Trichostema lanceolatum
Benth.
Lamiaceae
Common Name: Vinegar Weed
General Information
Trichostema lanceolatum is an erect, annual plant with a pungent medicinal aroma. Branching from the base, the plant can grow from 10 - 100cm tall[
277- Title
- Plants Database
- Publication
-
- Author
-
- Website
- http://plants.usda.gov/java/factSheet
- Publisher
- United States Department of Agriculture
- Year
- 0
- ISBN
-
- Description
- An online database with an excellent collection of fact sheets about native N. American plants.
].
The plant was a valuable medicinal herb for the native American people along the west side of N. America, and it is still often harvested from the wild for local use.
Known Hazards
The plant has been used by native peoples as an aid in catching fish. Dams would be built strategically in rivers and streamsin order to trap the fish within small ponds. Then, mashed or powdered plants were thrown into the water with the fish. After the plants were added, the fish would become sluggish and easier to catch in nets or sieves made of willow[
277- Title
- Plants Database
- Publication
-
- Author
-
- Website
- http://plants.usda.gov/java/factSheet
- Publisher
- United States Department of Agriculture
- Year
- 0
- ISBN
-
- Description
- An online database with an excellent collection of fact sheets about native N. American plants.
].
Numerous reasons have been offered for this reaction including that the fish were either poisoned, their gills clogged, or that the plants affected the oxygen in the water[
277- Title
- Plants Database
- Publication
-
- Author
-
- Website
- http://plants.usda.gov/java/factSheet
- Publisher
- United States Department of Agriculture
- Year
- 0
- ISBN
-
- Description
- An online database with an excellent collection of fact sheets about native N. American plants.
].
Botanical References
71- Title
- A California Flora.
- Publication
-
- Author
- Munz P.A. & Keck D.D.
- Publisher
- University of California Press; Los Angeles
- Year
- 1959
- ISBN
- -
- Description
- An excellent flora but no pictures. Not for the casual reader.
Range
Western N. America - Oregon, California, Baja California
Habitat
Dry open areas and disturbed habitats such as fields, roadsides and open places; usually at elevations below 1,000 metres[
71- Title
- A California Flora.
- Publication
-
- Author
- Munz P.A. & Keck D.D.
- Publisher
- University of California Press; Los Angeles
- Year
- 1959
- ISBN
- -
- Description
- An excellent flora but no pictures. Not for the casual reader.
,
277- Title
- Plants Database
- Publication
-
- Author
-
- Website
- http://plants.usda.gov/java/factSheet
- Publisher
- United States Department of Agriculture
- Year
- 0
- ISBN
-
- Description
- An online database with an excellent collection of fact sheets about native N. American plants.
].
Properties
Edibility Rating | |
Medicinal Rating | |
Other Uses Rating | |
Habit | Annual |
Height | 0.50 m |
Pollinators | Bees |
Cultivation Status | Ornamental, Wild |
Cultivation Details
Trichostema lanceolatum is a xerophytic plant that is adapted to the dry, rainless summers and moist to wet winters of California’s Mediterranean climate[
277- Title
- Plants Database
- Publication
-
- Author
-
- Website
- http://plants.usda.gov/java/factSheet
- Publisher
- United States Department of Agriculture
- Year
- 0
- ISBN
-
- Description
- An online database with an excellent collection of fact sheets about native N. American plants.
].
Requires an open sunny position in a well-drained soil[
277- Title
- Plants Database
- Publication
-
- Author
-
- Website
- http://plants.usda.gov/java/factSheet
- Publisher
- United States Department of Agriculture
- Year
- 0
- ISBN
-
- Description
- An online database with an excellent collection of fact sheets about native N. American plants.
]. Established plants are very drought tolerant[
277- Title
- Plants Database
- Publication
-
- Author
-
- Website
- http://plants.usda.gov/java/factSheet
- Publisher
- United States Department of Agriculture
- Year
- 0
- ISBN
-
- Description
- An online database with an excellent collection of fact sheets about native N. American plants.
].
The plant has a pungent medicinal odour that can be detected over long distances[
277- Title
- Plants Database
- Publication
-
- Author
-
- Website
- http://plants.usda.gov/java/factSheet
- Publisher
- United States Department of Agriculture
- Year
- 0
- ISBN
-
- Description
- An online database with an excellent collection of fact sheets about native N. American plants.
].
The leaves are dotted with glands that produce the strong somewhat sour aroma[
277- Title
- Plants Database
- Publication
-
- Author
-
- Website
- http://plants.usda.gov/java/factSheet
- Publisher
- United States Department of Agriculture
- Year
- 0
- ISBN
-
- Description
- An online database with an excellent collection of fact sheets about native N. American plants.
].
Edible Uses
The leaves have been used to make a drink[
277- Title
- Plants Database
- Publication
-
- Author
-
- Website
- http://plants.usda.gov/java/factSheet
- Publisher
- United States Department of Agriculture
- Year
- 0
- ISBN
-
- Description
- An online database with an excellent collection of fact sheets about native N. American plants.
].
Medicinal
Trichostema lanceolatum is a medicinal herb that was highly valued by many of the native tribes of California, and is still used in the present day. In the past, the herb was considered to be so important that it was used as 'money' in trade with other tribes[
277- Title
- Plants Database
- Publication
-
- Author
-
- Website
- http://plants.usda.gov/java/factSheet
- Publisher
- United States Department of Agriculture
- Year
- 0
- ISBN
-
- Description
- An online database with an excellent collection of fact sheets about native N. American plants.
