Herb Library

Macaranga tanarius

Southeast Asian and Pacific tree used in Filipino, Indonesian, and Melanesian folk medicine for wound healing, fever, and stomach complaints. Contains stilbenes (schweinfurthins) with antitumor properties. Leaf used as natural bandage.

Verbena macdougalii

Native American medicinal plant used as ceremonial medicine, febrifuge. Documented among Navajo, Ramah.

Macropiper excelsum

New Zealand pepper tree closely related to kawakawa. Maori rongoā for stomach complaints, bladder issues, and as topical pain reliever. Leaves often characteristically riddled with insect holes. Contains myristicin and elemicin. Important cultural plant.

Maerua crassifolia

Sahelian tree used in Sudanese, Nigerien, and Malian traditional medicine for stomachache, wounds, and fever. Leaves eaten as famine food. Bark decoction for malaria. Important in Tuareg and Hausa folk medicine systems.

Ephedra spp

A medicinal plant (Ephedra spp) from the Ephedraceae family used in traditional medicine.

Coprosma sp.

Native American medicinal plant used as dermatological aid, tuberculosis remedy. Documented among Hawaiian.

Peucedanum sandwicense

Native American medicinal plant used as laxative, pediatric aid, reproductive aid. Documented among Hawaiian.

Justicia adhatoda

Traditional medicinal plant used for alterative, asthma, bronchitis, cough, expectorant, fever, spasm, tuberculosis, and other conditions. Known from ethnobotanical records across multiple cultures.

Multi-herb Dominican preparation

Dominican Republic herbal wine/rum infusion — bark and roots soaked in red wine and rum. Traditional aphrodisiac, flu remedy, and tonic. Contains various tree barks and roots (timacle, bohuco, maguey). National drink of Dominican Republic.

Aquilegia micrantha

Native American medicinal plant used as gynecological aid, hemostat. Documented among Navajo, Kayenta.

Cephalotaxus mannii

A medicinal plant (Cephalotaxus mannii) from the Cephalotaxaceae family used in traditional medicine.

Mansoa hirsuta

Brazilian caatinga vine with garlic-like odor used in northeastern Brazilian folk medicine for respiratory infections, flu, and inflammation. Contains alliin-like sulfur compounds despite being unrelated to garlic. For colds and infections.

Viburnum acerifolium

Native American medicinal plant used as anticonvulsive, diaphoretic, febrifuge, misc. disease remedy, oral aid, tonic. Documented among Cherokee, Chippewa, Iroquois.

Viola cucullata

Native American medicinal plant used as analgesic, antidiarrheal, blood medicine, cold remedy, cough medicine, dermatological aid. Documented among Cherokee.

Gnaphalium uliginosum

Native American medicinal plant used as orthopedic aid, respiratory aid. Documented among Iroquois.

Castilleja lineata

Native American medicinal plant used as gastrointestinal aid. Documented among Navajo.

Scutellaria galericulata

Traditional medicinal plant used for ague, anodyne, astringent, epilepsy, fever, laxative, malaria, nervine, and other conditions. Known from ethnobotanical records across multiple cultures.

Sclerocarya birrea

A Southern African tree — the fruit is rich in vitamin C, and marula oil is prized for skin care. The bark is used traditionally for diarrhea and malaria.

Lepidium didymum

South American folk remedy for fracture healing — crushed whole plant applied as poultice to broken bones. Also used for respiratory infections and intestinal parasites. Contains glucosinolates. Widely used in Brazilian and Andean traditional medicine.

Muhlenbergia richardsonis

Native American medicinal plant used as veterinary aid. Documented among Blackfoot.

Mayaca fluviatilis

South American aquatic plant used in Brazilian Amazonian folk medicine for earache and fever. Plant material warmed and applied as poultice to ear. Also used for toothache and headache in ribeirinho (river people) communities.

Gymnosporia senegalensis

Pan-African savanna tree used in traditional medicine from Senegal to South Africa for dysentery, wound healing, snakebite, and toothache. Root bark chewed for dental pain. Contains maytansine-related compounds (ansamacrolides) with antitumor activity.

