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Yucca | | Name : | Yucca | | Synonyms : | Adam'sneedle
Soapweed
Spanishneedle
| | Parts Used : | Roots for both | | Habitat : | Yucca filamentosa L.: Sandy soils in southern New Jersey toGeorgia. Cultivated elsewhere.
Yucca glauca: Dry soils. Iowa to Texas; Missouri to NorthDakota. | | Description : | Yucca filamentosa L.: A perennial, to 9 feet in flower. Leavesin a rosette; stiff, spine-tipped, oblong to lance-shaped, with fraying,twisted threads on the margins. Flowers whitish green bells on smoothbranched stalks; June-September.
Yucca glauca: Blue-green perennial, 2-4 feet tall. Leavesin a rosette; stiff, sword-like; rounded on the back, margins rolledin. Flowers whitish bells; May-July.
Both species are recognized by their sword-shaped, stiff, sharp-tippedleaves. The bell-like flowers are in an erect spike. | | Constituents : | Saponins in both
Anti-inflammatory, antirheumatic, laxative, alterative in both cases | | Uses : | Yucca filamentosa L., and Yucca glauca:
A sweet herb used for gout andbeneficial in treatment of urethritis and prostatitis. A bloodpurifier . Reduces inflammation of the joints, helpful for arthritis,neuritis, neuralgia, and rheumatism.
Cut up in water to make a natural lather as a soap substitute, canadd to shampoos, or can use alone to wash hair. Said to control dandruffand relieve baldness. (1 cup chopped root soaked in 2 cups of water).The roots can be chopped and soaked in water to extract a soapy substancethe western Native Americans used for washing. The shoots of the plantcan be double-boiled to produce a winelike liquid which was used bythe Native Americans as a stimulating tonic.
Also, they poulticed root on inflammations,sores, skin diseases, used itto stop bleeding; in steam bath for sprains and broken limbs. Leafjuice used to make poison arrows. Pounded roots were put in waterto stupefy corralled fish so they would float to the surface for easyharvest.
Some clinics in the Sonoran desert region of Arizona routinely prescribeyucca against arthritis, with impressive results. (These findingshave been disputed) | | Dosage : | 1/4 oz. of dried root boiled in a pint of water for 15 minutes maybe taken in 3-4 doses throughout the day. It has the ability of relievingpain for several days.
A good general arthritis formula is as follows:
Yucca root (6 parts) Devil's claw (4 parts) Black cohosh root (3 parts) Prickly ash bark (2 parts) Ginger root (2 parts) Licorice root (2 parts)
Make into a standard decoction and take 1 cup 2-3 times daily.
The quantity of yucca root taken by itself is about 1/2 oz. per day. | | Safety : | Occasionally there are some purgative side effects that may be accompaniedby intestinal cramping. This can be prevented by adding as an antidotesome ginger and prickly ash bark, which also will aid its antiarthriticproperties. Long term use is said to slow absorption of fat-solublevitamins, but these findings require further study.
Root compound (saponins) are toxic to lower life forms. | | Myths : | The root is split lengthwise before drying (it should be used onlyafter it has been dried). At one time it was considered an importantsource of phytosterols and used in the manufacturing of steroidalhormones. | | Sold : | Capsules |
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