].
The strongly aromatic leaves and flowers can be used either fresh or dried to make infusions of varying strengths in order to treat a myriad of maladies. A decoction or tea made from the leaves and flowers can be taken to treat conditions such as colds, stomach aches, headaches, ague, bladder problems, and malaria[
257- Title
- Native American Ethnobotany
- Publication
-
- Author
- Moerman. D.
- Publisher
- Timber Press. Oregon.
- Year
- 1998
- ISBN
- 0-88192-453-9
- Description
- Very comprehensive but terse guide to the native uses of plants. Excellent bibliography, fully referenced to each plant, giving a pathway to further information. Not for the casual reader.
,
277- Title
- Plants Database
- Publication
-
- Author
-
- Website
- http://plants.usda.gov/java/factSheet
- Publisher
- United States Department of Agriculture
- Year
- 0
- ISBN
-
- Description
- An online database with an excellent collection of fact sheets about native N. American plants.
].
The tea can be gargled to treat inflammation of the throat. The chewed leaves can be stuffed in or around an aching tooth in order to relieve pain[
277- Title
- Plants Database
- Publication
-
- Author
-
- Website
- http://plants.usda.gov/java/factSheet
- Publisher
- United States Department of Agriculture
- Year
- 0
- ISBN
-
- Description
- An online database with an excellent collection of fact sheets about native N. American plants.
]. The steam from hot infusions can be sniffed into the nasal passages in order to treat colds, coughs, headaches, and nose bleeds. Sitting over a steaming decoction of the leaves has been used to treat uterine troubles[
277- Title
- Plants Database
- Publication
-
- Author
-
- Website
- http://plants.usda.gov/java/factSheet
- Publisher
- United States Department of Agriculture
- Year
- 0
- ISBN
-
- Description
- An online database with an excellent collection of fact sheets about native N. American plants.
].
The raw or boiled leaves, crushed into a poultice, are used to treat wounds. The ground leaves can be rubbed on the face and chest of persons with colds, or on any place on the skin where there is pain. Leaf decoctions can be applied to infected sores, smallpox lesions, and other skin eruptions[
57- Title
- Plants for Man.
- Publication
-
- Author
- Schery. R. W.
- Publisher
-
- Year
-
- ISBN
-
- Description
- Fairly readable but not very comprehensive. Deals with plants from around the world.
,
277- Title
- Plants Database
- Publication
-
- Author
-
- Website
- http://plants.usda.gov/java/factSheet
- Publisher
- United States Department of Agriculture
- Year
- 0
- ISBN
-
- Description
- An online database with an excellent collection of fact sheets about native N. American plants.
].
The plant has been steeped in water and used as a bath to prevent smallpox and ague[
257- Title
- Native American Ethnobotany
- Publication
-
- Author
- Moerman. D.
- Publisher
- Timber Press. Oregon.
- Year
- 1998
- ISBN
- 0-88192-453-9
- Description
- Very comprehensive but terse guide to the native uses of plants. Excellent bibliography, fully referenced to each plant, giving a pathway to further information. Not for the casual reader.
,
277- Title
- Plants Database
- Publication
-
- Author
-
- Website
- http://plants.usda.gov/java/factSheet
- Publisher
- United States Department of Agriculture
- Year
- 0
- ISBN
-
- Description
- An online database with an excellent collection of fact sheets about native N. American plants.
].
Agroforestry Uses:
The plant is a locally impotant source of nectar for bees[
277- Title
- Plants Database
- Publication
-
- Author
-
- Website
- http://plants.usda.gov/java/factSheet
- Publisher
- United States Department of Agriculture
- Year
- 0
- ISBN
-
- Description
- An online database with an excellent collection of fact sheets about native N. American plants.
].
Other Uses
The aromatic leaves and stems were crushed and placed in bedding to repel fleas[
277- Title
- Plants Database
- Publication
-
- Author
-
- Website
- http://plants.usda.gov/java/factSheet
- Publisher
- United States Department of Agriculture
- Year
- 0
- ISBN
-
- Description
- An online database with an excellent collection of fact sheets about native N. American plants.
].
Propagation
The seeds ripen in the late autumn and collected seeds can be sown immediately or gently dried and stored[
277- Title
- Plants Database
- Publication
-
- Author
-
- Website
- http://plants.usda.gov/java/factSheet
- Publisher
- United States Department of Agriculture
- Year
- 0
- ISBN
-
- Description
- An online database with an excellent collection of fact sheets about native N. American plants.
].
Stored seed can be sown in situ in the late autumn (in mild winter areas) or early spring. Prepare a seedbed that receives full sun and in an area that is well drained. Broadcast the seeds and lightly rake them into the soil. Tamp the soil snuggly over the seeds. If planting the seeds at the start of a dry season then gently sprinkle the sown bed with water and keep it lightly moist until the seedlings are established. Once established, this is very drought resistant species and will not tolerate frequent watering[
277- Title
- Plants Database
- Publication
-
- Author
-
- Website
- http://plants.usda.gov/java/factSheet
- Publisher
- United States Department of Agriculture
- Year
- 0
- ISBN
-
- Description
- An online database with an excellent collection of fact sheets about native N. American plants.
].
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