Mountain Black Huckleberry

Family Name: Ericaceae

Heath Family

Latin Name: Vaccinium membranaceum

(Also Known As): V. globulare, V. myrtilloides, V. coccineum

Common Names: Blue Huckleberry, black huckleberry, mountain huckleberry, thinleaf huckleberry, big huckleberry, globe huckleberry, dampwoods blueberry, mountain bilberry

Related Species: V. membranaceum var. rigidum, V. ovalifolium, V. caespitosum, V. scoparium, V. myrtillus

Body System Affiliations:

1. Cardio-vascular System

2. Digestive System

3. Musculo-skeletal System

Botanical Description:

Habit: Deciduous Shrub – Perennial

Size: 0.1 - 1.5 m, may be 15 cm (6”) tall near timberline (1:110)

Arrangement: Alternate

Leaves: 1.3-5 cm, thin, ovate-oblong or elliptic-obovate, pointed tip, margins finely toothed

Flowers: 5-6 mm long, creamy pink to yellow-pink, urn-shaped

Fruit: 6-8 mm reddish black or deep blue to purplish black berries without bloom, high in vitamin C

Bark: young branches yellowish-green, older branches greyish with shredding bark

Twigs: yellowish-green when young, slightly angled, sometimes twisting

Underground Parts: rhizomatous

Ecology:

Habitat: Sandy to gravelly soil in thickets, woodland edges, montaine slopes, subalpine meadows and coniferous understory at mid to high elevations

Range: Alaska and British Columbia south, in Cascades and Olympics, to California, east to Idaho and Montana

Native Where: British Columbia, AZ, CA, CO, ID, MI, MN, MT, OR, SD, UT, WA, WY (2:1)

Ecological Relationships: Depending upon environmental constraints/conditions, big huckleberry may occur as a dominant understory species with Engelmann spruce (Picea engelmannii), western larch (Larix occidentalis), limber pine (Pinus flexilis), ponderosa pine (P. ponderosa), lodgepole pine (P. contorta), western white pine (P. monticola), western hemlock (Tsuga heterophylla), mountain hemlock (T. mertensiana). Pacific silver fir (Abies amabilis), subalpine fir (A. lasiocarpa), noble fir (A. procera), white fir (A. concolor), grand fir (A. grandis), Douglas-fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii), and western redcedar (Thuja plicata),sticky flowering currant (Ribes viscosissimum), mountain snowberry (Symphoricarpos oreophilus), common snowberry (S. albus), grouse whortleberry (Vaccinium scoparium), Cascade bilberry (V. deliciosum), red huckleberry (V. parvifolium), Utah honeysuckle (Lonicera utahensis), bearberry (Arctostaphylos uva-ursi), fool's huckleberry (Menziesia ferruginea), white spirea (Spirea betulifolia), whiteveined wintergreen (Pyrola picta), pink mountainheath (Phyllodoce empetriformis), Cascade azalea (Rhododendron albiflorum), Sitka mountain-ash (Sorbus sitchensis), western moss-heather (Cassiope mertensiana), strawberryleaf raspberry (Rubus pedatus), roughfruit berry (R. lasiococcus), little prince's pine (Chimaphila menziesii), Rocky Mountain maple (Acer glabrum), Pacific dogwood (Cornus nuttallii), Oregon-grape (Mahonia repens), common beargrass (Xerophyllum tenax), Brewer's aster (Chrysopsis breweri), pinewoods lousewort (Pedicularis semibarbata), fireweed (Epilobium angustifolium), Sitka valerian (Valeriana sitchensis), queencup beadlily (Clintonia uniflora), twinflower (Linnaea borealis), lupine (Lupinus spp.), Pacific trillium (Trillium ovatum), and threeleaf foamflower (Tiarella trifoliata). and is found to have mycorrhizal symbiosis (3:4, 4:83)

Personal Observation of Locations Observed, Dates and Description of Plants:

Western (European-American) Uses/Relationships:

