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  • Gloriosa superba L. Colchicaceae Gloriosa lily. Gloriosa rothschildiana is now a synonym. Climbing plant. Distribution: Southern Africa to Asia. National flower of Zimbabwe, state flower of Tamil Nadu. Contains colchicine which is poisonous, teratogenic and used for treating gout, Familial Mediterranean fever and Behcet's disease. Its toxicity limits its use as a anti-cancer agent. Photographed in the Medicinal Garden of the Royal College of Physicians, London.
  • Gloriosa superba L. Colchicaceae Gloriosa lily. Gloriosa rothschildiana is now a synonym. Climbing plant. Distribution: Southern Africa to Asia. National flower of Zimbabwe, state flower of Tamil Nadu. Contains colchicine which is poisonous, teratogenic and used for treating gout, Familial Mediterranean fever and Behcet's disease. Its toxicity limits its use as a anti-cancer agent. Photographed in the Medicinal Garden of the Royal College of Physicians, London.
  • Garrya elliptica Douglas ex Lindl. Garryaceae. Coast silk tassel. Evergreen shrub. Distribution: California and southern Oregon. Named for Nicholas Garry, Secretary of the Hudson Bay Company (1820-1830) who assisted David Douglas in his exploration of the Pacific Northwest (Stearn, 1992). Used by Pomo and Kashaya as an abortifacient and to induce menstruation (Moerman, 1998). Photographed in the Medicinal Garden of the Royal College of Physicians, London.
  • Cedronella canariensis (L.)Webb & Berthel. Basionym Dracocephalum canariense. Lamiaceae. Canary balm, Balm-of-Gilead, Canary Island tea. It smells slightly resinous of cedar, hence the diminutive name Cedronella. Perennial herb. Distribution: Canary Islands. True Balm-of-Gilead is the sap of the poplar, Populus candicans. It was drunk as a tea, and the aroma was believed to relieve colds. No medicinal use. Photographed in the Medicinal Garden of the Royal College of Physicians, London.
  • Rosa gallica L. Rosaceae Distribution: S & C Europe, Western Asia. Culpeper: “Red roses cool, bind, strengthen both vital and animal virtue, restores such as are in consumptions, strengthen. Notes: Rose water and distilled oil of roses have been used in herbal medicine for over a thousand years, and are still used in aromatherapy. Photographed in the Medicinal Garden of the Royal College of Physicians, London.
  • Hyacinthoides non-scripta (L.) Chouard ex Rothm. Asparagaceae Bluebell. Perennial bulbous plant. Distribution W. Europe to N. Portugal. Seed and plants from wild stock are protected in England and Wales and all trade in them is prohibited, despite their abundance. All parts of the plant are poisonous and the sap can cause dermatitis. Photographed in the Medicinal Garden of the Royal College of Physicians, London.
  • Teucrium scorodonia 'Crispum Marginatum' L. Lamiaceae Distribution: Europe Teucrium is named after king Teucer (who lived in the era between 1400 and 1000 BC) the first King of Troy. Dioscorides named a medicinal herb after Teucer, and Linnaeus consolidated this in 1753. Probably the Scordium or Water Germander. It was given very similar properties. Photographed in the Medicinal Garden of the Royal College of Physicians, London.
  • Fatsia japonica (Thunb.) Decne. & Planch. Araliaceae False castor oil plant. Distribution: Japan, South Korea. Not even in the same family as the castor oil plant, Ricinus communis. An ornamental plant, Fatsia from the Japanese word for 'eight' hachi referring to the eight-lobed leaf. The sap can cause dermatitis. Photographed in the Medicinal Garden of the Royal College of Physicians, London.
  • Allium schoenoprasum L. Alliaceae. Chives. Bulbour perennial herb. 'schoenoprasm' means 'rush leek' in Greek, referring to the narrow leaves. Distribution: Asia, Europe and North America. Leaves used as a garnish on cooked food and in salads. However like others in Boraginaceae it contains the pyrrolizidine alkaloid cynoglossine which causes liver damage. Photographed in the Medicinal Garden of the Royal College of Physicians, London.
