Angelica
(Angelica atropurpurea)
wild archangel, high angelica, purple angelica
Description:
A shrub up to 8 feet high. The stem is purplish with
3 toothed leaflets at the tip of each stem. White or greenish
flowers occur in clusters at end of the stalk. It has a strong
and peculiar but not an unpleasant odor. Found in rich, low
ground near streams and swamps and in gardens throughout the
U.S.
Edible,
Medicinal: The sharp flavored leaves are cooked with acidic
fruit, the shoots are used in salads, the stems and roots can
be used as vegetables, and the seeds are used in pastry dishes.
The rootstock should be gathered in the fall of the 2nd year.
The whole plant is aromatic, carminative, diaphoretic, diuretic,
emmenagogue, expectorant, and stimulant. Roots, in the 2nd year,
and seeds, when mature, are used to treat stomach gas, induce
vomiting, perspiration, bronchitis, rheumatism, gout and fever,
to stimulate menstrual flow. Helps with heart burn, colic, general
tonic, colds, spleen, liver and in epidemics. The extracted
oil is used as a pleasant aromatic and tonic. Take 3/4 cup of
the decoction (1 teaspoon of the root with 3/4 cup water) in
2 equal parts during the day.
