Anemopsis californica - Yerba Mansa

Family:	Saururaceae
Habit:	Perennial
Height:	0.5
Synonyms:	Houttuynia californica.
Range:	South-western N. America - California, Mexico.

Anemopsis californica (Yerba Mansa) is a Perennial which grows to a height of 0.5m . It has a hardness rating of 8.
The flowers from this plant are hermaphrodite (has both male and female organs) and they are pollinated by

Soil Information

Yerba Mansa will grow in light (sandy),medium (loamy),hard (clay) soil. It is not necessary for the soil to be well drained.
The soil prefers the following PH / acid levels :
- pH greater than 8, Basic soils
Yerba Mansa prefers soils

Ideal Planting Locations

Yerba Mansa can grow in semi or areas with no shade.

Wet, especially somewhat alkaline or saline places, below 2000m[71, 187].

Planting places suited to this plant described below.

• Is a pond plant
• A bog garden plant

Cultivation Details

Requires shallow water or a wet muddy site in a humus-rich alkaline medium[1]. Requires a warm position[187]. Plants are hardy to about -5 to -10°c, and are probably hardiest when the rootstock is submerged[200]. Another report says that they are hardy to about -15°c[187].

Edible Uses*

* See disclaimer
Edible Rating: 2/5
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].

• Root - includes bulbs, corms, tubers, rhizomes etc.

Medicinal Uses*

* See disclaimer
Medicinal Rating: 2/5
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].

• Analgesic - Relieves pain.
• Antiperiodic - Counteracts recurring illnesses such as malaria.
• Antiphlogistic - Reduces inflammation.
• Antiseptic - Preventing sepsis, decay or putrefaction, it destroys or arrests the growth of micro-organisms.
• Astringent - Produces contraction in living tissue, reducing the flow of secretions and discharges of blood, mucus, diarrhoea etc.
• Blood purifier - Purifies the blood.
• Diuretic - Acts on the kidneys, promoting the flow of urine.
• Stomachic - Aids and improves the action of the stomach.
• TB - Plants used in the treatment of tuberculosis
• VD - Used in the treatment of venereal disease
• Vulnerary - Promotes the healing of wounds.
• Women's complaints - A very vague title, it deals with a miscellany of problems peculiar to the female sex.

Propagation

Seed - best sown in a greenhouse as soon as it is ripe in the summer. Stand the pots in about 3cm of water and germination should take place in about 5 weeks[274]. Sow stored seed in a cold frame in the spring[111]. When large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots and grow them on in the greenhouse for their first winter. making sure you keep the compost wet. Plant them out in late spring or early summer. Division in spring[200].

Known Hazards

None known

Other Uses

Beads can be made from the rootstock[94, 103, 207].

• Beads - Used as necklaces etc.

Cultivars

no recorded cultivars

References

A California Flora.
Munz.
Author: Munz.
Rating:
Publisher : An excellent flora but no pictures. Not for the casual reader.
Date of Publication : 1959

The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992.
Huxley. A.
Author: Huxley. A.
Rating:
Publisher : Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed.
Date of Publication : 1992

Flora of N. America

Author:
Rating: http://flora.huh.harvard.edu/fna/
Publisher : An on-line version of the flora with an excellent description of the plant including a brief mention of plant uses.
Date of Publication : 0

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