Spigelia marilandica
| Spigelia marilandica | |
| Light: |   |
| Moisture: |   |
| Hardiness: | 8 |
| Soil pH: | 5.6-8.4 |
| Height: | 2' |
| Width: | 1' |
| Blooms: | Mid Summer |
| Open Woods Forest | |
| Native to: | |
| Medicinal Rating: | |
| Tea: | Yes |
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Spigelia marilandica (common name: indian pink)
Propagation: Seed - requires stratification, pre-chill for 3 weeks prior to sowing. It will usually germinate in 1 - 3 months at 20°c. Prick out the seedlings into individual pots once they are large enough to handle and grow on in a cold frame for their first winter. Plant out in late spring or early summer.
Division in the spring.
Basal cuttings in late spring. Harvest the shoots with plenty of underground stem when they are about 8 - 10cm above the ground. Pot them up into individual pots and keep them in light shade in a cold frame or greenhouse until they are rooting well. Plant them out in the summer.
Cultivation: Succeeds in most fertile soils in semi-shade[1]. Tolerates full sun if the soil remains reliably moist in the growing season[1], in a shady position it tolerates considerably drier soils[2].
Plants are hardy to about -15°c[1].
A very ornamental plant[3].
Range: South-eastern N. America - New Jersey to Florida.
Habitat: Rich dry soils on the edges of woods[2][4].
Medicinal: The whole plant, but especially the root, is anthelmintic and narcotic[2][5][6]. A safe and effective anthelmintic when used in the proper dosage, it is especially effective with tapeworms and roundworm[2]. Its use should always be followed by a saline aperient such as magnesium sulphate otherwise unpleasant side effects will follow[2]. Another report says that it can be used with other herbs such as Foeniculum vulgare or Cassia senna[7]. These will ensure that the root is expelled along with the worms since the root is potentially toxic if it is absorbed through the gut[7]. The root is best used when fresh but can be harvested in the autumn then dried and stored[8]. It should not be stored for longer than 2 years[8]. Use with caution and only under professional supervision[5][7]. The plant contains the alkaloid spigiline,which is largely responsible for the medicinal action but side effects of an overdose can include increased heart action, vertigo, convulsions and possibly death[9][10].
Soil: Can grow in light, medium, and heavy soils.
Flower Type: Hermaphrodite
Known Hazards: This plant is poisonous in large quantities[5].
Links
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Huxley, Anthony. The New Royal Horticultural Society Dictionary of Gardening. MacMillan Press, 1992.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 Grieve, Margaret. A Modern Herbal. Penguin, 1984.
- ↑ Chittendon, Fred. RHS Dictionary of Plants. Oxford University Press, 1951.
- ↑ Lyndon, Merritt. Gray's Manual of Botany. American Book Co, 1950.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 Lust, John. The Herb Book. Bantam Books, 1983.
- ↑ Uphof, Johannes. Dictionary of Economic Plants. Weinheim, 1959.
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 Chevallier, Andrew. The Encyclopedia of Medicinal Plants. Dorling Kindersley, 1996.
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 Weiner, Michael. Earth Medicine, Earth Food. Ballantine Books, 1980.
- ↑ Foster, Steven and Billy Tatum. Medicinal Plants of Eastern and Central North America. Houghton Mifflin, 1990.
- ↑ Diggs, George and Barney Lipscomb. Illustrated Flora of North Central Texas. Botanical Research Institute, 1999.