  • Colchicum autumnale L., Colchicaceae. Autumn crocus, meadow saffron, naked ladies. Distribution: Europe. Extremely toxic, containing colchicine which is effective in small doses in treating gout. It inhibits mitosis so is of interest in cancer treatment. It is used to treat Familial Mediterranean fever. It induces polyploidy in plant protocorms for the production of tetraploid forms which have bigger flowers and seeds. Photographed in the Medicinal Garden of the Royal College of Physicians, London.
  • Hypericum olympicum L. Clusiaceae. Mount Olympus St John's wort. Deciduous perennial herb. Distribution Greece, Asia minor. This is not the plant used for mood disturbances in herbal medicine which is Hypericum perforatum. However, all the 370 species of Hypericum are called 'St John's Wort' so a potential for confusion exists. It shares some of the chemicals thought to be active in Hypericum perforatum. Photographed in the Medicinal Garden of the Royal College of Physicians, London.
  • Polygonatum x hybridum Brugger Convalliariaceae. Hybrid Solomon's Seal (P. multiflorum x P. odoratum) It has the RHS Award of Garden Merit. Rhizomatous herbaceous perennial. Distribution: Garden plant whose parents come from Europe and Asia. Dioscorides (70 AD ex Beck, 2005) reports that Polygonatum is good for wounds if a poultice is applied, and that it also removes facial blemishes. Photographed in the Medicinal Garden of the Royal College of Physicians, London.
  • Bergenia ciliata (Haw.)Sternb. Saxifraginaceae. Elephant's ears. Named for Karl August von Bergen (1704-1759), physician and botanist, professor at Viadrina University, Frankfurt. Has hairy leaves, hence ciliata. Distribution: E. Afghanistan, Himalayas, Assam. Used for fevers, diarrhoea, bruises and boils, coughs, renal stones, diabetes, heart disease, haemorrhoids, stomach disorders (Harish et al www.ijabpt.com). It was described in the 1820s so there is no early literature. Photographed in the Medicinal Garden of the Royal College of Physicians, London.
  • Rosmarinus officinalis L. Lamiaceae Rosemary. Woody perennial. Distribution: Mediterranean. Quincy (1718) commended the flowers for epilepsy, apoplexy, palsies, uterine obstruction, jaundice, gout, and syringed into the ear with warm water for dislodging wax. It is licensed for use in Traditional Herbal Medicines in the UK (UK Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency (MHRA)). Photographed in the Medicinal Garden of the Royal College of Physicians, London.
  • Trillium sessile L. Trilliaceae Distribution: North America. Various Trilliums were used by Native Americans to stop haematuria, haematemesis, menorrhagia, and to heal ulcers (Milspaugh, 1974). Roots were eaten to treat stiff muscles, and tea from the plant drunk and powdered plant put on joints for rheumatism by the Iroquois (Lewis & Elvin-Lewis, 2003). Photographed in the Medicinal Garden of the Royal College of Physicians, London.
  • Ecballium elaterium (L.)A.Rich. Benincaseae Squirting cucumber - when ripe, the seed explodes from its case, squirting some distance. Distribution: Asia, Europe and N. Africa. Contain cucurbitacins which are very bitter, cytotoxic and poisonous. A restricted herbal product, only to be supplied in registered pharmacies or under the supervision of a pharmacist (UK Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency (MHRA)). Photographed in the Medicinal Garden of the Royal College of Physicians, London.
  • Lobelia tupa L Campanulaceae Tabaco del Diablo [Devil's tobacco]. Distribution: Central Chile. Dried leaves are smoked as a hallucinogen by the Mapuchu Indians of Chile. It was also used as a respiratory stimulant. The genus was named after Matthias de L’Obel or Lobel, (1538–1616), Flemish botanist and physician to James I of England, author of the great herbal Plantarum seu Stirpium Historia (1576). Lobeline, a chemical from the plant has nicotine like actions and for a while lobeline was used to help people withdraw from smoking, but was found to be ineffective. Photographed in the Medicinal Garden of the Royal College of Physicians, London.
