Yerba Mansa

Anemopsis californica

Physical Characteristics

Anemopsis californica is a PERENNIAL growing to 0.5 m (1ft 8in). See above for USDA hardiness. It is hardy to UK zone 8. The species is hermaphrodite (has both male and female organs). Suitable for: light (sandy), medium (loamy) and heavy (clay) soils. Suitable pH: basic (mildly alkaline) soils and can grow in very alkaline and saline soils. It can grow in semi-shade (light woodland) or no shade. It prefers wet soil and can grow in water.

Distribution

South-western N. America - California, Mexico.

Habitats

Pond; Bog Garden;

Edible Uses

Edible Parts: Root Edible Uses: Seeds of yerba mansa are the only reliably edible part. They can be eaten raw, toasted, or boiled into a starchy, slightly sweet mush with a copper tint, and all methods of cooking yield good results. The flavor is mild, hearty, and faintly minty-evergreen, with none of the bitterness, acridness, or harsh notes that mark many wild seeds. Toasting enhances their grain-like flavor and softens their texture, making them excellent as a staple-type wild food. In contrast, the rhizomes and roots, though aromatic and technically chewable after long boiling, are best regarded as medicinal rather than edible. Fresh rhizomes are pink, fragrant, and tough, with a complex aroma reminiscent of mints, citronella, and geraniums. Even after prolonged cooking, their flavor is strong, acrid, and only marginally palatable, with little food value [2-3]. Edibility rating: 3/5 – Seeds are a solid food resource; roots and rhizomes should be avoided for food use and reserved for medicine [2-3]. Root - raw or cooked[257]. An aromatic flavour[94]. The pulverized seeds are made into bread or cooked as a mush[257]. The peppery aromatic root is astringent and is chewed raw for medicinal purposes[207].

Medicinal Uses

Analgesic Antiperiodic Antiphlogistic Antiseptic Astringent Blood purifier Diuretic Stomachic TB VD Vulnerary Women's complaints Yerba mansa is one of the most important traditional medicinal plants of the Southwest US. Decoctions or teas of the rhizomes were used as a blood purifier, pain reliever, and laxative, as well as for treating colds, lung conditions such as asthma and pleurisy, and for washing wounds. The tea causes a numbing effect on the tongue and mouth, echoing its traditional use for soothing discomfort. Dried rhizome pieces were sometimes chewed as a breath freshener. In ecological terms, yerba mansa forms dense colonies around springs and wetlands, stabilizing soil, filtering water, and creating microhabitats for aquatic life [2-3]. Yerba mansa was widely employed by the native North American Indians to treat a wide variety of complaints[257]. It is little used in modern herbalism. The whole plant is analgesic, antiperiodic, antiphlogistic, blood purifier, disinfectant, diuretic, laxative, stomachic and vulnerary. The plant is infused and used to bathe aching muscles and sore feet[1, 46, 61, 71, 94, 103, 207]. The root is chewed for affections of the mucous membranes[207]. A tea made from the root is used as a blood purifier and general pain remedy, and as a treatment for pleurisy, gonorrhoea, syphilis and menstrual cramps[207, 257]. An infusion of the plant is used in the treatment of colds, chest congestion and stomach ulcers[257]. The dried and powdered plant is used as a disinfectant on wounds whilst the fresh moist leaves are used as a poultice or salve on burns, cuts and wounds[257]. An infusion of the bark is used as a wash for open sores[257].

Known Hazards

None known