Practical
Plants

Anemopsis californica

Yerba Mansa

a perennial member of the Anemopsis genus in the family Saururaceae.

No photo available

Taxonomy and growth

Life cycle
perennial
Height
0.5 m
Flower type
hermaphrodite

Uses

Edible uses

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

Root - raw or cooked[7]. An aromatic flavour[13]. The pulverized seeds are made into bread or cooked as a mush[7]. The peppery aromatic root is astringent and is chewed raw for medicinal purposes[6].

Plant part
Root

Medicinal uses

Historical medicinal uses. These records describe reported uses. They do not establish safety or effectiveness. Ask a qualified health professional before using any plant medicinally.

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

Yerba mansa was widely employed by the native North American Indians to treat a wide variety of complaints[7]. It is little used in modern herbalism. The whole plant is analgesic, antiperiodic, antiphlogistic, blood purifier, disinfectant, diuretic, laxative, stomachic and vulnerary. The plant is infused and used to bathe aching muscles and sore feet[1][10][11][12][13][2][6]. The root is chewed for affections of the mucous membranes[6]. A tea made from the root is used as a blood purifier and general pain remedy, and as a treatment for pleurisy, gonorrhoea, syphilis and menstrual cramps[6][7]. An infusion of the plant is used in the treatment of colds, chest congestion and stomach ulcers[7]. The dried and powdered plant is used as a disinfectant on wounds whilst the fresh moist leaves are used as a poultice or salve on burns, cuts and wounds[7]. An infusion of the bark is used as a wash for open sores[7].

Product or use
Analgesic
Product or use
Antiperiodic
Product or use
Antiphlogistic
Product or use
Antiseptic
Product or use
Astringent
Product or use
Blood purifier
Product or use
Diuretic
Product or use
Stomachic
Product or use
TB
Product or use
VD
Product or use
Vulnerary
Product or use
Women's complaints

Material uses

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

Beads can be made from the rootstock[13][2][6].

Product or use
Beads

Environment

Range
South-western N. America - California, Mexico.
Habitat
Wet, especially somewhat alkaline or saline marshy places, below 2000 metres[12][4][8].
Light
full sun
Shade tolerance
light shade
Water
aquatic
Hardiness
Zone 8+
Soil textures
sandy, loamy, clay
Soil pH
alkaline, very alkaline
Tolerates Nutritionally Poor Soil
No
Drought
intolerant
Salinity
tolerant

Propagation

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

Seed - best sown in a greenhouse as soon as it is ripe in the summer. Stand the pots in about 3cm of water and germination should take place in about 5 weeks[9]. Sow stored seed in a cold frame in the spring[3]. When large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots and grow them on in the greenhouse for their first winter. making sure you keep the compost wet. Plant them out in late spring or early summer. Division in spring[5].

Cultivation

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

Requires shallow water or a wet muddy site in a humus-rich alkaline medium[1]. Requires a warm position[4]. Plants are hardy to about -5 to -10°c, and are probably hardiest when the rootstock is submerged[5]. Another report says that they are hardy to about -15°c[4].

References

  1. F. Chittendon. RHS Dictionary of Plants plus Supplement. 1956 Oxford University Press 1951-00-00

    ↩1↩2

  2. Haywood. V. H. Flowering Plants of the World. Oxford University Press ISBN 0-19-217674-9

    ↩1↩2

  3. Sanders. T. W. Popular Hardy Perennials. Collingridge 1926-00-00

    ↩

  4. Phillips. R. & Rix. M. Perennials Volumes 1 and 2. Pan Books 1991-00-00 ISBN 0-330-30936-9

    ↩1↩2↩3

  5. Huxley. A. The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992. MacMillan Press 1992-00-00 ISBN 0-333-47494-5

    ↩1↩2

  6. Coffey. T. The History and Folklore of North American Wild Flowers. Facts on File. 1993-00-00 ISBN 0-8160-2624-6

    ↩1↩2↩3↩4↩5

  7. Moerman. D. Native American Ethnobotany Timber Press. Oregon. 1998-00-00 ISBN 0-88192-453-9

    ↩1↩2↩3↩4↩5↩6↩7

  8. Flora of N. America http://flora.huh.harvard.edu/fna/

    ↩

  9. Diggs, Jnr. G.M.; Lipscomb. B. L. & O'Kennon. R. J Illustrated Flora of North Central Texas Botanical Research Institute, Texas. 1999-00-00 http://artemis.austincollege.edu/acad/bio/gdiggs/NCTXpdf.htm

    ↩

  10. Uphof. J. C. Th. Dictionary of Economic Plants. Weinheim 1959-00-00

    ↩

  11. Usher. G. A Dictionary of Plants Used by Man. Constable 1974-00-00 ISBN 0094579202

    ↩

  12. Munz. A California Flora. University of California Press 1959-00-00

    ↩1↩2

  13. Sweet. M. Common Edible and Useful Plants of the West. Naturegraph Co. 1962-00-00 ISBN 0-911010-54-8

    ↩1↩2↩3

Edit this page