Food: Eaten raw or made into jams, muffins or pies (5:72-73)

Materials/Technology: None found

Medicine:

Part Used: Leaves

Medicinal Actions: Tea helps lowers blood sugar, also treats alkaline pH cystitis (4:86)

Indications: Type I diabetes in juvenile onset; UTI (5:86)

Body System Associations:

1. Cardio-vascular System
2. Digestive System

Applications: Infusion

Preparation:

Infusion: boil two cups of water

place one ounce of dried leaves in a pot

pour boiled water over leaves

cover and steep fifteen minutes

strain the tea and drink (7:43)

Pharmacy:

Infusion: Three to four ounce dose up to three times a day (5:86)

Cautions: In case of hypoglycemia, eat something (5:87)

Indigenous and Non-Western Use/Significance/Relationships:

Food: The Kwakwaka’wakw cooked berries with salmon roe (6:57)

Materials/Technology: The Sechelt used branches as fuel for smoke-drying berries (6:57)

Medicine:

Indigenous Group: The Flathead (8:583)

Part Used: Root

Indications: Rheumatism, arthritis and heart troubles

Applications: Infusion

Cautions: None found

***

Propagation:

Technique: Cut a 4- to 6-inch stem, apply rooting hormone, insert in peat and perlite (equal parts) and mist frequently. Bottom heat helps rooting which takes about 14 weeks (9:188). Seeds should be sewn in a greenhouse only just covered with soil mixture and grown in a lightly shaded position for the first winter (10).

Timing: Seeds should be sewn in the fall. Softwood cuttings can be taken in late June (9:188).

Harvest:

Plant Part: Berry

Season of Harvest: Late summer and early fall

Method of Harvest: Pick directly from plant

Cautions: None found.

Personal Experience (see below)

Plant Part: Leaves

Season of Harvest: Summer and early fall

Method of Harvest: Harvest while still green; dry in bundles (4:83)

Cautions: None found

Personal Experience (see below)

Other Notes of Interest: flowers are pollinated by bees, plant highly drought resistent, is of low flammability and benefits from burn management techniques (3:7)

***

References Cited:

1. Lyons, C.P. and Bill Merilees. Trees, Shrubs & Flowers to Know in Washington & British Columbia. Redmond, Washington: Lone Pine Publishing, 1995.

2. Author Unknown. United States Department of Agriculture Plant Database. Online at http://plants.usda.gov. Visited 1-10-2010.

3. Simononim, Kevin A. 2000. Species: Vaccinium membranaceum. Online at http://www.fs.fed.us/database/feis. Visited 1-10-2010.

4. Moore, Michael. Medicinal Plants of the Pacific West. Santa Fe, New Mexico: Red Crane Books, 1995.

5. Domico, Terry. Wild Harvest: Edible Plants of the Pacific Northwest. Blaine, WA: Hancock House Publishers, 2008.

6. Pojar, Jim and Andy MacKinnon. Plants of the Pacific Northwest Coast. Auburn, WA: Lone Pine Publishing, 2004.

7. Tierra, Lesley. A Kid’s Herb Book for Children of all Ages. Bandon, OR: Robert D. Reed Publishers, 2009.

8. Moerman, Daniel E. Native American Ethnobotany. Portland, Oregon: Timber Press, 1998.

9. Pettinger, April with Brenda Costanzo. Native Plants in the Coastal Garden. Portland, Oregon: Timber Press, 2002.

10. Author Unknown. Plants for a Future. Online at http://www.pfaf.org/database/plants.php?Vaccinium+membranaceum. Visited 1-11-2010

11. Williams, Kim. Eating Wild Plants. Missoula, MT: Mountain Press Publishing Company, 1984.

Western Pasque Flower

Family Name: Ranunculaceae

Buttercup Family

Latin Name: Anemone occidentalis S. Watson

(Also Known As): Pulsatilla occidentalis (S. Wats.) Freyn (7)

