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Angelica
(Angelica archangelica)
COMMON NAMES: European angelica, garden angelica.
MEDICINAL PARTS: Rootstalk, roots, seeds.
DESCRIPTION: European angelica is a biennial or perennial plant that is found in well-watered mountain ravines, on riverbanks, in damp meadows, and in coastal areas of northern Europe and Asia; it is cultivated. The stem is round, grooved; hollow, branched near the top, tinged with blue, and 3 to 7 feet high. It grows from a brown to red-brown rootstalk that has a spicy, agreeable odor and a taste that is sweet at first, then bitter and sharp. The leaves grow from dilated sheaths that surround the stem, the lower ones large and bi- or tri-pinnate, the upper ones small and pinnate. The plant bears greenish-white flowers in large, terminal, compound umbels, from which comes a honey-like odor. The flowering time is June to August. The fruit is elliptic-oblong, strongly compressed, and composed of two yellow winged seeds.
PROPERTIES AND USES: Appetizer, carminative, expectorant, stimulant, stomachic, tonic. The seeds are also said to be diaphoretic and diuretic. Take Angelica tea or tincture to stimulate appetite, to relieve flatulence and muscle spasms, and to stimulate kidney action. It is useful for all sorts of stomach and intestinal difficulties, including ulcers and vomiting with stomach cramps. It can also be used for intermittent fever, nervous headache, colic, and general weakness. However, used in large doses, angelica can have untoward effects on blood pressure, heart action, and respiration. Externally, angelica salve can be used as a beneficial skin lotion and to help relieve rheumatic pains. As a bath additive, angelica is said to be good for the nerves. A decoction of the root can be applied to the skin for scabies or itching and to wounds. As a compress, it can be used for gout.
PREPARATION AND DOSAGE: The rootstock and roots are gathered in the second year.
Infusion: Use 1 tsp. crushed seeds with 1/2 cup boiling water. Take as needed.
Decoction: Use 1 tsp. root and rootstock with 3/4-cup cold water. Bring to a boil, then
Let steep 5 minutes. Take the 3/4-cup in two equal parts during the day.
Bath Additive: Use decoction from 7 oz. of root and rootstock.
Cold Extract:Use 1 tsp. dried root and rootstock with 3/4-cup water. Let stand 8 - 10 hours, then strain.Take 1 to 1 1/2 cups a day.
Powder: Take 1/4 to 1/2 tsp. three times a day
