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Post by prunella on Feb 5, 2015 17:52:46 GMT -5
Seeing a recent question posted her about pronouncing "emoticon": I agree, it can't be pronounced "emotion" because it emotes with an icon. And so here we go...
You probably all know Hypericum? This invasive (St. John's Wort) is long-recognized as having great medicinal properties, including the belief that even the scent of it could chase away bad spirits. To this end, the Greeks put some of the flowers above pictures of relatives (not sure what kind of pictures? Kid drawings on the fridge? Selfies tacked to the wall?) Anyway, Hyper=over, and Greek eikon means picture. Thus, today the little pictures used in computer programs are icons.
So Hypericum developed out of that.
PS: I suppose you all know that "wort" simply means "plant", right?
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Post by Deleted on Mar 7, 2015 16:23:17 GMT -5
Steve, I'm thinking "wort" means low growing plant...
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Post by breezygardener on Mar 7, 2015 16:34:36 GMT -5
Be VERY careful when using St. John's Wort - whether from your garden or via commercial supplements. It can seriously interact with other medications or health issues you may have.
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Post by prunella on Mar 7, 2015 17:06:26 GMT -5
I'm thinking "wort" means low growing Wort is actually an old word for plant: Wort: "plant; especially : an herbaceous plant" Merriam-WebsterLow-growing plants ofen have botanical names that start with the Greek word "chamae," meaning lowly, creeping.* * From my copy of Sterna's Botanical Latin, Page 384 (yes, I'm that nerdy!)
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Post by lilolpeapicker on Mar 22, 2015 9:06:41 GMT -5
Steve, i love your avatar....what are the blue flowers?
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Post by prunella on Mar 22, 2015 9:34:38 GMT -5
.what are the blue flowers? A wild relatived of your garden forget-me-nots. This one is Cynoglossum occidentale, aka Houndstongue. That flower group was at about 7000ft in a meadow I like for the many butterflies I find there. The name Cynoglossmm really does mean "houndstongue. Cyno=dog, glossum=tongue. Some dogs have bluish tongues, but why this attractive flower deserves that name is beyond me! And while on the animal theme, the yellow flower is mules-ear! Big fuzzy leaves.
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Post by SpringRain🕊️ on Mar 22, 2015 9:43:06 GMT -5
I like both flowers; I wouldn't mind having some Mule's-Ear in my garden. Steve, do you grow it, and if so, did you get it from a nursery?
Back to the topic of St. John's Wort, does anyone grow it and process it for use as an anti-depressant supplement as opposed to buying it in the store in tablet form?
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Post by lilolpeapicker on Mar 22, 2015 10:33:01 GMT -5
Yes both flowers r very pretty...I wouldn't mind having some of each.
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Post by prunella on Mar 22, 2015 10:53:05 GMT -5
some Mule's-Ear in my garden. Well, I did find a page of info about Wyethia angustifolia, I looked for seed sources for Wyethia in general, finding several sources. Note that the one in my photo is in an area that will be under many feet of snow for months on end (if it ever snows again!), so a northern variety would be what you'd want. There are a few that are more desert types. Google "Wyethia USDA". The USDA site is a great resource for this kind of research. It will also sow you that Hypericum is a rampant weed!
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Post by OregonRed on Mar 22, 2015 11:08:13 GMT -5
SpringRain, I have a minor in herbology, our master herbalist instructor was sooo good. I used to make his sports balm, it had st johns wort in it for some version of pain relief. I purchased the oil already infused... apparently one has to use the fresh herb/plant material to do this. have you considered finding an herbalist or school with a master herbalist around?
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Post by gardensupplies on Apr 16, 2015 5:31:50 GMT -5
St. Johns Wort is well known in the books of medicine for its powerful anti-depressant properties. It has been used in folk medicines for years as a painkiller. St. Johns Wort is also used to treat minor to severe health problems like burns, mood swings, sleep disorders, bed-wetting in children, lung and kidney problems, tuberculosis, hemorrhoids, gastrointestinal problems, breathing issues, peptic ulcers, hangovers and alcoholism. It is used to relieve from muscle problems and to ease muscle injuries. It helps in reducing swelling and is used in certain herbal remedies to treat depression and anxiety. Studies have shown that St. Johns Wort extracts help in treating depression by inhibiting the reuptake of the neurotransmitters serotonin, norepinephrine and dopamine.
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Post by shadetree on Jun 27, 2015 22:46:26 GMT -5
OregonRed, I really look forward to your knowledge of herbs. What information do you have on herbs during pregnancy?
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Post by OregonRed on Jun 28, 2015 9:21:59 GMT -5
red raspberry leaf tea, as much as you want all day, for a healthy uterus - don't know much - (never pregnant, don't hang around pregnant people)...take prenatals... I had a g/f that had her calcium leached from the baby because she wouldn't, and her skin got all dry. best wishes! gardensupplies: any input for shadetree?
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