Herbs & Herbal Remedies @ Green Papaya

Gnaphalium Obtusifolium

COMPOSITAE

cudioeed, caiiooi, everlasting, silver leaf, rabbit tobacco, cotton weed

This weed is found in almost any part of the United States. It grows in dry and usually infertile fields and lawns, and produces white, cottony flowers in August. Medicinally, the entire plant is dried, and an infusion of it made at the rate of a teaspoonful of the dried plant to a cupful of boiling water.

Cudweed is a member of the Daisy family, of wide distribution, and usually rated to have healing qualities. In India and China, this and another species are regarded as antimalarial. Reputedly, it can drive away moths and other insects. In Mexico and France, several species are mentioned as valuable in bronchitis and other conditions.
In Culpeper’s Complete Herbal we read that “Pliny saith, the juice of the herb taken in wine and milk is a sovereign remedy against the mumps and quinsy … whosoever shall so take it shall never be troubled with that disease again.” And the name cudweed comes from an old statement that the plant, when fed to cattle, will restore the ruminating faculty.

A more reputable source for the value of Gnaphalium, Youngken notes that it contains a volatile oil and a bitter principle with tannin and other constituents that are used “in domestic medicine, for pulmonary and intestinal catarrh and for diarrhea and locally as a fomentation for bruises.” He also mentions that similar values may be found in pearly everlasting (Anaphalis margariiacea] which is botanically a close relative.

In some of the references the assignment vulnerary is given to these plants, for without doubt, their astringent quality aids healing externally as well as internally. Thus we see that a little and unimportant weed may have unsuspected values.