Page 169 - Lost Book Remedies

The Lost Book of Herbal Remedies

in a whorled cluster at nodes along the branches. They Oral Care: For sore gums or for use as a mouthwash,
are wooly and leathery on the undersides and roll un- use a weak leaf tea. It is a mild pain reliever and calms
der along the edges. inflammation. Swish a mouthful of tea around for a few
Its flowers are minutes, then spit it out.
dense clusters that Headaches: For headaches and other aches and
are 1 to 6 inches pains, use a strong tea made from the leaves. It relieves
wide (2.5 cm to 15 the immediate pain and flushes toxins from the sys-
cm). Each distinct tem.
flower is white and
pink and only a Heart Health: A tea made from dried flowers or
few millimeters dried roots helps prevent heart problems.
across. It blooms Harvesting: The seeds mature in early autumn and
from May to Octo- dry right on the plant. Wait until the seed pods have
ber. It has light dried and turned to a rusty brown before harvesting.
brown small Once dried, they can easily be hand-stripped from the
seeds. plants into open tubs or bags. Harvest older roots as
Edible Use: The they contain more medicine.
seeds are eaten Recipes. Strong California Buckwheat
raw or dried for Root Tea: 1 tablespoon California buckwheat shred-
later use. Seeds ded root, 1 pint (500 ml) of water. Mix the root into the
can be ground into water and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to a simmer.
a powder and used Cover and simmer the tea for 15 minutes.* Strain and
Photo by Krzysztof Ziarnek, Kenraiz, Own as a flour. Young
work, CC-BY-SA-4.0 serve warm or cold. *For a weaker tea, reduce the
sprouts can also be brewing time to 5 minutes
consumed, and the seeds can be sprouted to eat.
California Buckwheat Leaf Tea. 1 teaspoon
Medicinal Use: The seeds, leaves, flowers, and California buckwheat leaves, dried or 1 tablespoon
roots are all used for medicine. Older, mature plants fresh, 1 cup boiling water. Pour the boiling water over
are more potent. The roots are dried and ground for the leaves and steep for 5 to 10 minutes. Strain.
medicine and a strong, thick tea is made from the
leaves or the roots.

Wound Care: The leaves, flowers, and roots are
used for skin wounds. Fresh leaves or flowers can be
applied as a poultice. Ground leaves and ground roots
are mixed with water or oil and applied as a poultice.
California Buckwheat Tea can be used as a wash.

Colds, Coughs, and Sore Throats: A mild leaf
tea works for colds, coughs, and sore throats. The hot
root tea can also be used for colds and laryngitis.

Diarrhea and Stomach Illnesses: For diarrhea
and other stomach troubles, use a strong decoction
made from the roots of California Buckwheat. It cleans
out the system and gets rid of irritants.

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