Happy Birthday to German Botanist Adelbert von Chamisso

The Mojave Suncup, Camissonia Brevipes

An example of a genus named after the botanist

Today we celebrate the birthday of Adelbert von Chamisso (January 30 1781- August 21, 1838), the German poet and botanist. He was born in a chateau in Champagne, France and after his family was driven out by the French revolution, he grew up in Berlin. He became page- in-waiting to the Prussian queen and then entered Prussian army and despite having little education, he studied hard and wrote some poetry. Although he was allowed to return to France, he chose instead to follow Madame de Stael and her group to Switzerland; here he wrote poetry and did botanic research.

Upon his return to Berlin, he continued writing and was appointed botanist to the Russian ship, Rurik which was on a scientific voyage around the world. His diary records his visits to the Pacific Ocean, the Bering Sea and the San Francisco Bay Area; his ship entered the latter area on October 2, 1816. Throughout the month, von Chamisso compiled an inventory of of many plant and animal species. The National Park Service has included a number of entries from his diary describing the Bay area.

On his return to Berlin in 1818, he was appointed custodian of the botanical gardens in Berlin.

His most notable botanical work was the description of many of the most important trees of Mexico in 1830-1831.

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Know Your Herbs: Cilantro

Medicinal Uses: Cilantro is also referred to as coriander or Chinese Parsley; it is a member of the carrot family and grows wild in Southeastern Europe and has been grown in Egypt, India and China for thousands of years. It is mentioned in Sanskrit texts and the Bible (Exodus 16:31 which compares the manna to the coriander seed, white).

Besides being an appetite stimulant, cilantro is though to aid the digestive system by promoting secretion of gastric juices. In a poultice form, the seed is applied externally to relieve painful joints and rheumatism. The seeds are believed to lower cholesterol and oils of the leaves possess antibacterial powers.

Recently, the medical field has reported research to demonstrate that cilantro can be used to rid (detox) the human body of heavy metals such as mercury, lead, arsenic, aluminum and cadmium. These metals are known to cause neurological malfunctions. Cilantro has been found to chelate (or bind) with the heavy metals.

Folklore: Coriander Seeds have been found in Egyptian tombs and in jars unearthed from the Nahal Hemel Cave in Israel. Aphrodisiac and immortality properties were ascribed to coriander by the Greeks, whereas Chinese folklore claimed the same for cilantro. One of the tales of found in the Book of Arabian Nights relates that a potion that included coriander helped a merchant bear offspring after he had been childless for 40 years.

Please consult your physician before taking this herb in any form.

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Leonart Fuchs: One of the Fathers of Botany

Fuchsia Plant named after Leonart Fuchs

Leonart Fuchs (1501-1566) is considered one of the three founding fathers of Botany along with Otto Brunfels and Hieronymus Bock. He was born in Germany in the Duchy of Bavaria and was professor of medicine at Tubingen University from 1535 until his death. Though trained as a physician, he was especially interested in the medicinal properties of plants.

In 1542, Fuchs published History of Plants which was illustrated with woodcuts and praised for its adherence to scholarship. The manual is one of the early books on plants and helped promote the science of natural history. He was the first scientist to describe fuchsia and so the plant was named after him. Later the color of this genus, bluish red, was also called fuchsia.
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Know your herbs: Bilberry

Medicinal Uses: Bilberry is a low-growing shrub that yields edible fruit. It is smaller than the blueberry, darker in color and similar in taste. During World War II, British pilots who consumed bilberry jam before flight, claimed that it improved their night vision. The U.S. Navy could not corroborate this finding. However, studies have shown that bilberry may reverse such eye disorders as macular degeneration.

Bilberry contains high levels of anthocyanin pigments which have been linked to lowered risk for diseases of the heart, cardiovascular system, eyes and cancer. The fruit is rich in anti-oxidants. The dried fruit can be used to treat indigestion and diarrhea.

The fruits can be eaten fresh or made into jams, juices or pies.

Folklore: The bilberry leaves were used to treat gastrointestinal ailments; they were also used as a tonic to prevent some infections and skin diseases. It is believed that placing bilberry in the pocket will bring truth to you and will enable you to discern the truth of what others tell you. The sixteenth century used bilberry in the treatment of bladder stones, scurvy, cough and lung disorder.

Be sure to consult your physician before using. Be warned that the fruit does lower blood sugar and can have serious effects on the insulin dependent diabetic.

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Know your herbs: Ginkgo Biloba

Historical Medicinal Uses: Ginkgo is supposedly one of the oldest living tree species. Its fossil records dates back to the Permian period over 270 million years ago. For this reason it is considered the "living fossil." Its extract is used extensively throughout the world to improve mental function, treat age-related memory, alzheimer's disease, macular degeneration, sexual disfunction and to enhance blood circulation. Gingko is believed to contain compounds that thin the blood and help to increase muscle strength in the walls of blood vessels.

Many studies have indicated that use of the herb stimulates body production of adenosine tri-phosphate or ATP a universal energy molecule that boost the brain's energy metabolism of glucose and increases electrical activity.

Recently, studies have shown that gingko my be used to prevent Acute Mountain Sickness for trekkers ascending to high atltitudes.

The herb should be avoided by people with bleeding disorders as its believed it may interfere the clotting process.

Folklore: Extracts of the herb and leaves of the ginkgo tree have been used in China for over 5000 years. Earliest mention of the herb as a medicine is found in the Chinese materia medica, Pen T'sao Ching (The Classic of Herbs), published in 2800 B.C.E. The herb is recommended for respiratory ailments and for brain function.

In 213 B.C.E, when the Emperor Shi Huangdi, the last builder of the Great Wall of China, destroyed the books of the scholarly elite, he spared the texts relating to medicine, divination and agriculture. The surviving manuscripts urge the use of gingko to treat impotence, chilblains, memory loss, asthma and bedwettting. The herb has traditionally been used as an aphrodisiac and for promoting longevity.

Originally the growth of the tree was widespread over the face of the globe. but the arrival of the Ice Age decimated the herb in all places except in China.

Be sure to consult your physician before taking this herb!

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