LucasLand
The Wildflowers
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The Wildflowers |
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or Pilewort Erechtites hieracifolia
Immediately moves into burned over areas. The middle clear-cut visible from the Lucas Estate was covered with Fireweed to a height of 5 or 6 feet in September, 2003.
From King's American Dispensatory
The entire plant and oil of Erechtites hieracifolia, Rafinesque (Senecio
hieracifolius, Linné.) Botanical Source.—This plant is the Senecio hieracifolius of Linnaeus. It has an annual herbaceous, grooved, thick, fleshy, branching, virgate panicled, and roughish stem, from 1 to 5 or even 8 feet high. The leaves are simple, alternate, large, lanceolate or oblong, acute, unequally and deeply toothed with acute indentures, sessile, and light-green; the upper ones often have an auricled clasping base. The flowers are greenish, or about the same hue as the plant, terminal, crowded, and destitute of rays. The involucre is smooth, large, tumid, and bristly at the base. The achenia are oblong and hairy (W.—G.). History and Description.—This is an indigenous, rank weed, growing in fields throughout the United States, in moist woods, and in recent clearings, especially and abundantly in such as have been burned over, hence its vernacular name Fireweed. From the fact of its brittleness and consequent liability to be easily broken, it is seldom found where animals graze. It flowers from August to October, and resembles in appearance the sow-thistle (Sonchus oleraceus); the flowers somewhat resemble those of lettuce. The whole plant is medicinal, and yields its virtues to water or alcohol. It has a peculiar, aromatic, and somewhat fetid odor, very unpleasant to many persons, and a peculiar, slightly pungent, bitterish, rather disagreeable taste, with some astringency. The leaves, which are most generally employed, when dried are almost black, and by this characteristic, as well as by form, may be distinguished from those of Erigeron canadense, or Erigeron annuum, with which they are sometimes confused. The former plant is often erroneously called Fireweed. Erechtites is often incorrectly spelled Erechthites. Action, Medical Uses, and Dosage.—Fireweed is reputed to be emetic, cathartic, tonic, astringent, and alterative, of which the most valuable are the latter three. Reputed an unrivaled medicine in diseases of the mucous tissues of the lungs, stomach, and bowels. A spirituous extract of the plant has been highly recommended by Dr. A. R. Wyeth, of Pennsylvania, in the treatment of cholera and dysentery, in the latter disease promptly arresting the muco-sanguineous discharges, relieving pain, and effecting a speedy cure. In the summer-complaint of children, he has found it to prove almost invariably successful, even in cases where other means had failed. Specific Indications and Uses.—Catarrhal states of the mucous membranes; passive hemorrhages; "albuminuria, dropsy, pale, waxy skin, swelling of feet, scanty urine" (Watkin's Comp. of Ec. Med.).
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