Thalictrum sp.

Native American medicinal plant used as dermatological aid, cold remedy. Documented among California Indian, Washo.

Delphinium menziesii

Native American medicinal plant used as dermatological aid, poison, love medicine. Documented among Chehalis, Thompson.

Juncus mertensianus

Native American medicinal plant used as witchcraft medicine. Documented among Okanagan-Colville.

Prosopis juliflora

Traditional medicinal plant used for ache(stomach), catarrh, cathartic, cold(head), cyanogenetic, diarrhea, discutient, dysentery, and other conditions. Known from ethnobotanical records across multiple cultures.

Phoradendron californicum

Native American medicinal plant used as cathartic, dermatological aid, gastrointestinal aid. Documented among Pima.

Ageratum conyzoides

Traditional medicinal plant used for abdomen, abortifacient, ague, boil, burn, colic, collyrium, contraceptive, and other conditions. Known from ethnobotanical records across multiple cultures.

Physalis philadelphica

Native American medicinal plant used as eye medicine. Documented among Diegueno.

Sebastiania bilocularis

Native American medicinal plant used as poison. Documented among Seri.

Conopholis alpina

Native American medicinal plant used as tuberculosis remedy. Documented among Keres, Western.

Artemisia ludoviciana

Native American medicinal plant used as dermatological aid, herbal steam, throat aid. Documented among Kiowa.

Diplazium meyenianum

Native American medicinal plant used as dermatological aid. Documented among Hawaiian.

Gnetum africanum

Central and West African nutritive leaf for anemia and malnutrition; also used medicinally for hemorrhoids and sore throat.

Myrsine africana

East African and Ethiopian anthelmintic; dried fruit powder used to expel tapeworms; also for rheumatism and wounds.

Microcos paniculata

Southeast Asian tree used in Vietnamese, Bangladeshi, and Thai traditional medicine for diarrhea, dysentery, and fever. Contains microcosin flavanones. Bark decoction for stomach complaints. Young leaves eaten as vegetable.

Micromelum minutum

Southeast Asian and Pacific Island shrub used in Vietnamese, Filipino, and Samoan medicine for postpartum care, headache, and toothache. Contains coumarins (micromelone) and carbazole alkaloids. Leaf tea for fever across Pacific Islands.

Claytonia perfoliata

Native American medicinal plant used as analgesic, antirheumatic (external), eye medicine. Documented among Shoshoni, Thompson.

Vernonia missurica

Native American medicinal plant used as dermatological aid. Documented among Kiowa.

Mitragyna stipulosa

West and Central African tree related to kratom (M. speciosa) but with distinct alkaloid profile. Used in Ghanaian and Nigerian traditional medicine for malaria, pain, and hypertension. Contains rhynchophylline and mitraphylline rather than mitragynine.

Carya alba

Native American medicinal plant used as abortifacient, analgesic, cold remedy, dermatological aid, diaphoretic, emetic. Documented among Cherokee, Delaware, Ontario.

Geranium lentum

Native American medicinal plant used as dermatological aid, panacea. Documented among Navajo, Ramah.

Euphorbia incisa

Native American medicinal plant used as gynecological aid, veterinary aid. Documented among Navajo, Kayenta.

Araucaria bidwillii

A medicinal plant (Araucaria bidwillii) from the Araucariaceae family used in traditional medicine.

Pycnanthemum montanum

A medicinal plant (Pycnanthemum montanum) from the Lamiaceae family used in traditional medicine.

Viburnum edule

Native American medicinal plant used as cold remedy, pulmonary aid, cough medicine, antidiarrheal, cathartic, dermatological aid. Documented among Bella Coola, Carrier, Carrier, Northern.

Licania tomentosa

Brazilian urban tree commonly planted as shade tree. Leaf preparations used in folk medicine for diabetes, diarrhea, and inflammation. Contains quercetin and myricetin glycosides. Research on anti-diabetic and anti-inflammatory properties ongoing.

Dodecatheon hendersonii

Native American medicinal plant used as sedative. Documented among Pomo, Kashaya.