Reason for a Change-Mitch’s Blog

Jojo and I found these two beautiful wildflowers on a recent ride through Morgan Monroe State Forest. We found the yellow ladyslipper just off the side of the road, about 10 feet down hill. The wild geraniums were quite abundant along the roadside, they seem to favor the partial sun. I’ve put some infor about each flower below.

Yellow Ladyslippers (Cypripedium parviflorum) have been used medicinally, but the harvesting is now outlawed as they are so rare.

The yellow ladyslipper has also been called by the common name of American Valerian, because of its similar calmative effects, and is also known as: Greater yellow lady’s slipper, Large yellow lady’s slipper, Moccasin Flower, Nerveroot, Noah’s ark, Whippoorwills-shoe, Yellow ladies-slipper, Yellow moccasin-flower, and Yellow Indian Shoe. It is native to Illinois, Indiana, and surrounding states in the American Midwest.. It was widely used during the 19th Century as a sedative and to relieve pain. Large doses can cause disorientation and headaches. All of the Ladyslippers may cause contact dermatitis.

For a full description see the Flora of North America website, or the USDA Plant Profile. Some individuals can live as long as 40 years, and it is really are beautiful plant. I am now on the lookout for the ladyslipper’s cousins, the white or magenta moccasin flower, and the showy lady’s slipper (2 color).

Geranium maculatum
Wild Geraniums prefer drained soil in open woods and along shady roadsides, which is exactly where we found them. Color varies from light pink to magenta, but we saw only the pink variety.

Here’s an excerpt about its uses from the American Materia Medica by Finley Ellingwood, M.D., 1919:
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Synonyms—Cranesbill, Crow Foot, Alum Root.

CONSTITUENTS—
Tannic acid, gallic acid, red coloring matter, a resinoid.

Physiological Action—A tonic astringent, with alterative properties. It influences the mucous structures, directly improving their tone and function, overcoming relaxation and debility with a marked improvement of the capillary circulation.

From long experience, I have learned to esteem geranium more highly than any other vegetable astringent, where a simple tonic astringent action is needed. It is palatable, prompt, efficient, and invariable in its effects, and entirely devoid of unpleasant influences.
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In a similar vein, I found from the University of Michigan’s herb website that it was used by the Cherokee’s as an astringant, and for “thrush” in children, as well as on open wounds, and an anti-diarreahal. The Chippewa, Cherokee and European settlers all used it for mouth afflictions including canker sores, thrush, trench mouth and toothache.

As to the USDA website I’ve linked to above, it is pretty cool, lots of info and great links. They have gone the route of using pictures rather than complicated text descriptions to distinguish the sub-species, I guess this is good. The UM site is cool too, but most of the detail links back to the USDA.dd

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