Practical
Plants

Phryma leptostachya

Lopseed

a perennial member of the Phryma genus in the family Phrymaceae.

No photo available

Taxonomy and growth

Genus
Phryma
Life cycle
perennial
Height
0.25 m
Flower type
hermaphrodite

Uses

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.

A tea made from the roots was gargled as a treatment for sore throats and was drunk in the treatment of rheumatism, fevers etc[2][3]. It is also depurative[1]. A poultice made from the roots is applied to sores, boils, carbuncles and cancers[2].

Product or use
Antirheumatic
Product or use
Depurative
Product or use
Febrifuge
Product or use
Poultice

Material uses

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

The plant is considered to be insecticidal[2]. No more details were given.

Product or use
Insecticide

Environment

Range
E. Asia - Himalayas to China and Japan. Eastern N. America - New Brunswick to Manitoba and Florida.
Habitat
Woods and thickets[2]. Woods in hills and at low elevations in mountains all over Japan[5].
Shade tolerance
partial shade
Water
moderate
Soil textures
sandy, loamy, clay
Soil pH
acid, neutral, alkaline
Tolerates Nutritionally Poor Soil
No
Drought
intolerant

Propagation

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

Seed - we have no information for this species but suggest sowing the seed in late winter in a cold greenhouse. When they are large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots and grow them on in the greenhouse for their first winter. Plant them out into their permanent positions in late spring or early summer, after the last expected frosts. Division in spring might also be possible[K].

Cultivation

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

We have very little information on this species and do not know if it will be hardy in Britain, though judging by its native range it should succeed outdoors in many parts of this country. We have no details of its cultivation needs, though it is likely to succeed in a lightly shaded site, possibly in a woodland.

References

  1. ? A Barefoot Doctors Manual. Running Press ISBN 0-914294-92-X

    ↩

  2. Foster. S. & Duke. J. A. A Field Guide to Medicinal Plants. Eastern and Central N. America. Houghton Mifflin Co. 1990-00-00 ISBN 0395467225

    ↩1↩2↩3↩4

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

    ↩

  4. 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

  5. Ohwi. G. Flora of Japan. (English translation) Smithsonian Institution 1965-00-00

    ↩

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