Herbs

These pages are for the many plants of Britannia that have either medicinal, culinary or other uses that are not contained in the flowers, trees or crops sections.

Banana
Musa acuminata

Contrary to popular belief, bananas aren't grown on trees. They are part of the lily family, a cousin of the orchid, nothing but a very yellow and plump member of the herb family. With stalks 25 feet high, they're the largest plant on Sosaria without a woody stem. Acuminata means long-pointed or tapering, not referring to the fruit, but to the flowers giving birth to the fruit.

Although referred to as banana trees, they are not trees at all but a perennial herb. Its trunk is not a true one, but many leaves tightly wrapped around a single stem which emerges at the top as the fruit-bearing flower stalk. The fruit fingers grow in clumps known as hands, since they resemble the fingers on a hand. The entire stalk, known as a bunch, takes up to a year for the fruit to ripen enough to be harvested. The original stem dies after producing fruit, but sideshoots rise from the same underground corm to produce a new plant to be harvested the following year. The fruit itself is sterile, unable to produce a plant from the miniscule dark seeds within.

Some banana trees continue producing up to one hundred years, although most banana plantations renew their stock every ten to twenty-five years. The tree itself also has uses. The leaves are used as wrappers to steam foods in some cultures. The banana flower is also edible, but if you eat the flower, you obviously won't get any fruit. The banana is a distant cousin to ginger, turmeric, and cardamom, and is botanically classified as a berry. There are over four hundred varieties of bananas with the yellow Cavendish being the most favored.

The only non culinary usage of the banana, that I know of, is that of a hallucinogen - called Bananadine, which is extracted from the white pith lining the peel. Approximately 15lbs of banana needs to be peeled, the peel then baked for a while, and the resulting powder scraped from the inside of the peels.

Bramble
Rubus fructicosus

Also known as the Blackberry, the Bramble is a ubiquitous hindrance to the walker and horserider alike. It grows easily in some of the most inhospitable locations in Sosaria - excepting desert and ice regions.

Blackberries have been gathered from the wild for thousands of years. The juicy berries are traditionally made into jelly, pies, wine and vinegar, and since the monks of Yew have started producing spiced beverages - a wonderful mix of sweetened blackberry juice with spices and brandy has been one of their top exports. There are old earth superstitions (from religious texts in Lord British's library) about the correct time for picking blackberries. According to legend the devil fell from the heavens on to a blackberry bush, and any blackberries picked after Michaelmas (29th September) will have the devil's spittle upon them. This is more likely due to the presence of leaf hopper insects, that form a saliva-like foam barrier around themselves before hatching into the adult insect.

Blackberry leaf tea is a domestic remedy for sore throats and diarrhea, while chewing the fresh leaves is an ancient cure for bleeding gums. The fresh, lightly boiled leaves were applied to piles, and blackberry vinegar is a home remedy of long standing or feverish colds.

Dried Herbs

Probably nothing more than a collection of root and leaf herbs, they make a pleasant smelling decorative feature, as well as having the practical effects of drying the herbs for use in preparations. Some herbs, such as Southernwood, may be mixed in with the bunches to help repel insects and flies.

Dried flowers

Some hangings of dried flowers appear to consist of the whitehorn flower, most likely for its fragrance, and as decoration. The purple bunches appear to contain campion flowers and most likely lavender.

Dried Onions

Onion appears closely related to garlic - whilst it has no use in alchemy or magic spells, it does have its uses for dyeing. Some species of onion have a reddish-purple skin that often produces either a blue or reddish dye. Plain onion colours give a dark brown dye. When used herbally, it must have a similar antibiotic effect to that of garlic, though in a slightly lessened effect.

Elephant Ear
Colocasia

The Elephant Ear plant gets its name from the leaves, which are shaped like a large ear or shield. In the some regions, it is called a dasheen or malanga. These plants are closely related to caladiums, however they have only green leaves which are up to ten times larger than caladium leaves.

Poisoning can caused by consumption of plant material from the elephant ear plant. Leaves and stems are the most dangerous if eaten in quantity. The poisonous ingredients of the Elephant Ear plant are "oxalic acid" and Asparagine, a protein found in this plant. Symptoms of Elephant Ear poisoning are as follows: Burning in mouth and throat, swelling of tongue and mouth, nausea and/or vomiting, along with a nasty case of diarrhea!

