditions of the Americas: Poisonous; the resin causes serious poisoning if ingested.
- Haudenosaunee (Iroquois) medicine: Root, leaves and unripe fruit are poisonous.
- Cherokee (Tsalagi) medicine: Highly poisonous; do not take it.
Preparation
Do not prepare it yourself.
Use in traditions
Indigenous peoples and later the Eclectic physicians used the root. Modern medicines are derived from podophyllin.
Applications
Use by tradition
How different herbal traditions describe this herb. Amounts are traditional guidelines checked for obvious errors; they are not medical advice. For poisonous plants no dosage is given on purpose.
Healing traditions of the Americas
Attributed effects
Indigenous peoples used the root as a powerful laxative and vermifuge; Eclectic physicians adopted it. Modern remedies against warts and cancer have been derived from podophyllin.
Preparation and amount
Do not prepare or use it yourself.
Caution: Poisonous; the resin causes serious poisoning if ingested.
Haudenosaunee (Iroquois) medicine
Attributed effects
As a strong laxative; the ripe fruit is eaten.
Preparation and amount
Do not use it yourself. The tradition roasted the root and cut out the knobs, held to be the most poisonous part.
Caution: Root, leaves and unripe fruit are poisonous.
Cherokee (Tsalagi) medicine
Attributed effects
The root as a strong purgative and for worms, the powder on sores; the juice of the root was used to soak seed corn against crows and insects. Only the ripe fruit was eaten.
Preparation and amount
Do not prepare it yourself.
Caution: Highly poisonous; do not take it.