Carphephorus odoratissimus
(J.F.Gmel.)Herb.
Asteraceae
The Temperate Database is in the process of being updated, with new records being added and old ones being checked and brought up to date where necessary. This record has not yet been checked and updated.
Common Name: Vanilla Plant
General Information
Carphephorus odoratissimus is a perennial plant that can grow up to 1.00 metres tall.
It is harvested from the wild for local use as a food, medicine and source of materials.
Known Hazards
The plant contains coumarins[
222- Title
- A Field Guide to Medicinal Plants. Eastern and Central N. America.
- Publication
-
- Author
- Foster. S. & Duke. J. A.
- Publisher
- Houghton Mifflin Co.
- Year
- 1990
- ISBN
- 0395467225
- Description
- A concise book dealing with almost 500 species. A line drawing of each plant is included plus colour photographs of about 100 species. Very good as a field guide, it only gives brief details about the plants medicinal properties.
], this is what gives it the scent of newly mown hay. When used internally, especially from dried plants, it can act to prevent the blood from co-aggulating[
13- Title
- Hamlyn Encyclopaedia of Plants.
- Publication
-
- Author
- Triska. Dr.
- Publisher
- Hamlyn
- Year
- 1975
- ISBN
- 0-600-33545-3
- Description
- Very interesting reading, giving some details of plant uses and quite a lot of folk-lore.
]. Coumarins are implicated in liver disease and haemorrhage[
222- Title
- A Field Guide to Medicinal Plants. Eastern and Central N. America.
- Publication
-
- Author
- Foster. S. & Duke. J. A.
- Publisher
- Houghton Mifflin Co.
- Year
- 1990
- ISBN
- 0395467225
- Description
- A concise book dealing with almost 500 species. A line drawing of each plant is included plus colour photographs of about 100 species. Very good as a field guide, it only gives brief details about the plants medicinal properties.
].
Botanical References
1- Title
- RHS Dictionary of Plants plus Supplement. 1956
- Publication
-
- Author
- F. Chittendon.
- Publisher
- Oxford University Press
- Year
- 1951
- ISBN
- -
- Description
- Comprehensive listing of species and how to grow them. Somewhat outdated, it has been replaced in 1992 by a new dictionary (see [200]).
,
72- Title
- Manual of the Southeastern Flora.
- Publication
-
- Author
- Small J.K.
- Website
- http://www.biodiversitylibrary.org
- Publisher
- University of N. Carolina Press.
- Year
- 1933
- ISBN
-
- Description
- Getting rather dated now, an immense work covering the flora of Southeastern N. America. No pictures, it is not for the casual reader. It can be downloaded from the Internet.
,
270- Title
- Flora of N. America
- Publication
-
- Author
-
- Website
- http://flora.huh.harvard.edu/fna/
- Publisher
-
- Year
- 0
- ISBN
-
- Description
- An on-line version of the flora with an excellent description of the plant including a brief mention of plant uses.
Range
South-eastern N. America - North Carolina to Florida, west to Louisiana.
Habitat
Pine-oak borders, longleaf pine savannas, flatwoods, fields, roadsides, fencerows, stream bottoms, seepage and boggy areas, sandy sites, limestone ridges or clay hills sea level to 80 metres[
270- Title
- Flora of N. America
- Publication
-
- Author
-
- Website
- http://flora.huh.harvard.edu/fna/
- Publisher
-
- Year
- 0
- ISBN
-
- Description
- An on-line version of the flora with an excellent description of the plant including a brief mention of plant uses.
].
Properties
| Edibility Rating |  |
| Medicinal Rating |  |
| Habit | Perennial |
| Height | 1.00 m |
| Pollinators | Insects |
| Cultivation Status | Wild |
Cultivation Details
Grows well in any moderately good light soil[
1- Title
- RHS Dictionary of Plants plus Supplement. 1956
- Publication
-
- Author
- F. Chittendon.
- Publisher
- Oxford University Press
- Year
- 1951
- ISBN
- -
- Description
- Comprehensive listing of species and how to grow them. Somewhat outdated, it has been replaced in 1992 by a new dictionary (see [200]).
]. Plants grow in very acid soils in the wild[
235- Title
- An Illustrated Flora of the Northern United States and Canada
- Publication
-
- Author
- Britton. N. L. Brown. A.
- Publisher
- Dover Publications. New York.
