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Hay Flowers | | Name : | Hay Flowers | | Synonyms : | Hayflowers
Honeylotus
Hsun-ts'ao(Chinese name)
King'sclover
Sweetclover
Yellowsweet clover
| | Parts Used : | The flowering plant | | Habitat : | Grows along roadsides and in waste places in Eurasia and throughoutNorth America, except in the far north. | | Description : | Yellow melilot is a biennial plant; the slender, branched, hollowstems, from 1 1/2 to 5 feet high, bear pinnate leaves (clover-like)with 3 obovate or oblanceolate leaflets, which are finely toothedand blunt-tipped. Blooming from June to November, the fragrant, lightgolden-yellow pea-like flowers grow in axillary racemes. Later, longcrooked pods appear, they contain flat brown seeds. The plant is fragrantwhen crushed.
Another variety: White melilot (M. alba), a similar but taller,white-flowered species, has the same medicinal uses. Biennial, grows1-9 feet tall, leaves clover-like; leaflets elongate, slightly toothed.Small white, pea-like flowers in long, tapering spikes, blooms Aprilto October. Like yellow melilot, it is a very common plant in fieldsand waste places over most of North America and in Europe and Asia. | | Constituents : | Coumarins in both of these clovers may decrease blood clotting.
Antispasmodic, diuretic, emollient, expectorant, vulnerary | | Uses : | Used externally in a salve or as a poultice for swellings, boils,and similar skin problems, old sores,wounds, swellings,milk knots, arthritis, rheumatism.The decoction used as a wash for wounds, aching muscles, convulsions,varicose veins, anti-inflammatory,eyewash. Internallyit is used for colic, stomachproblems, gas, diarrhea,painful menstruation,smoked for asthma, and headachesand chronic bronchitis.Used as a tea, (take 1 cup 3 times a day), this herb is helpful wherethere is weakness of tone of the penis and partialimpotence. A concentrated preparation made from the plant is sometimesprescribed by doctors as an anti-coagulant to break up blood clots.Components of this herb may lowerblood pressure but care should be taken, it also lowers bloodclotting. | | Dosage : | Infusion: steep 1 tsp. herb in 1 cup boiling water. Take 1to 1 1/2 cups per day.
Poultice: put about 1/2 oz. dried plant into a small clothbag. Boil briefly in water; let steep a few minutes; then apply ashot as can be tolerated. | | Safety : | Do not use with warfarin or other blood-thinning drugs, or with anyblood-clotting problem. See the doctor.
Coumarins in both of these clovers may decrease blood clotting.
Large doses can cause vomiting and other symptoms of poisoning.
Do not use without medical supervision. | | Myths : | The name melilot is derived from the words mel, or honey, and lotus;meaning honey lotus.
Yellow melilot repels moths. Europeans sew the dried plant into anherb pillow.
This herb is abundant in the Yangtse region of China. The Chineseuse yellow melilot medicinally, use it in cosmetics, and burn it asan incense.
Moldy hay causes uncontrollable bleeding in cattle due to coumarins.Science has developed compounds like warfarin from such coumarinsto prevent blood clotting in rodents. |
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