 |
| Yerba mansa (Anemopsis californica) - Mother Nature's Garden of Health |
September
is traditionally dry in our part of S. California, with gardens favoring the browns,
pale golds and rusty oranges. While these
muted hues are lovely, we sometime crave a bit of green this time of year. An easy way to provide it is to create a
‘wetland in a pot’ (for more see: http://mother-natures-backyard.blogspot.com/2013/05/guilt-free-gardening-grow-wetland-in-pot.html
).
As
California gardens become more drought-tolerant, the concept of green garden oases
is gaining popularity. Middle Eastern
and Mediterranean gardeners have long understood the stresses of heat and
drought. Their gardens contain restful retreats with shade, green plants and
water features. Evergreen plants – and
particularly those associated with cool wetlands – are increasingly important during
times of drought. We should learn to use them – albeit sparingly
- in our own gardens.
‘Wetlands
in Pots’ allow us to grow local wetland plants on a small scale. The native plants provide habitat for insects
and birds, as well as promote our own physical and emotional well-being. Plants can range from small grass-like sedges
to larger rushes, cattails and unusual wetland perennials. One of the most charming and unique is our
Plant of the Month, Yerba mansa (Anemopsis
californica). With a little summer water, the Yerba mansa
in our Garden of Health is green and just finishing blooming.
Yerba
mansa is native to much of southwestern United Sates and northwestern
Mexico. In California, it can be found
as far north as the San Francisco Bay and Sacramento Valley. In Southern California, it once grew from the
ocean to the lower mountain flanks (to about 5000 ft/2000 m.) in plant
communities as varied as the Coastal Salt- and Brackish Marshes to the Yellow
Pine Forest. It formerly inhabited the local brackish wetlands
of Redondo Beach, San Pedro/Long Beach, the Ballona and Compton Creeks and the
southern Channel Islands. What all Yerba mansa sites have in common is moist
ground – at least seasonally.
Yerba
mansa belongs to an unusual plant family.
The family Saururaceae (the Lizard-tail
family) has a small number of genera (four) and species (seven) that are native
to Asia and North America. Members of
this family like moist places and are often important medicinal plants. Yerba mansa is the only representative native
to California.
 |
| Yerba mansa (Anemopsis californica) |
Yerba
mansa is an herbaceous perennial ground cover. While growing only 12-18 inches tall, it can
spread to 4-6+ feet in a favorable site.
Vegetative propagation (spreading
by runners or underground stems) is an important method of conquering new territory
for many wetland plants. It’s one of the
reasons that Salty susan (Jaumea carnosa),
Lippia/Fog fruit (Phyla lanceolata)
and Yerba mansa make such good ground covers in moist places. They will literally
cover the bare ground if conditions are right.
It’s also a reason to grow such plants in containers (if containment is
an issue).
 |
| Note stout stolons on Yerba mansa (Anemopsis californica) Garden of Dreams - CSU Dominguez Hills |
A
Yerba mansa plant increases in size via thick stolons (above-ground runners; like a strawberry plant) that produce
new plantlets (see above). The runners
appear in summer; they root at nodes, and new plantlets appear soon after. In our greenhouse at CSU Dominguez Hills, new
plantlets are establishing nicely this time of year (see below).
 |
| New plantlet of Yerba mansa (Anemopsis californica) Native plant greenhouse - CSU Dominguez Hills |
If
you grow Yerba mansa in a container, select a few runners for reproduction each
year. Just let them root on bare soil –
you don’t need to do much other than ensure that stolons remain in contact with
the soil. If sharing Yerba mansa with
friends, let the stolons root in new pots.
Once the plantlets are well established, cut the attachment to the
parent plant, tidy up the pot and your garden gift is ready to go.
 |
| Foliage: Yerba mansa (Anemopsis californica) |
The
leaves of Anemopsis californica are 2-8
inches long (5-20 cm), simple, alternate, medium gray- to blue-green and fleshy
(succulent). The largest leaves are in a basal rosette. The leaves, which are upright but low to the
ground, are smooth, somewhat rubbery and cool to the touch. There are a few soft hairs on the leaf
margins and underside of the leaves, at least in younger leaves.
In late summer (or when the ground dries out) the
leaves turn the most amazing colors, with blotches of red, purple and black
amongst the fading green. The leaves in
the photo above are just beginning to change color. The leaf colors add a
unique accent to the fall garden. In late fall or winter, the plants often
become entirely dormant, dying back to their roots. New leaves appear with the warm weather of
spring.
 |
| Flowers: Yerba mansa |
Yerba mansa’s flowers are consistent with their Saururaceae
heritage. In general, this family’s flowers reflect
plants of ancient times; that’s part of what makes them so enchanting. In Anemopsis
californica and others,
the small modified flowers grow closely packed along a stout conical spike. The large white ‘petals’ at the base of the
spike are not petals at all, but highly customized bracts (bracts are modified leaves found at the base of some
flowers). Smaller white bracts are also
seen along the spike, at the base of each tiny flower (see below).