Common Names: Western pasque flower, tow-headed baby, moptop, old man in the mountain, mountain pasque flower, windflower

Related Species: A. patens, A. pulsatilla (synonym: Pulsatilla vulgaris), A. multifida, A. narcissiflora, A. cylindrica, A. hirsutissima, A. tuberosa, P. patens, P. nigricans

Body System Affiliations:

1. Nervous System

Botanical Description:

Habit: Herb – Perennial

Size: 10 to 30 cm tall at flowering, elongating to 30 to 60 cm tall in fruit (1:173)

Leaves: Downy and silverish; basal, tufted leaves are long-stalked and 2 to 3 times divided into narrow segments; stem leaves more or less stalkless (1:173)

Flowers: Solitary, cream-colored often with blue tinge on the outside, cup shaped and rose-like, average 6 petal-like sepals; 4-7 cm across inflorescence, flowers as soon as snow melts and before leaves expand (1:173, 2:257)

Fruit: Hairy achenes with vary long, dropping, wavy, feathery-hairy styles; numerous on a cylindrical receptacle forming a large, showy head; big, plumy and yellow-green; shaped like an upturned mop head covered (hence the common names ‘mophead’ and ‘towhead’) with hundreds of tasseled seeds, seeds use wind dispersal (1:173)

Underground Parts: Taproot (1:173)

Personal Observation and Description:

I first identified this plant in flower (Spring, 2009) on Mount Rainier and was in awe of its finely divided leaves and fuzzy stem. The petals were so white that it was dreamy looking, highlighted with so many yellow stamen; a beautifully showy bloom! Later that year during the late summer I found this plant in seed and hardly recognized it. Most seeding plants are not so flamboyant about it. They looked like hairy little heads on a stalk; I was delighted as I re-familiarized myself with the fuzzy stem and delicately divided leaves.

Ecology:

Habitat: Sub-alpine and alpine meadows and rocky slopes; high coniferous forests up to and above the timberline (1:173)

Range: California to BC in the coastal ranges, Alberta, in the high country of Idaho and Western Montana

Native Where: PNW

Personal Observation of Locations Observed, Dates and Description of Plants: Observed in Spring of 2009 at the Twin Firs trailhead on Mount Rainier alongside a lush collection of bunch berry

Western (European-American) Uses/Relationships:

Food: Not edible

Materials/Technology: None found

Medicine:

Part Used: Fresh seeding stems (2:257)

Medicinal Actions: Antidepressant, sedative (2:257)

Indications: Insomnia, nervousness, general agitated state of mind (2:257)

Body System Associations: Nervous System

Constituents: Anemonin, protoanemonine, ‘anemone camphor’ (2:257) glycosides, saponins, tannins, resin and when dried the glycoside and ranunculin convert to anemonin (4)

Applications: Tincture, infusion, decoction (2:257)

Preparation: Prepare standard tincture of fresh material in a well ventilated area; when cut, plant emits a strong, acrid, aromatic gas; 1:2 herb to alcohol (2:257); To prepare infusion, pour one cup boiling water onto 1/2 to 1 tsp dried herb and infuse for 10-15 minutes (4)

Pharmacy: 5-15 drops of tincture every 2 or 3 hours (2:257); drink infusion up to three times per day (4)

Other: Tincture is stable for years but dry herb is feeble; keep in cool, shady spot (2:257)

Cautions: Poisonous, do not use when pregnant or with bradycardia; do not use in large quantities; large dose can cause nausea, salivation and dizziness (2:257)

Propagation:

Technique: Seed: Requires an after-ripening period so dry store for 6 months prior to stratification. Set in cold frame, requires full sun (9)

Timing: Seed: Sown in late fall; germination takes about a month under fluctuating outdoor temperatures (9)

Root Cutting: Performed in early winter, though can be done in July/August and placed vertically in pots in greenhouse or frame (9)

Harvest:

Plant Part: Seeding stems (2:257)

Season of Harvest: Late July when seeds are ready to pop (2:257)

Method of Harvest: Cut stalks near base and hang to dry (2:257)

Ecological Considerations of Harvest: Plant is more potent in spring when in bloom but letting it seed and then leaving the ‘mop-top’ with some stem propped up will allow the plant to propagate itself (2:258).