- Year
- 1970
- ISBN
- 0-486-22642-5
- Description
- Reprint of a 1913 Flora, but still a very useful book.
].
Edible Uses
The leaves are used as a flavouring[
72- Title
- Manual of the Southeastern Flora.
- Publication
-
- Author
- Small J.K.
- Website
- http://www.biodiversitylibrary.org
- Publisher
- University of N. Carolina Press.
- Year
- 1933
- ISBN
-
- Description
- Getting rather dated now, an immense work covering the flora of Southeastern N. America. No pictures, it is not for the casual reader. It can be downloaded from the Internet.
], they have the scent of vanilla[
1- Title
- RHS Dictionary of Plants plus Supplement. 1956
- Publication
-
- Author
- F. Chittendon.
- Publisher
- Oxford University Press
- Year
- 1951
- ISBN
- -
- Description
- Comprehensive listing of species and how to grow them. Somewhat outdated, it has been replaced in 1992 by a new dictionary (see [200]).
,
2- Title
- Sturtevant's Edible Plants of the World.
- Publication
-
- Author
- Hedrick. U. P.
- Publisher
- Dover Publications
- Year
- 1972
- ISBN
- 0-486-20459-6
- Description
- Lots of entries, quite a lot of information in most entries and references.
]. Some caution is advised, see the notes above on toxicity.
Medicinal
The leaves are demulcent, diaphoretic, diuretic and tonic[
222- Title
- A Field Guide to Medicinal Plants. Eastern and Central N. America.
- Publication
-
- Author
- Foster. S. & Duke. J. A.
- Publisher
- Houghton Mifflin Co.
- Year
- 1990
- ISBN
- 0395467225
- Description
- A concise book dealing with almost 500 species. A line drawing of each plant is included plus colour photographs of about 100 species. Very good as a field guide, it only gives brief details about the plants medicinal properties.
]. They are a folk remedy for coughs, malaria and neuroses[
222- Title
- A Field Guide to Medicinal Plants. Eastern and Central N. America.
- Publication
-
- Author
- Foster. S. & Duke. J. A.
- Publisher
- Houghton Mifflin Co.
- Year
- 1990
- ISBN
- 0395467225
- Description
- A concise book dealing with almost 500 species. A line drawing of each plant is included plus colour photographs of about 100 species. Very good as a field guide, it only gives brief details about the plants medicinal properties.
].
The leaves are high in coumarins and have been experimentally effective in the treatment of high-protein oedema[
222- Title
- A Field Guide to Medicinal Plants. Eastern and Central N. America.
- Publication
-
- Author
- Foster. S. & Duke. J. A.
- Publisher
- Houghton Mifflin Co.
- Year
- 1990
- ISBN
- 0395467225
- Description
- A concise book dealing with almost 500 species. A line drawing of each plant is included plus colour photographs of about 100 species. Very good as a field guide, it only gives brief details about the plants medicinal properties.
]. Some caution is advised, see notes above on toxicity.
Other Uses
The dried leaves contain coumarin and have a scent like newly mown hay. They can be used as a condiment[
169- Title
- A Weavers Garden
- Publication
-
- Author
- Buchanan. R.
- Publisher
- McGraw-Hill Contemporary
- Year
- 1987
- ISBN
- 0934026289
- Description
- Covers all aspects of growing your own clothes, from fibre plants to dyes.
].
Propagation
Seed - sow in a greenhouse as soon as it is ripe in the autumn[
1- Title
- RHS Dictionary of Plants plus Supplement. 1956
- Publication
-
- Author
- F. Chittendon.
- Publisher
- Oxford University Press
- Year
- 1951
- ISBN
- -
- Description
- Comprehensive listing of species and how to grow them. Somewhat outdated, it has been replaced in 1992 by a new dictionary (see [200]).
]. When they are large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots and grow them on in the greenhouse for at least their first winter. Plant them out into their permanent positions in late spring or early summer, after the last expected frosts.
Division in spring[
1- Title
- RHS Dictionary of Plants plus Supplement. 1956
- Publication
-
- Author
- F. Chittendon.
- Publisher
- Oxford University Press
- Year
- 1951
- ISBN
- -
- Description
- Comprehensive listing of species and how to grow them. Somewhat outdated, it has been replaced in 1992 by a new dictionary (see [200]).
].
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Useful Temperate Plants Database 2016 by
Ken Fern,
web interface by
Ajna Fern
with help from
Richard Morris.