  • Anemone blanda Schott & Kotschy, Ranunculaceae. Grecian windflower. Genus name may derive from Greek for wind, blanda being Latin for mild or pleasing. Perennial tuberous herb. Distribution SE Europe, Turkey, Lebanon, Syria. Not described until 1854 so no early herbal records under this name. However all species of Ranunculaceae are poisonous, containing protoanemonin, which causes blistering if sap gets on the skin and indigestion if ingested. Photographed in the Medicinal Garden of the Royal College of Physicians, London.
  • Dianthus caryophyllus L. Caryophyllaceae Carnation, clove-gilliflowers - Mediterranean Culpeper (1650) writes that ‘Clove-gilliflowers, resist the pestilence, strengthen the heart, liver and stomach, and provokes lust.’ They smell strongly of cloves, and an oil made from the petals is used in perfumery, soaps etc. The petals are sometimes used as a garnish for salads. In herbal medicine they are used to make a tonic. Photographed in the Medicinal Garden of the Royal College of Physicians, London.
  • Camellia sasanqua Thunb. Theaceae. Christmas camellia. Camellia commemorates Georg Josef Kamel (1661-1706), Jesuit pharmacist from Moravia (Czech Republic) who worked in the Philippines and sent plants to John Ray in England (Oakeley, 2012) Evergreen shrub. Distribution: Japan and China. Leaves are used in Japan to make tea (normally made from C. sinensis) and the seeds to make the edible tea seed oil. Photographed in the Medicinal Garden of the Royal College of Physicians, London.
  • Tussilago farfara L. Asteraceae. Coltsfoot. Distribution: Europe, N. Africa, W & N Asia . Culpeper (1650) writes: ‘Tussilago. Coltsfoot. ... they are admirable good for coughs and consumptions of the lungs, shortness of breath etc. It is often used and with great success taken in a tobacco pipe, being cut and mixed with a little oil of Annis seeds.’ It is hepatotoxic genotoxic and carcinogenic due to the pyrrolizidine alkaloids that it contains. It should not be taken internally (Medicines Control Agency, 2002). Photographed in the Medicinal Garden of the Royal College of Physicians, London.
  • Solanum atropurpureum Schrank Solanaceae. Purple Devil. Purple-spined Nightshade. Herbaceous perennial. Distribution: Brazil. This ferociously spined plant contains tropane alkaloids, atropine, hyoscyamine and scopolamine. All are anticholinergic and block the acetylcholine mediated actions of the parasympathetic nervous system. While the alkaloids are used in medicine and as an antidote to anticholinergic nerve gas poisons, the plant itself is not used in medicine. Its sharp spines can be irritant. Photographed in the Medicinal Garden of the Royal College of Physicians, London.
  • Lobelia cardinalis L Campanulaceae Cardinal lobelia Distribution: Americas, Colombia to south-eastern Canada. The genus was named after Matthias de L’Obel or Lobel, (1538–1616), Flemish botanist and physician to James I of England, author of the great herbal Plantarum seu Stirpium Historia (1576). Lobeline, a chemical from the plant has nicotine like actions and for a while lobeline was used to help people withdraw from smoking, but was found to be ineffective. It was introduced from Virginia to John Parkinson in England by John Newton (1580-1647) a surgeon of Colyton (aka Colliton), Devon, who travelled to Virginia. Photographed in the Medicinal Garden of the Royal College of Physicians, London.
  • Abelia x grandiflora R.Br. Caprifoliaceae. Distribution (A. chinensis R.Br. × A. uniflora R.Br.). Mexico, Himalayas to Eastern Asia. Ornamental flowering shrub. The name celebrates the short life of Dr Clarke Abel FRS (1789-1826), one of the first European botanists to collect in China, which he did when attached as physician to the Canton embassy in 1816-17. It has no medicinal uses but is a popular ornamental shrub in the honeysuckle family because it attracts butterflies and has a long flowering period. From June to October it produces a profusion of small, fragrant, pink-flushed, white flowers on long, arching branches. Photographed in the Medicinal Garden of the Royal College of Physicians, London.
