Page 200 - Lost Book Remedies

The Lost Book of Herbal Remedies

the flowers in this way has the added benefit of leaving Recipes. Red Root Tea. 1 teaspoon of dried,
your body and clothes nicely scented. ground Red Root, 1 cup of water. Combine the water
and root and bring to a simmer. Simmer the tea for 5
Toothache: Take one mouthful of Red Root Bark
Decoction and swish it gently in the mouth to relieve minutes, then allow to cool to drinking temperature
pain and reduce swelling. Hold it in the mouth for a and strain.
few minutes, then spit it out.
Red Root Bark Decoction. 1-ounce New Jersey
Harvesting: Harvest the roots during spring or au- Tea plant root bark, ground or chopped fine, 1-pint
tumn, when their color is the deepest red, and dry them (500 ml) water. Bring the root bark and water to a boil
for future use. Make sure to cut the roots prior to dry- and reduce the heat to a low simmer. Simmer the root
ing them as they are difficult to cut once they have bark for 30 minutes for ground bark or 45 minutes for
dried. finely chopped root bark. Strain the decoction.

Warning: Do not use if on an anti-coagulant medi-
cation.

Rhodiola rosea,

Golden Root

Rhodiola rosea, also called Golden Root, Rose Root, or
Arctic Root, can sometimes be difficult to find. It likes
sea cliffs and high elevations in sandy areas in North-
eastern America, Europe, and Asia. It is a perennial
flowering plant that is sometimes planted as a ground-
cover. It is in the Crassulaceae (Stonecrop) Family.
Golden root likes cold weather, and is most often found
it on sunny river and stream banks, in snow beds, and
rocky shelves.
Identification: This plant grows from 4 to 15 inches
(10 cm to 37.5 cm) tall, with several stems growing Golden Root Plant, Dolina Tomanowa, CC by SA 2.5
from thick rootstock. The stems are erect with succu- July to August, forming greenish yellow to yellow flow-
lent leaves and a waxy coating that helps the plant con- ers with four sepals and four petals. The staminate
serve water. The leaves are flat and smooth, alternate flowers have 8 stamens and are taller than the pistillate
and stalkless, with a slightly blue tint. The lowest flowers. The flowers are massed together into a semi-
leaves are scale-like, and stem leaves are ovate with a spherical flower head. Fruits are four united follicles
sharp tip and saw-like teeth. Rhodiola flowers from with many seeds.

Edible Use: The leaves, stems, flowers, and roots are
edible. Young leaves and shoots are good eaten raw or
cooked like a vegetable. Older plants are slightly bitter.
The stems can be steamed like asparagus. The roots are
good raw, cooked, or fermented like sauerkraut.

Medicinal Use: Rhodiola root is a powerful adap-
togen. It is good for lifting the mood, increasing mental
concentration, and it regulates the body’s reaction to
stress and normalizes hormones. Rhodiola’s effects are
often best at lower doses, so it is important to start with
a lower dose and increase it only if needed.

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