The stamens (pollen-producing male parts) are
clearly visible in the close-up photo.
The anthers are long and curved; the pollen is yellow (you can even see
a dusting of pollen on the basal bracts if you look closely). Each flower has three
stamens; each stamen is split, forming six ‘anthers’ per flower. The
female parts of each flower are largely hidden. For more details on the anatomy and development
of Yerba mansa flowers see: http://www.jstor.org/stable/2443565?seq=1#page_scan_tab_contents. The brown dry seed capsules, interesting in
their own right, remain on the plants for several months.
 |
| Close-up of flowers: Yerba mansa (Anemopsis californica) |
One
of the most striking attributes of Yerba mansa is its aroma. All parts of the plants are somewhat
aromatic, but the leaves and particularly the roots are the most pungent. Like many California plant aromas, this scent
is difficult to describe: it’s spicy, somewhat gingery, has over-tones of
eucalyptus and camphor, etc. In short,
the scent is almost impossible to describe, but so distinctive that once you
know it, you recognize it instantly.
When plants are not in bloom, the aroma is often the first thing you
notice when approaching a Yerba mansa plant.
Yerba
mansa is quite easy to grow in containers or in the ground. It likes full sun to part-shade, making it
useful in many gardens. It’s not at all
picky about soil pH (range: 5.0 to 9.0) or soil type. It does prefer moist soils, and will need
regular summer water to keep it green in summer. We generally let our wetland plants slowly
dry out beginning in September (just water less frequently) to mimic natural
conditions.
Yerba
mansa is best planted in parts of the garden that receive regular water (Water
Zone 3). Many gardeners plant them as a
ground cover around (even in) shallow ponds, near fountains, and in rain
gardens and other naturally moist areas.
They are perfectly suited to container life, and make interesting
specimen plants in containers and bog gardens.
Some gardeners plant them as groundcovers under trees that require
regular water. They are also used to
improve the soils in reclamation projects (plants remove salts and decrease
soil pH).
The
secrets to managing Yerba mansa are few: 1) provide damp soils through summer;
2) taper off water in fall; 3) cut back (or even mow) dead plants in late fall
or early winter. Wait until plants have
died back before pruning – it won’t harm the plants. You can leave the removed dead leaves as
mulch or not (they decrease the soil pH and add organic material). Traditional
practice involved the periodic burning of Yerba santa patches to retain
vitality; pruning achieves the same end.
You don’t need to prune every year, although many gardeners do for
aesthetics. But every 2-3 years, they
need to be sheared.
Yerba
mansa is clearly an unusual
California native plant. So, why
consider including it in your garden?
In addition to its interest and beauty, Yerba mansa provides habitat for
birds (seeds) and small creatures (Pacific chorus frogs and lizards and
salamanders come to mind). The flowers
bloom in summer, when white flowers are a treat. And, of course, the plants are great for
filling in areas around a rain garden.
Plant it with moisture-lovers like Juncus, Sweetscent (Pluchea odorata) and other wetland
plants. The fragrance provides a clean,
spicy note to the scented garden and the dried leaves add a special zing to
potpourri mixes (see: http://mother-natures-backyard.blogspot.com/2013/11/garden-crafts-making-potpourri-from.html
) But you may also want to grow this
plant as a medicinal.
 |
| Yerba mansa in garden setting Garden of Dreams - CSU Dominguez Hills |
Like
many aromatic plants, Anemopsis
californica has a long and interesting history as a medicinal plant. In fact, Yerba mansa is an extremely important
medicinal throughout its range. The name ‘Yerba mansa’ is a shortened version
of the Spanish ‘Yerba del manso’ (‘herb of the peaceful Indians’), referring to
the medicinal use of this plant by many native tribes. Yerba mansa has been used – and shared - as a
medicinal plant, by many peoples, right up to the present.
The plant produces a dizzying array of aromatic
chemicals, particularly when slightly stressed (e.g., as plants become
drought-stressed in late summer). The exact medicinal
properties of many of these are still being discovered. Leaves are known to produce elemicin,
piperitone, methyleugenol, (E)-caryophyllene, 1,8-cineole, alpha-pinene and
beta-phellandrene. Roots produce
methyleugenol and many other chemicals including: thymol, piperitone, isoeugenol, cymene,
limonene, alpha-pinene, 1,8-cineole, myrtenol and elemicin. For more on the plant chemistry of Yerba
mansa see reference 1, below.
