My Bookfest Haul

This weekend the Lifeline Bookfest is being held in the city, and being a book lover I had to have a look. I wasn’t expecting to find much that piqued my interest, but I was pleasantly surprised!

One rare find was a book by Kathleen MacArthur, a fellow wallum enthusiast. The late Kathleen hailed from the Sunshine Coast, where once upon a time wildflowers ruled the land. Unfortunately now, the land appears to be ruled by developers.

Kathleens books

Kathleens books

Kathleen has presented a beautiful book in the form of a diary, filled with her paintings of and dedicated to wildflowers, with a history of each flower. I now have two of her books in my collection.

Another book that I am looking forward to reading is I, the Aboriginal. While not actually written by an Indigenous Australian, it tells of the accounts of a white man’s 30 year relationship with local people, in particular a man named Waipuldanya. Hopefully I will learn more about the plants I love, and how they were a part of people’s lives.

Amazing book for grass identification

 I obtained a set of three volumes that I have never heard of before, weed identification books, including grasses, which I have found decent books on hard to come by. These books have wonderful illustrations making identification quite simple!

Alphitonia excelsa

This Australian native medicinal plant is found on rainforest edges and is used as a painkiller.

Alphitonia excelsa	Red Ash, Soap Tree
FAMILY
Identification Tree<18m, or shrub. Young shoots smell like sarsaparilla. Alternate eaves oblong to ovate or narrow; apex obtuse, acute or acuminate; base cuneate, margin slightly recurved; dark green glabrous above;white pubescent beneath (hairs curly). Inflorescences axillary panicles; cream flowers. Fruits immature shiny green, mature black.	Habitat Closed forest, rainforest edges, creek banks. Found in QLD, NT, NSW and the tip of WA.
Flowers  April-May	Fruits   September-January Immature green  fruits present in May (S.E.QLD)
Etymology	Warning   None
Edibility None recorded	Medicinal Anti-inflammatory, Analgesic

 

I first noticed Alphitonia excelsa when driving up the coast. It stands out from the other trees that line the road, being white against the dark green backdrop, and its habit is noticeably spreading, forming horizontal stripes of pale contrast.

I haven’t come across any records of Alphitonia being used as a food source, and even accounts of it being used internally are rare, and limited to chewing of the young leaf tips for stomach aches, although no mention was made of whether they were swallowed or not. The majority of Indigenous Australian remedies are used externally, and one reason given for this is that the Indigenous peoples lacked containers in which to boil water, so relied on overnight soaking of plants in water instead, and that this method was less reliable in terms of dosage (I’m really not sure what the reason was). I have tasted an infusion of Alphitonia, and it has a distinctive flavour, very hard to describe, I guess burnt cloves and soap would be closest.

Infusion

Shaken Infusion

Lather



Making an infusion

Known as soap-bush, due to the lather the leaves produce, this plant is difficult to get a lather from. I made a very strong infusion, and only achieve a lather after vigorously shaking it.

Antibacterial handwash; Alphitonia, Leptospermum & Cymbopogon

Known as soap-bush, due to the lather the leaves produce, this plant is difficult to get a lather from. I made a very strong infusion, and only achieve a lather after shaking it.  I have used it as an antibacterial hand wash, and an antibacterial wash for my dog’s ears. To make this, simply pour freshly boiled water over the crushed leaves, and let sit for a few hours, for external use. I wet a cloth in the warm solution and wash daily inside her ears, drying afterwards, and her ears are now odour free.

Alphitonia with some bark removed. Note hoe red the inner
bark is.

 The bark of Alphitonia is not normally so dark as in the photo with some bark removed, which was taken immediately after a rain. It actually gives quite a light appearance, in part due to the lichens covering it.


Normal colour of the bark

Its main use seems to be based around anti-inflammatory and analgesic properties, and its uses include; leaves have been used to sooth sore eyes; as a bark and wood decoction gargle for tooth-ache; and as an infusion of bark, root and wood as a liniment for body pains. The timber has been used as a dye for cloth (red-brown to orange-yellow).

