Ladies Bedstraw | Lad's
Love | Lady's Mantle | Lavender |
Lemon Balm | Lemon Verbena | Leopards
Bane | Lettuce | Lily-of-the-Valley |
Linseed | Liquorice |
Liverwort | Lovage
Note: This
information is not intended as medical advice, and should not be
relied upon as a substitute for consultation with your doctor who
is familiar with your medical needs. Ladies Bedstraw (Calium verum) 30-70 cm (12-30 ins).
Mass of tiny yellow flowers smelling of honey, feathery leaves, slender
stem.
Found wild in hedgerows. When dried develops characteristic hay-like smell.
Culinary use in curdling milk into junkets and cheese.
Back To Index Lad's Love see Southernwood
Back To Index Lady's Mantle (Alchemilla vulgaris) 10-50 cm (4-18 ins).
Small green flowers in loose clusters, 7-8 lobed leaves at base with
some finely toothed. Stem starts green then changes to blue-green and
to reddish or brownish.
Can be easily grown but must be kept under tight control, also found
in shady woods and damp places.
Medicinally has been used in the treatment of all manner of female complaints.
Back To Index Lavender (Lavandula officinalis etc.).
Common shrub often cultivated in gardens for its aromatic flowers. Lilac-coloured
flowers in multiple whorls. Grey-green leaves.
Medicinal use of oil derived from flowers by distillation with water.
Used for head-aches, particularly migraine, fainting and dizziness. Also
as an antiseptic.
Back To Index Lemon Balm see Balm
Back To Index Lemon Verbena see Verbena
Back To Index Leopards Bane see Arnica
Back To Index Lettuce (Lactuca virosa).
The common lettuce consumed in salads is the half-grown form of this
herb. When allowed to mature. "bolt'",
a tall stem develops with alternative leaves and heads of yellow flowers.
Medicinal use has been made of milky juice as lactucarium which is a
mild opium substitute used in laudanum.
Back To Index Lily-of-the-Valley (Convallaria majahs) 30 cm (12 ins).
Bell-shaped white flowers on single stalk between two oblong, pointed
leaves which sheath the base of the stalk.
Found wild but usually cultivated in gardens.
Medicinal use as ointment for headaches and rheumatism, and under medical supervision
as a cardiac agent. Poisonous.
Back To Index Linseed (Linum usitatissimum) (Flax) 50-100 cm (18-40 ins).
Blue or violet-blue flowers, erect slender stem with narrow oblong leaves in
plenty. The fruit is an 8-10 seeded capsule, seeds are smooth, flattened,
shiny and light brown.
Found alongside roads and railways, but also widely cultivated especially in
the U.S.A.
Seeds have been used to make decoction for coughs, lung and chest problems,
the oil for the removal of gall-stones, and the seeds intact for constipation.
Back To Index Liquorice (Glycyrrhiza glabra) 30-70 cm (12-30 ins).
Spike of yellowish or purplish flowers, oval dark green leaflets, stem
rounded in lower part but angular higher up.
Woody wrinkled root tasting sweet.
Cultivated in some parts but often found wild.
Medicinal use of the root for bronchial problems and mucous congestion
and as the orthodox drug for stomach disorders. A strong decoction makes
a good laxative for children. Added to other medicines to make them more
palatable.
Used in the sweet-making industry, but the root is often chewed by children.
Back To Index Liverwort see Agrimony
Back To Index Lovage (Ligusticum officinalis) 1-2 m (3-6 ft).
Plentiful greenish yellow flowers, incised and oval leaves, straight,
round hollow stem, strong fleshy roots.
Easy to grow and also found wild.
Culinary use in soups, casseroles, stocks, stews etc. Has a yeasty flavour
which imparts strength to flavour. Leaves also used as a vegetable.
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