permaculture

["Ava Devenport" <essenheal@iname.com>]

On 08/09/00, "rick valley <bamboogrove@cmug.com>" wrote:
> >all really tough&quot; plants also
> >quite often have medicinal properties. Is the thistle medicinal? What
> >good does it do?
> I don't have the blessing of its presence, so I've not done a thorough 
> inquiry into its totality! But at the very least it discourages the 
> lazy-fare monocultural use of the burnt-out pastures it grows in! But 
> there are some uses amongst the Centaureas, no? They have a strong name-
> anyone know why?
> -Rick

Hi!

Centaureas are cyanogenetic (thus the 'strong' name), in which they can 
poison livestock under certain circumstances.  There are many groups of 
plants which can produce cyanide, some as common as chokecherry and black 
cherry, but there has to be a combination of decomposition with the 
addition of water.  The decomposition frees the cyanide from it's chemical 
bond and becomes toxic hydrocyanic acid.  When intact, the cyanide and 
glucose (glycosides) are still bonded and are not poisonous, but when 
certain enzymes are present (including animal digestive juices), the bonds 
are broken, free the cyanide and prussic acid (a highly toxic poison) is 
formed.  Many other factors are included before toxic poisons may occur 
including climate, fertility and growth.  Anything that retards the plant 
growth and development may actually INCREASE cyanogentic glycosides in the 
plants.

As for the medicinal properties:Family: ASTERACEAE Genus: CENTAUREA

Centaurea calcitrapa (common Star Thistle)- ethnobotanical uses - 
Chologogue, corns, depurative, diuretic, emmenagogue, fever, fistula, 
gravel, jaundice, stimulant,stones, sudorific, tonic.

Centaurea americana (Star thistle, American) - Kiowa - dermatological aid; 
poultice of leaves applied to skin sores.

Centaurea melitensis (Star thistle, American) - Mahuna - plant material was 
used as a kidney aid.

Centaurea sp. (Batchelor buttons) - same as common star thistle.

Personally, I would not use any of the thistles (other than milk thistle) 
nor the spurges, as they all have the same compounds, without expert 
knowledge of these plants, but they do have alot of history within the 
North American tribes.

Blessings,
Ava