Foxglove
Digitalis purpurea

Also sometimes referred to as Fairies' gloves, or Dead man's bells, the foxglove is fairly common in shady woodland areas. The name Foxglove comes from an old wives' tale, in which a fox, wishing to evade a farmer and steal his chickens, spied a bee disappearing into the bell of one of the foxglove flowers. He believed that the flowers would also make him disappear if he placed them on his feet. Another source states that the foxglove has an old association with the fairies or good folk, and the white markings inside the flowers are said to be elves' fingerprints. Fairies reputedly showed the fox how to muffle his footsteps with the flowers so that he could catch more farmyard chickens.

It has been found that the foxglove leaves contain a substance that not only strengthens the heartbeat but encourages the kidneys to eliminate excess fluid from the body. Foxglove tea was traditionally drunk for dropsy - a disease characterized by fluid retention. Today, digitoxin the main active principle, is employed in orthodox medicine as a heart stimulant. It should be noted that all parts of the foxglove are extremely toxic!

Garlic
Allium sativum

Garlic does not seem to be found commonly in Britannia now, in its native form at least. For some unknown reason, garlic, ginseng, nightshade and mandrake all appear dug up, and missing their tops. I put this down to the indigenous wildlife rooting through the undergrowth and exposing the roots of the plants. Referencing Lord British's library again; "Garlic was so highly esteemed by the ancient Egyptians that the slaves building the great pyramid at cheops were given a daily supply. To the ancient Greeks garlic was a magical, protective herb and they left offerings at crossroads to placate the underworld goddess Hecate."

Garlic has antibacterial properties that help the immune system to fight infection. Its antiseptic properties have been invaluable in many wars, when it was used to stop wounds turning septic. It may be taken as a preventative against colds, and also coronary artery disease since it lower blood cholesterol levels. Garlic is often considered a vegetable and is eaten with relish. People however, when using it for cooking tend to use it with rather more restraint.

Indeed these properties have been passed down to us, and are reflected in the manufacture of potions and spells. Garlic is the primary ingredient of the cure potion, and several healing spells.

Ginseng
Panax ginseng or Panax pseudoginseng

According to Lord British's reference books, ginseng takes its name from renshen, a chinese word meaning man-root, after the curiously human-like root with its two legs. On account of its shape, chinese herbalists pronounced ginseng a herb of well-being and it was extensively employed in chinese medicine for centuries. Particularly fine specimens were valued more highly than gold.

Ginseng seems to have acquired a reputation as a cure-all and many extravagant claims have been made for its powers, from improved memory function to longevity. It works by strengthening the whole body so that it can more easily deal with stress and infection, and it has no demonstrable effects on a healthy system. Herbalists advise that ginseng should be treated with respect and taken only in times of stress, as an occasional helper.

As with garlic, ginseng is the major component of many healing and protective spells, but also the primary ingredient of the healing potion.

Hops
Humulus lupulus

Also see the crops section.
Hops contains a volatile oil and a bitter principle that have a soothing effect on the central nervous system, and are beneficial for tension and anxiety. Many people report improved sleeping habits after using a pillow stuffed with dried hops. Hops also relax the bowel and ease nervous indigestion. Taken in large quantities, hops can interfere temporarily with male sexual function. Note, hops should be avoided by those suffering from depression.

Juniper Bush
Juniperus communis

Juniper is an incredibly uncommon plant in Britannia, and I believe I have yet to see a tree with my own eyes! Juniper is a prickly evergreen bush with small dark blue-black berries. The name, apparently is derived from a word for gin, jenever, and the spirit owes its characteristic flavour to juniper's volatile oil. Gin distillers once added hand-picked berries to the spirit.

Juniper is an important medicinal plant which, like many other strongly scented herbs, was thought to keep out evil spirits as well as disease. A juniper bush by the door would prevent [evil] witches gaining entrance. The berries contain an antiseptic and a strongly diuretic volatile oil that flushes out the kidneys. Herbalists prescribe juniper for cystitis, urethritis and gout. Externally, diluted oil of juniper eases aching muscles and rheumatic and arthritic pain, while steam inhalations relieve catarrh and congestion. Juniper should be avoided if pregnant or suffer from kidney problems

Mandrake
Mandragora officinarum

Also known as Satan's apple, the Mandrake is one of the few herbs used in magic spells as a reagent. It is used in many classes of spells, such is its potency. It is commonly transformed by alchemists for use in strength potions.

