Cleavers: Materia Medica
Société Apothecary
SUMMARY A popular herb in folk medicine, Cleavers is a fast growing weed that produces long sticky stems. Young shoots are usually the first weeds to appear in a garden in spring, and make a wonderful cleansing tonic – a remedy widely used in central Europe and the Balkans. MATERIA MEDICA Latin Binomial: Galium aparine Common Name(s) : Rubiaceae TCM Name : Ayurvedic Name : Family: Physical Description of the Plant: Habitat: Harvest and Collection: Parts of the Plant Used: Dried arial parts and the fresh expressed juice.. The plant should be gathered before flowering and dried in the shade. Qualities: Cold, sightly dry, salty, moist Chemical Constituents: Taste: Actions: Diuretic Alterative Anti-inflammatory Tonic Astringent Anti-neoplastic Depurative Indications: Best tonic to the lymphatic system available Lymphatic cogestion & stagnation Swollen glands – esp. in tonsillitis and adenoid trouble (under and about the ears) Dissolves calcareous deposits in the tissues, sweeps fluids and solids down to the kidneys and helps remove them Helpful in ‘gatherings of the nerves’ – inflammation of the nerve endings It is widely used in skin conditions especially the dry varities such as – psoriasis Useful in the treatment of cystitis and other urinary conditions where there is pain and may be combined with demulcents for this Potential use in eczema and kidney stones Contraindications/Cautions: None Known Drug Interactions: Dosage: TINCTURE: take 2-4ml of the tincture three times a day. Dose range between 3.5-7.0 ml of 1:2 liquid extract. Infusion: Pour a cup of boiling water onto 2-3 tsp dried herb and leave to infuse for 10-15 mins. This should be drunk 3 times a day. Combinations: For Lymphatic System, works well with poke root, echinacea and marigold. For skin conditions it works with yellow dock and burdock. Combine with pokeroot or loan qiao – lymphatic/detoxifying herbs. Energetics: Folklore: Flower Essence: Applications: JUICE: Liquidize or pulp fresh plant to make and effective diuretic and lymphatic cleanser for a range of conditions – including glandular fever, tonsillitis and prostate disorders. INFUSION: Generally less strong than fresh juice. Use this for urinary problems such as cystitis or gravel. Also take as cooling drink during fever. COMPRESS: Soak pad in infusion and use on burns, grazes, ulcers and other skin inflammations. CREAM: Use regularly for