Anemopsis californica

Also, Known As:

• Lizard’s Tail
• Queue de Lézard
• Swamp Root
• Yerba Mansa
• Yerba Manza

Usually, the yerba mansa, scientific name Anemopsis californica, is depicted as a perennially growing herb. Native to the United States, this herb grows most actively during the spring and summer. The foliage of this plant is green and it produces unremarkable white blooms along with plenty of prominent brownish fruits or seeds. The yerba mansa produces maximum blooms at the onset of spring while the fruits and seeds are produced from the beginning of spring to the end of the season.

The yerba mansa is found growing in stands in marshes and boggy swamps, along river banks. For instance, this herb is found growing naturally along the Colorado River and downstream into some places in Mexico like Chihuahua and Sonora. This plant does not grow very tall and bears smoothed and slightly juicy leaves whose…

Ligusticum porteri – Chuchupate, Oshá

Other Names:  Bear Root, Colorado Cough Root, Chuchupate, Hunawpi, Nawpi, Wasike, Shush, Chuchupaste, Porter’s Lovage

Origin:  Chuchupate is found primarily from the Rocky Mtns. south down into the Cordillera of Mexico. Widely used by peoples of the Southwest and Mexico with a far-reaching significance in their cosmology. The plant is greatly varied in terms of size, scent, growth characteristics, and adaptability to the environment. It is not grown commercially, but is prolific in the mountains of Colorado, primarily SW Colorado.

Energetics:  Hot & Dry. Pungent, spicy sweet, bitter. Vital Stimulant. Tonic.

Properties:  Stimulating diaphoretic, stimulating expectorant, circulatory stimulant, antiviral, carminative, aromatic bitter, digestive, antimicrobial, styptic, anodyne, antiseptic, emmenagogue

Uses:  Cough, sore throat, colds, influenza, bronchitis, fever, empacho, indigestion, injured joints/tendons/ligaments, bruises, toothache, snake bite, wounds, stings, or spider bites.

Appearance, Habitat & Poison Relatives

Ligusticum porteri has opposite or whorled…

There’s good news for sufferers of upper respiratory ailments. Chaparral is a flowering plant found in the deserts of southwest North America that may provide relief via its natural, organic compounds. Native Americans have historically appreciated chaparral for lung detox and addressing respiratory problems such as symptoms of bronchitis, cold, and congestion.