Mandrake is a poisonous, hallucinogenic plant, long associated with magic. According to Lord British's references, it was found in the tomb of someone named Tutankhamun, and the root was a favourite ingredient of witches' brews. The plant also had a reputation as a love potion and in the "Old Testament" it was employed as a fertility charm. According to legend, uprooting it was a perilous undertaking, since the plant uttered a piercing shriek that meant certain death. The task of pulling it up was, of necessity, entrusted to dogs. Human shaped roots were thought to bring prosperity and changed hands for large sums.

Mandrake root has painkilling properties. It was sometimes infused in wine and administered as an anesthetic during surgery. For its soporific effect, mandrake was used as a sedative and to ease rheumatic pains, convulsions, and nervous disorders. Today, without alchemical treatment, mandrake is considered unsafe. The unrelated mandrake - May Apple, Podophyllum peltatum, was once used as a laxative. Note: Both types are poisonous!

Morning Glories
Lpomoea violacea

The flowers of the morning glory may be steeped in water for a week or two to produce a mildly alcoholic wine with a pleasant flavor and very mild psychedelic effect. This vine is one of the principal hallucinogens used for divination and curing rituals. 5-10 grams of seeds are thoroughly chewed and swallowed or may be thoroughly ground and soaked in 1/2 cup water for half an hour, strained and drunk. Reported effects are a hallucinogenic experience lasting about 6 hours. Persons with a history of hepatitis or other liver ailments should not take lysergic acid amides. Ergometrine has uterus-stimulating properties and should not be taken by pregnant women. Some alchemists treat morning-glory seeds with poison to discourage use as a mind alterant, or with methyl mercury to prevent spoilage (symptoms: vomiting, diarrhea). If treated seeds are planted, toxins are not transmitted to the next generation.

Nightshade
Atropa belladonna

Also known as Belladonna, Deadly nightshade and Devil's berries, nightshade is the prime component of many poisons in Britannia. It is also used in many destructive spells. According to Lord British's (now rather used) library - this exceptionally poisonous plant owes its botanical name to Atropos, one of the three Fates in Greek mythology who cut the thread of human life at the appointed time. Belladonna is probably in honor of certain ladies who would make eye drops of the fresh juice to dilate their pupils and make them appear more alluring. Nightshade was popular with witches who combined it with Aconite (Monks hood) in an ointment to produce the sensation of flying - most likely the source of the myth that witches ride upon broomsticks.

Nightshade's alkaloids, particularly atropine and hyoscyamine, are responsible for its powerful sedative and narcotic properties. Some surgeons use atropine to dilate the pupils, and is an antidote to some gas-spells that attack the nervous system. Belladonna extract is used medicinally to treat Parkinson's disease, whooping cough, and epilepsy. Note: all parts are highly poisonous!

Poppies
Papaver somniferum

Also known as the Opium poppy, its use dates back as far as 5000 years. Opium, the valuable substance produced exclusively by the white poppy, is a thick, milky latex that is extracted from the unripe seed heads. It contains around 25 different alkaloids, notably morphine and codeine, which are powerful pain killers.

Medicinally, the opium poppy is valuable for its painkilling, sedative, antispasmodic and expectorant properties. An opium-based cough syrup was developed a few hundred years ago, and a tincture of opium known as laudanum was a popular tranquilizer. Opium smoking inspired many artists and writers (this makes me wonder who wrote "Sherry the mouse"), and the poppy is the source or heroin, a morphine derivative. The ripe seeds contain no narcotic alkaloids and are used in baking poppy-bread.

Snowdrops
Galanthus nivalis

The name galanthus is derived (according to LB's reference books again) from the Greek and means "milk-flower". The name nivalis is a Latin word meaning "relating to, or resembling snow". It is not thought to be a native plant to Britannia, but brought in by monks from a far away land. They called it the bulbous violet. In monasteries, the snowdrop was used as a wound healer and for digestive problems.

Yucca

Yuccas belong to the Agavaceae family and, like many other members of the family; they originate from warm, dry, well-drained, sandy soils in the more temperate regions. They are related to the Century plant, and also grow rather slowly.

The root is what the the lost lands natives used for soap. The green pods were said to be edible. There have been stories about how the native women washed their white garments by using the root. According to the older folks, the green gourd was more to their liking for this. At the earliest of times they spread their clothing on rocks, rubbed them with a piece cut big enough to fit into their hand like a bar of soap, and then washed them to brilliant cleanliness. The blossoms dropped into vinegar will keep and can be used as a hair rinse, by mixing one ounce of the mixture to 8 ounces of water.

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