From Ayurveda to Rongoā Māori
Communities around the world learned how plants nourish, care and heal. Here their traditions stand beside present-day use, with respect for every culture.
GrapeFolk magic and herbal magic
BuchuLocal African healing traditions
Indian tobaccoCherokee medicine
Lignum vitaeHerbal knowledge of the Caribbean
Yerba mateKallawaya healing knowledge
CautionEurope · Herb · № 67
Borago officinalis
The seed oil, rich in gamma-linolenic acid, has been studied for eczema and joint inflammation with mixed results. The leaf was traditionally used to reduce fever and as a tonic.
CautionNorth America · Herb · № 960
Lithospermum incisum (syn. L. linearifolium)
A member of the borage family with yellow trumpet-shaped flowers and a red root, related to Chinese gromwell (zi cao). Effects not studied.
CautionEurope · Herb · № 179
Digitalis purpurea
Contains cardiac glycosides that slow the heart rate and strengthen its contractions. They gave rise to the drugs digoxin and digitoxin, still prescribed for certain heart rhythm disorders and heart failure. The margin between an effective and a toxic amount is very small.
Featured · Central America and the Caribbean · Curanderismo
Salvia divinorum
A sage with large leaves containing salvinorin A, a very potent substance acting on the kappa opioid receptor. Brings short-lived, often intense changes in perception and the feeling of leaving the body.
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43 traditions
How communities built up and passed on their knowledge of plants, region by region.
113 recipes
Soups, teas and dishes in which herbs play a leading role.
146 formulas
The classical Chinese formulas, also listed by condition.