  • Cynoglossum officinale L. Boraginaceae. Houndstongue. Distribution: Europe. Culpeper (1650) writes: “... being roasted and laid to the fundament, helps the haemorrhoids. It is also good against burnings and scaldings.” It contains hepatocarcinogenic pyrrolizidine alkaloids and while people are known to eat the young leaves as a vegetable, this is inadvisable. The whole plant is hairy and may cause contact dermatitis. The use of herbal remedies, which contain these alkaloids, by the Bantu of southern Africa correlates with their high incidence of tumours of the liver and pancreas. Photographed in the Medicinal Garden of the Royal College of Physicians, London.
  • Geranium sanguineum L. Geraniaceae Dusky cranesbill. Herbaceous perennial. Distribution: Europe and temperate Asia. County flower of Northumberland. This seems to be the 'Sanguin geranium or Blood Roote', Geranium haematodes/haematites, of Lyte (1578). He writes that it is 'not used in Medicyne.' Parkinson (1640) classifies cranesbills somewhat differently, but says that 'all are found to be effectual both in inward and outward wounds, to stay bleedings, vomitings and fluxes, eyther the decoction of the herbe or the powder of the leaves and roots used as the cause demands. Photographed in the Medicinal Garden of the Royal College of Physicians, London.
  • Polemonium caeruleum L. Polemoniaceae Jacob's ladder, Greek Valerian. Hardy perennial. Distribution: Temperate Europe. Dioscorides in 70 AD (Beck, 2005), and Lyte (1578) recommended it drunk in wine, for malignant ulcers, dysentery, difficulty in micturition, hip disease. The root was worn round the neck to protect against scorpions, and stopped toothache if chewed. Called Valerian Graeca by Dodoens (1551) and Parkinson (1640), Valeriana peregrina Belgarum by Lobel (1576). Photographed in the Medicinal Garden of the Royal College of Physicians, London.
  • Senecio pulcher Hook.&Arn. Asteraceae Distribution: South America. It has not attracted attention as a medicinal or toxic plant but members of the genus Senecio contain pyrrolizidine alkaloids that are toxic to the liver and may cause liver cancer. A traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) product, Qianbai Biyan Pian, contains Senecio scandens which contains the unsaturated pyrrolizidine alkaloids, senecionine and seneciphylline. This is now a banned drug. (Safety of Herbal Medicinal Products, July 2002, Medicines Control Agency). Photographed in the Medicinal Garden of the Royal College of Physicians, London.
  • Senecio pulcher Hook.&Arn. Asteraceae Distribution: South America. It has not attracted attention as a medicinal or toxic plant but members of the genus Senecio contain pyrrolizidine alkaloids that are toxic to the liver and may cause liver cancer. A traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) product, Qianbai Biyan Pian, contains Senecio scandens which contains the unsaturated pyrrolizidine alkaloids, senecionine and seneciphylline. This is now a banned drug. (Safety of Herbal Medicinal Products, July 2002, Medicines Control Agency). Photographed in the Medicinal Garden of the Royal College of Physicians, London.
  • Iris unguicularis Poir. Iridaceae. Algerian iris. Rhizomatous perennial. Distribution: NW Africa, E. Mediterranean It has scientifically-based potential. The rhizomes contain the chemical kaempferol which inhibits the enzyme alpha-glucosidase in the gut, reducing the rate of glucose absorption. This could be used to prevent the dangerous peaks of blood sugar that occur in diabetics and reduce eye and kidney complications. The unprocessed rhizome contains iridin, a toxic glycoside, which causes 'nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea and skin irritation'. Photographed in the Medicinal Garden of the Royal College of Physicians, London.