I met a new plant ally a few days ago and have finished up the research. It's Garrya wrightii, commonly known as Wright's Silk Tassel, and is useful for diarrhea and menstrual cramping (among other things).
In an effort to both escape the xmas crowd and enjoy the desert in the winter, we took a hike recently near the house. While I wasn't specifically looking for medicinal plants, I met a new ally.
The sonoran desert is abundant with botanical life, and winter is an excellent time to find those that are "outshone" by their more colorful neighbors during the spring. Our walk was dominated by two plants which I value highly; <.i>Arctosaphylos manzanita (Manzanita) and Ceanothus greggii (Red Root). Of the two, Manzanita is unmistakable for another by any herbalist familiar with the southwestern desert flora. Ceanothus, on the other hand, is often overlooked unless you're looking at a large specimen.
So I find myself drawn to this Manzanita with purple berries. Wait! In winter? Manzanita fruits much earlier in the season, and they are more red than purple. In addition, the two other Manzanita plants right along side are showing no fruit at all. So I pop a berry in my mouth... and reality finally comes rushing in on me. This is not Manzanita! The wood is not red, the leaves not leathery... how did I make this mistake?
I puzzled over that for a while, and quickly became aware of the how many more plants like this I started noticing. It was everywhere! I've learned to trust my instincts, and when something that weird happens, it's usually for a reason. So to my trusty field guide to find out what this is and why it's calling me so hard. A quick search (difficult to do when the plant is not in bloom) suggested it might be Wright's Silk Tassel, which was confirmed this morning by Henriette with her great image collection.
Yes, the plant does have medicinal properties... some of which I am currently in need of. So as soon as this posts, I'm off for a bit of collecting! Here's why:
PROPERTIES - (source)
Anti-Spasmodic
Anticholinergic (parasympathetic inhibitor)
INDICATIONS (source)
Diarrhea, for tenesmus.
Chronic diarrhea with hyperactive cholinergic functions.
Obstinate hiccoughs.
Nausea, general antispasmodic.
Shigellosis, for cramps.
Dysmenorrhea, in general.