Collinsonia canadensis

Collinsonia canadensis, commonly called richweed,[1] is a perennial herb in the mint family.

Collinsonia canadensis
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Asterids
Order: Lamiales
Family: Lamiaceae
Genus: Collinsonia
Species:
C. canadensis
Binomial name
Collinsonia canadensis

It is native to eastern North America, primarily east of the Mississippi River, where it is widespread. It is the most broadly distributed member of the genus Collinsonia,[2] ranging north to Quebec and south to Florida.[3] Its natural habitat is nutrient-rich mesic forests, most often in rocky, calcareous areas.[4][5]

It produces lemon-scented flowers in mid-summer, a time when little else is in bloom in densely shaded forests.[4]

Traditional herbal use

Collinsonia canadensis was used by Native Americans to treat a variety of ailments.[2] However, European-American settlers in North America did not often use this species after they initially discovered it, due to it lacking any conspicuous toxic qualities.[6] It wasn't until the mid-1800s when it regained popularity as a medicinal herb.[7][8]

The leaves can be brewed into tea, and the subterranean stem was once used as a diuretic, tonic, and astringent.[9]

  • Detail of Collinsonia canadensis flowers.

References
  1. "Collinsonia canadensis". Natural Resources Conservation Service PLANTS Database. USDA. Retrieved 17 December 2017.
  2. Yatskievych, George (2013). Flora of Missouri, Volume 3. Missouri Botanical Garden Press. p. 312.
  3. "Collinsonia canadensis". County-level distribution map from the North American Plant Atlas (NAPA). Biota of North America Program (BONAP). 2014. Retrieved 17 December 2017.
  4. IllinoisWildflowers
  5. Alan Weakley (2015). "Flora of the Southern and Mid-Atlantic States".
  6. Scudder; Fyfe; Felter; Locke; Webster; et al. (1904). Mundy, William (ed.). A Treatise on Collisonia canadensis (PDF). Lloyd Brothers. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2007-06-23. Retrieved 2007-05-10.
  7. Cook, William (1869). Collinsonia canadensis in Physiomedical Dispensatory. Scanned and republished on Web.
  8. Petersen, J. Fred (1905). Materia Medica and Clinical Therapeutics.
  9. Niering, William A.; Olmstead, Nancy C. (1985) [1979]. The Audubon Society Field Guide to North American Wildflowers, Eastern Region. Knopf. p. 571. ISBN 0-394-50432-1.
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