I used the strong infusion as a liniment, but its effects were rather transitory. When I have the opportunity to collect enough of the bark, I will try making a stronger infusion and see how that works.

References Cribb, A.B. & Cribb, J.W.1986. Useful Wild Plants in Australia. Fontana Books Cribb, A.B. & Cribb, J.W. 1981. Wild medicine in Australia. William Collins, pty, ltd Lassack ,E.V. & McCarthy ,T.2001.  Australian Medicinal Plants. New Holland Publishers Stanley, t, & Ross, E. 1995. Flora of south-eastern Queensland. Department of Primary Industries

Bidens pilosa

Bidens pilosa, or Cobblers pegs, is a tropical to subtropical herbaceous weed with edible and medicinal properties. It has a wide distribution, with a centre of diversication in Mexico.

Bidens pilosa	Cobblers pegs
ASTERACEAE
Identification Square stem. Distinctive seed-head.  Leaflets  simple, tripartite or dissected, margins serrate. Inflorescence discoid or radiate. Linear, obcompressed-quadrangulate, attenuate achenes.	Habitat/Cultivation  Inhabits wastelands, open fields, urban areas. Native to Mexico, North and Central America. Record of collection in Australia by Banks and Solander in 1770!
Flowers  Year round	Fruits   Year round
Etymology	Warning
Edibility Edible young leaves	Medicinal Anti-bacterial Anti-inflammatory Analgesic Anti-viral Anti-ulcerogenic

This plant is quite variable in appearance, with these two specimen growing within 2m of each other. Note the difference between the leaves.

Fig.1. Simple leaves, with a slightly serrated margin

Fig.2. Tripartite leaf, with a serrated margin

Flowers may either have ray florets or be lacking, or even lose them fairly early.

Fig.3. Inflorescence with ray florets (white)

Fig.4. Inflorescence without ray florets

 

The seed heads (achenes) are an identifying feature, and anyone familiar with this species will know the joys of reming seeds from clothing (If the material is sturdy, seeds may be removed fairly quickly with a knife held at an angle, and used with a movement somewhat like shaving with the old-style razors). I found this interesting photo from a Hawaiian Botany page, contrasting seed heads of different species.

Fig.5. Source-

http://www.botany.hawaii.edu/faculty/carr/bidens.htm

Fig.6. Seed head. Note barbs on the ends of the seed. This
is what allows the seeds to "stick" to your clothing

Fig.7. Seed head.

The leaves of Bidens pilosa have been eaten in times of famine in countries such as Africa, and have a strong flavour to them that many find unpleasant. The trick with many leafy edibles is to eat the leaves before the plant starts to flower. If you have ever tried picking loose leaf lettuce after it starts to flower, in the hope of getting just a few more leaves before the plant is inedible, you will know how bitter they can be. It is the same with Bidens pilosa, and while the leaves still have a definite flavour to them, they are more palatable when harvested before anthesis (flower growth).

B. pilosa has been eaten boiled in Mexico, and used as a tea in the Marquesas, China and by Texas Indians. Both B. Pilosa nad B. chinensis (alt. B. biternata) are sold in Java (young apical shoots), used to make wine in the Phillipes (flowers or leaves, fermented with rice-sinitsit) and cooked and eaten (young shoots & older leaves) in Nyasaland.

Although I cannot find record of it, I am fairly sure I have come across some documentation about flour made from the seeds of B. Pilosa, if you know the source, please let me know.

Bidens pilosa has long been in use in traditional medicine, the heated crushed leaves applied as a poultice to wounds and boils, the leaf juice used for ear aches and eye complaints (the latter sometimes mixed with alum or lime), an infusion of the root for eye complaints. An infusion is also used for coughs and colic, with this plant also having use as an antidote to (unspecified) poison. The leaves have been used for jaundice, fever, hepatitis, diarrhoea, worms, pharyngitis, pneumonia and coughs in Brazil. The root is used to treat oedema and snakebite in India. Although I had regarded this little plant as a weed, a member of BushcraftOz forums recently made a most surprising revelation, This plant was actuallt collected in 1770 by Banks and Solander! They have the specimen in the Royal Botanic Gardens herbarium; http://www.rbgsyd.nsw.gov.au/science/Evolutionary_Ecology_Research/Botany_of_Botany_Bay/plants/interesting_botany_bay_plants

