Tag: Nervous System

Gou Teng, the hooked stem of Uncaria rhynchophylla, is a classic East Asian medicinal herb best known in traditional Chinese medicine for calming “internal...

Griffonia, botanically known as Griffonia simplicifolia, is a West African climbing shrub that has become globally known for one reason above all others: its...

Corydalis (Corydalis yanhusuo) is a traditional Asian herb best known for its long history of use in pain support—especially for discomfort linked to tension,...

Kratom, or Mitragyna speciosa, is a tropical tree native to Southeast Asia whose leaves have been chewed, brewed, and used in traditional settings for...

Kava is a South Pacific plant best known for the calming drink made from its peeled root and rhizome. For centuries, it has been...

Kapikachhu, better known in English as Mucuna pruriens, is a tropical legume with a long Ayurvedic history and a very modern reputation. The plant...

Jonquil, Narcissus jonquilla, is a fragrant daffodil best known as an ornamental spring flower, not as a routine kitchen herb or home remedy. That...

Jatamansi, Nardostachys jatamansi, is a high-altitude Himalayan herb best known for its fragrant rhizome and root, which have been used for centuries in Ayurveda,...

Indian valerian, also known as Tagara, is a strongly aromatic Himalayan herb long used in Ayurveda and related traditions for sleep trouble, nervous tension,...

Indian snakeroot, also called Rauvolfia serpentina or sarpagandha, is one of the most pharmacologically important herbs to come out of traditional South Asian medicine....

Indian Pipe (Monotropa uniflora), sometimes called ghost plant or corpse plant, is one of the most unusual medicinal species found in North American forests....

Indian Pink (Spigelia marilandica) is a striking flowering plant native to the southeastern United States, known both for its ornamental beauty and its historical...

Inai, botanically known as Erythroxylum cuneatum, is a Southeast Asian medicinal plant traditionally used more in local healing systems than in mainstream herbal practice....

Hemp, the low-THC form of Cannabis sativa, is one of the few plants that sits at the crossroads of nutrition, herbal medicine, skincare, and...

Gypsywort, botanically known as Lycopus europaeus, is a damp-ground mint-family herb with a long but fairly specialized medicinal history. Also called European bugleweed or...

Garden heliotrope, in this context, refers to Valeriana officinalis—better known as valerian or garden valerian. It is not the same plant as the ornamental...

Feverfew is a small daisy-like herb in the Asteraceae family that has been used for centuries in European herbal medicine. Today, it is best...

Evolvulus alsinoides is a small creeping herb from the morning glory family that has earned a much larger place in traditional medicine than its...

Ergot fungus is one of the few entries in a natural health guide that needs careful reframing from the very beginning. Claviceps purpurea is...

English lavender, botanically Lavandula angustifolia, is the classic lavender most people mean when they picture a calming herbal tea, a bedtime sachet, or a...

Desert thornapple (Datura discolor) is a striking desert plant with pale, trumpet-shaped flowers and spiny seed pods—and a reputation that is equal parts medicinal...

Daffodils (Narcissus species) are best known as cheerful spring flowers, but they also have a complex chemical profile that has attracted medical and scientific...

Cutleaf waterparsnip (Berula erecta) is a wetland plant in the carrot family that grows along streams, springs, and shallow water. You may see it...

Corkwood (Duboisia myoporoides) is an Australian native shrub or small tree best known not as a kitchen herb, but as a powerful pharmaceutical source...