next message in archive
next message in thread
previous message in archive
previous message in thread
Index of Subjects
Index of Subjects --Apple-Mail-73-757443523 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII; format=flowed; delsp=yes Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Hi Hans, On 24-May-09, at 6:52 PM, Hans Toom wrote: > I've uploaded 24 photos to my Pbase website, mostly from the > Wetlands Trail at Mount Uniacke Museum Park but also from Jerry > Lawrence Provincial Park, Crystal Crescent Beach Provincial Park and > our place in Portuguese Cove. Look out for what I've called a > Starflower. I think I may have brainlock as the petals don't seem > large enough for a Starflower. Please correct this if I have it wrong. > This is goldthread, Coptis trifolia groenlandica, a member of the Ranunculaceae (buttercup family). The name derivers from the golden- yellow thread-like roots of the plants. These contain a mild anesthetic called berberine and were used by native people to treat mouth-sores and as an eyewash. I knew an older gentleman in New Brunswick who as a child was paid by a local dentist to gather the rhizomes of the plant. He, in turn, extracted the berberineand used it in his dental practice. I've tried chewing the rhizomes and they indeed are mildly, topically anesthetic (perhaps they would even be useful for wasp stings ... ;->). In New England in the 19th century it was much esteemed by pharmacists selling for upwards of $2/lb. Apparently the yellow pigment extracted from the rhizomes can also be used as a dye. There is an excellent and comprehensive article on the history of this plant at: http://www.henriettesherbal.com/eclectic/dmna/coptis.html Best wishes, Chris Christopher Majka <c.majka@ns.sympatico.ca> | Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada * Research Associate: Nova Scotia Museum | http://museum.gov.ns.ca/mnh/research-asfr.htm * Review Editor: The Coleopterists Bulletin | http://www.coleopsoc.org/ * Subject Editor: ZooKeys | http://pensoftonline.net/zookeys/index.php/journal/index * Associate Editor: Journal of the Acadian Entomological Society | http://www.acadianes.org/journal.html * Editor: Atlantic Canada Coleoptera | http://www.chebucto.ns.ca/Environment/NHR/atlantic_coleoptera.html "Whenever I hear of the capture of rare beetles, I feel like an old war-horse at the sound of a trumpet." - Charles Darwin --Apple-Mail-73-757443523 Content-Type: text/html; charset=US-ASCII Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable <html><body style=3D"word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; = -webkit-line-break: after-white-space; ">Hi Hans,<div><br><div><div>On = 24-May-09, at 6:52 PM, Hans Toom wrote:</div><br = class=3D"Apple-interchange-newline"><blockquote type=3D"cite"><span = class=3D"Apple-style-span" style=3D"border-collapse: separate; color: = rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 14px; = font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; = letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: = auto; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; = widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 0px; = -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 0px; = -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: none; -webkit-text-size-adjust: = auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0; "><div bgcolor=3D"#ffffff"><div><font = face=3D"Arial" size=3D"2">I've uploaded 24 photos to my Pbase website, = mostly from the Wetlands Trail at Mount Uniacke Museum Park but also = from Jerry Lawrence Provincial Park, Crystal Crescent Beach Provincial = Park and our place in Portuguese Cove. Look out for what I've = called a Starflower. I think I may have brainlock as the petals = don't seem large enough for a Starflower. Please correct this if I = have it wrong.</font></div><div><br><font face=3D"Arial" = size=3D"2"></font></div></div></span></blockquote><br></div><div>This is = goldthread, <i>Coptis trifolia groenlandica</i>, a member of the = Ranunculaceae (buttercup family). The name derivers from the = golden-yellow thread-like roots of the plants. These contain a mild = anesthetic called berberine and were used by native people to treat = mouth-sores and as an eyewash.</div><div><br></div><div>I knew an older = gentleman in New Brunswick who as a child was paid by a local dentist to = gather the rhizomes of the plant. He, in turn, extracted the = berberineand used it in his dental practice. I've tried chewing = the rhizomes and they indeed are mildly, topically anesthetic = (perhaps they would even be useful for wasp stings ... ;->). In New = England in the 19th century it was much esteemed by pharmacists selling = for upwards of $2/lb. Apparently the yellow pigment extracted = from the rhizomes can also be used as a = dye.</div><div><br></div><div>There is an excellent and comprehensive = article on the history of this plant at:</div><div><br></div><div><a = href=3D"http://www.henriettesherbal.com/eclectic/dmna/coptis.html">http://= www.henriettesherbal.com/eclectic/dmna/coptis.html</a></div><div><br></div= ><div>Best = wishes,</div><div><br></div><div>Chris</div></div><br><br><div = apple-content-edited=3D"true"> <span class=3D"Apple-style-span" = style=3D"border-collapse: separate; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: = 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-variant: = normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: = normal; orphans: 2; text-align: auto; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: = none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; = -webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 0px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: = 0px; -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: none; -webkit-text-size-adjust: = auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0; "><div style=3D"word-wrap: = break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; -webkit-line-break: = after-white-space; "><span class=3D"Apple-style-span" = style=3D"border-collapse: separate; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: = 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-variant: = normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: = normal; orphans: 2; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: = normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: = 0px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 0px; = -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: none; -webkit-text-size-adjust: = auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; "><div style=3D"word-wrap: = break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; -webkit-line-break: = after-white-space; "><span class=3D"Apple-style-span" = style=3D"border-collapse: separate; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: = 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-variant: = normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacin