Herb: Woolly Wyethia


Latin name: Wyethia mollis


Family: Compositae



Medicinal use of Woolly Wyethia:

The root is antiphlogistic, diaphoretic, emetic and febrifuge. A decoction has been used as a blood tonic and also in the treatment of tuberculosis, venereal diseases, colds and fevers. A poultice of the crushed roots has been applied to swellings. A poultice of the crushed leaves has been applied to sprains, swellings and broken bones.

Description of the plant:



Plant:
Perennial


Height:
100 cm
(3 1/4 foot)

Flowering:
July to
August

Habitat of the herb:

Dry wooded slopes and rocky openings, 1500 - 3000 metres in California.

Edible parts of Woolly Wyethia:

Root - cooked. A sweet and agreeable flavour. The N. American Indians dug pits in the ground which they lined with large stones. They then burnt a fire on top of the stones until the stones were hot. The roots were placed on these hot stones, sealed in with fern leaves and earth and then fermented for one or two days. Seed - raw or cooked. The seed can be used as a piäole, or it can be ground into a powder and used as a mush or mixed with cereals flours to make bread etc.

Propagation of the herb:

Seed - we have no information on this species but suggest sowing the seed in a greenhouse or cold frame in early spring. Use a very freely-draining compost, prick out the seedlings into individual pots as soon as they are large enough to handle and plant out into their permanent positions when they are large enough. Careful division of the crown as the plants come into growth in spring.

Cultivation of Woolly Wyethia:

Dry wooded slopes and rocky openings, 1500 - 3000 metres in California.

Known hazards of Wyethia mollis:

One report suggests that the leaves might be poisonous.

Plant information taken from the Plants For A Future.