 

Name	Common name	Family	Food part used	Preparation	Medicinal part used	Ailment	Medicinal preparation	Source
Bidens pilosa	Cobblers Pegs	ASTERACEAE	Leaves	Boiling	Leaf	Wounds	Poultice- heated, crushed leaves	(3)
Bidens pilosa	Cobblers Pegs	ASTERACEAE			Leaf	Boils	Poultice- heated, crushed leaves	(3)
Bidens pilosa	Cobblers Pegs	ASTERACEAE			Leaf	Earache	Juice, warmed	(4) (5)
Bidens pilosa	Cobblers Pegs	ASTERACEAE			Leaf	Eye complaints	Juice, with or without alum or lime
Bidens pilosa	Cobblers Pegs	ASTERACEAE			Root	Eye complaints	Root- infusion
Bidens pilosa	Cobblers Pegs	ASTERACEAE			Plant	Cough	Infusion	(8)
Bidens pilosa	Cobblers Pegs	ASTERACEAE			Plant	Collic	Infusion	(8)
Bidens pilosa	Cobblers Pegs	ASTERACEAE			Plant	Poison antidote	Juice	(3)
Bidens pilosa	Cobblers Pegs	ASTERACEAE			Leaf	Stomache ache	Powdered leaf in enema	(8)
Bidens pilosa	Cobblers Pegs	ASTERACEAE			Seeds	Cuts	Burnt seed	(8)
Bidens pilosa	Cobblers Pegs	ASTERACEAE			Flowers	Diarrhoea		(2)
Bidens pilosa	Cobblers Pegs	ASTERACEAE			Leaf	Diarrhoea		(2)
Bidens pilosa	Cobblers Pegs	ASTERACEAE			Leaf	Pharyngitis		(2)
Bidens pilosa	Cobblers Pegs	ASTERACEAE			Leaf	Jaundice		(2)
Bidens pilosa	Cobblers Pegs	ASTERACEAE			Leaf	Fever		(2)
Bidens pilosa	Cobblers Pegs	ASTERACEAE			Leaf	Worms		(2)
Bidens pilosa	Cobblers Pegs	ASTERACEAE			Leaf	Hepatitis		(2)
Bidens pilosa	Cobblers Pegs	ASTERACEAE			Root	Snakebite		(7)
Bidens pilosa	Cobblers Pegs	ASTERACEAE			Root	Oedema		(7)

References (1)    Ballard , R. 1986. Bidens pilosa Complex (Asteraceae) in North and Central America.  American Journal of Botany 73: 1452-1465 (2)    Botsaris, A. 2007.  Plants used traditionally to treat malaria in Brazil: the archives of Flora Medicinal. Journal of Ethnobiology and Ethnomedicine 2007, 3:18 (3)   Burkill, I.H. A Dictionary of the Economic Products of the Malay Peninsula (Ministry of Agriculture and Co-operatives, Kuala Lumpur, 1966). (4)    Dalziel, J. M. Useful Plants of West Tropical Africa . London. 1948. (5)    DeWildeman, E. Sur des Plantes Medici-nales ou Utiles du Mayumbe (Congo Belge). Mem. Inst. Royal Colonial Belge. Vol. VI, Fasc. 4, Brussels. 1938 (6)    Morton, J. 1962. Spanish Needles (Bidens pilosa L.) as a Wild Food Resource.  Economic Botany. 16:173-179 (7)    Rao, J., Suneetha, J., Reddi, T. & Kumar, O. 2011. Ethnomedicine of the Gadabas, a primitive tribe of Visakhapatnam district, Andhra Pradesh. International Multidisciplinary Research Journal, 1/2:10-14 (8)    Watt, J.M., & Breyer-Brandwijk, M.G. Medicinal and poisonous plants of Southern and Eastern Africa, E. & S. Lvingstone Ltd., Edinburgh and London 1962