Yerba
mansa is attracting increasing interest from both herbal and Western medical
practitioners. Root extracts have been
shown to have significant activity against gram-positive human bacterial
pathogens like Staphylococcus aureus, Staphylococcus epidermidis, Streptococcus pneumoniae and Streptococcus Pyogenes [2]. Extracts
also appear to have anti-bacterial activity against a serious current ‘problem
pathogen’, methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA). Perhaps
the key to fighting this challenging pathogen is among the many chemicals
produced by Yerba mansa. As has happened
so often in the past, traditional plant-based medicine suggests compounds
ultimately included in the Western medical armamentarium.
Recent research – and a long history of tradition
use - supports the antimicrobial, antibacterial, antispasmodic, diuretic and
anti-inflammatory properties of Yerba mansa.
The antimicrobial properties likely explain the widespread use of leaves
and roots for a range of complaints related to infectious agents. An infusion (tea) made from either leaves or
roots was traditionally used as a wash for cuts, skin sores, wounds, gum
problems and canker sores. A dried
powder made from roots was widely used as a disinfectant powder for skin sores,
ulcers and small wounds; and to treat diaper rash and athlete’s foot.
Tea made from leaves or roots was also drunk as a
treatment for colds, sinus problems, coughs and chest congestion as well as
stomach upset, stomach ulcers and general malaise (a ‘blood medicine’). The tea’s efficacy likely was due to the
antimicrobial, diuretic and anti-inflammatory chemicals. As a diuretic, Yerba mansa also relieves the body of uric acid,
perhaps explaining its use in the treatment of gout and prevention of kidney
stones.
Methyleugenol, produced by both the leaves and
roots, is an antispasmodic agent. This
likely explains the use of a tea made from either roots or leaves in treating
stomach and menstrual cramps; poultices made from leaves are also said to be an effective
treatment for muscle cramps and spasms.
Arthritic joints were traditionally soaked in warm
water infused with Yerba mansa leaves or roots. Infusions were also used as
washes/baths to reduce swelling. The anti-inflammatory
properties of this plant may explain these uses. Infusions were also used to ‘cool’ burns and
sunburns, so there may be some analgesic components as well.
Green
leaves can be harvested any time. Roots
were traditionally only harvested from more mature plants; the fleshy roots
were harvested in the fall, when the chemical content was the highest. The roots
were often dried for later use. For more
on the medicinal uses of Yerba mansa, see the references below.
The above information is for
educational purposes only. This information has not been evaluated by the Food
and Drug Administration. This information is not intended to diagnose, treat,
cure, or prevent any disease.
 |
| Yerba mansa (Anemopsis californica): important medicinal plant |
For a
gardening information sheet see: http://www.slideshare.net/cvadheim/gardening-sheet-anemopsis-californica
For more
pictures of this plant see: http://www.slideshare.net/cvadheim/anemopsis-californica-web-show
For plant
information sheets on other native plants see: http://nativeplantscsudh.blogspot.com/p/gallery-of-native-plants_17.html
______________
- Chemotypic Variation of Essential
Oils in the Medicinal Plant, Anemopsis
californica: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2330197/
- C. Wendakoon et al.
Evaluation of Selected
Medicinal Plants Extracted in Different Ethanol Concentrations for
Antibacterial Activity against Human Pathogens - http://scholarworks.umass.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1013&context=jmap
- Timbrook, J.
"Virtuous Herbs: Plants in Chumash Medicine". Journal of Ethnobiology, Winter
1987, 171-180 - Moore, M. Medicinal
Plants of the Desert and Canyon West. Museum of New Mexico Press, Santa Fe, NM, 1989 - Kay, M.A. Healing with Plants in the American and Mexican West.
University of Arizona Press, Tucson, AZ, 1996 - Anemopsis
californica – Ethnobotany & Medicinal Uses - http://www.herbalencounter.com/2015/08/09/yerba-mansa-anemopsis-californica-ethnobotany-medicinal-uses/
- WebMD - http://www.webmd.com/vitamins-supplements/ingredientmono-338-yerba%20mansa.aspx?activeingredientid=338&activeingredientname=yerba%20mansa
- http://plants.usda.gov/plantguide/pdf/cs_anca10.pdf
We
welcome your comments (below). You can
also send your questions to: mothernaturesbackyard10@gmail.com
0 komentar:
Posting Komentar