Magic and Medicine of Plants (edition 1986)

This is one of my favorite herbal books, the pictures are clear, both close-up and in situ, the descriptions cover useage, medicinal, culinary, dyeing and others. I've bought several as gifts. ( )

I was a captive of the first sentence: "How could early man doubt that plants were magical?" The bold resurrection of plants, their vitality, is wonderful, and made only more wonderful by modern science.
Simple chapters:

(1) Plants in Myth and Magic -- from Incan sunflowers to the almost universal lore of garlic and the tales of goose barnacle trees. Short exploration of the folklore.

(2) ABC's of Plants - collecting, herbarium and press, anatomy, chemistry [with List of Botanists, including Roscoe Pound! 46], names {genus/species}.

(3) Plants, People and Medicine - discovery that 60,000 years ago, the Neanderthals were burying their dead with yarrow, groundsel, and marshmellow. By 1500 bc the Egyptians were using over 700 botanicals. [51] Chinese, Hebrew, Sanskrit, Greek writings.

(4) Gallery of Medicinal Plants -- 300 most popular medicinal plants in North America (explains no mention of ayahuasca); color pictures; edibles, exotics;

(5) Growing and Using Herbs - garden, cooking, crafts. Health remedies. Avoid carcinogens in coltsfoot, comfrey, sassafras. Colds - mucilaginous hyssop, marshmellow root, cherry, horehound; decongestant eucalyptus; Astringent - bloodwort/yarrow {Achillea millefolium}. Etc.

The authors clearly distinguish the difference between the folklore and the science, focusing on the "useful". For example, while tradition has Vervain as a virtual panacea, most of its uses are not substantiated. There is evidence, however, that "the plant is effective as a diuretic, gout remedy, and anorexic (appetite supressant). [323]

Good Index and Glossary. ( )