Cautions: Fresh plant can cause irritation when handled directly, ingestion of fresh plant could irritate stomach as well causing nausea. The chemical irritants are dispersed through heat (such as via a decoction) or by drying the plant (2:259)

Plant Part: Aerial parts (2:257)

Season of Harvest: Early to mid spring when in flower (2:257)

Method of Harvest: Cut stalks near base and hang to dry (2:257)

Ecological Considerations of Harvest: Plant is more potent in spring when in bloom but letting it seed and then leaving the ‘mop-top’ with some stem propped up will allow the plant to propagate itself (2:258).

Cautions: Fresh plant can cause irritation when handled directly, ingestion of fresh plant could irritate stomach as well causing nausea. The chemical irritants are dispersed through heat (such as via a decoction) or by drying the plant (2:259)

Other Notes of Interest: Anemone comes from the Greek word for wind (anemos), root of ‘windflower’ (1:173, 6). Anemone flower essence treats emotionally changeable people, as though blown about by the wind. It supports inner strength and stability, and allows clarity for authentic emotional expression (12:68). Anemone is featured twice in Greek mythology. When the goddess Venus wept over the body of Adonis, anemone flowers were said to spring from the ground where her tears fell. In another story, Anemone was once a beautiful nymph, and loved by Zephyr, the god of the west wind. Flora, Zephyr’s wife, was not particularly excited by his infatuation, and consequently transformed her into the flower we know today. She then gave the flower Anemone to Boreas, the god of the northern winds, whom she loves and blossoms for today (12:67).

Cautions: Best if used with experienced supervision; many plants in this family are considered toxic; unless using topically, plant parts should be dried or cooked before using; do not use during pregnancy; do not use with bradycardia; do not use in large quantities (2:259)

***

References Cited:

1. Mackinnon, Andy, and Jim Pojar. Plants of the Pacific Northwest Coast. Vancouver, British Columbia: Ministry of Forests and Lone Pine Publishing, 1994.

2. Moore, Michael. Medicinal Plants of the Pacific West. Santa Fe, NM: Red Crane Books, 1993.

3. Moerman, Dan. Native American Ethnobotany (University of Michigan - Dearborn). Online at http://herb.umd.umich.edu. Accessed: 2-13-2010.

4. Hoffmann, David. The Complete Illustrated Holistic Herbal. Rockport, Massachusetts: Element Books, 1996.

5. Buhner, Stephen Harrod. Sacred Plant Medicine. Boulder, Colorado: Roberts Rinehart Publishers, 1996.

6. Moore, Michael. Southwest School of Botanical Medicine Website. Online at http://www.swsbm.com/FOLIOS/PulsFol.pdf. Visited 2-13-2010.

7. Burke Museum of Natural History and Culture (2006). Online at http://biology.burke.washington.edu/herbarium/imagecollection.php. Visited 2-14-2010.

8. United States Departments of Agriculture Natural Resources Conservation Service Plants Database. Online at http://plants.usda.gov. Accessed 2-14-2010.

9. Native Plants Journal Propagation Protocol Database. Online at http://www.nativeplantnetwork.org. Accessed 2-14-2010.

10. Hoffman, David. The New Holistic Herbal. Boston, Massachusetts: Element Books Inc., 1990.

11. Buhner, Stephen Harrod. Sacred Plants Medicine. Boulder, Colorado: Roberts Rinehart Publishers, 1996.

12. McIntyre, Anne. Flower Power. New York, NY: Henry Holt and Company, Inc., 1996.

13. Gunther, Erna. Ethnobotany of Western Washington. Seattle, WA: University of Washington Press, 1990.