The carrot family tree is a bit complicated, but here's a basic idea of the many members and how they can be used. Be careful, because while some are ideal for eating, others are dangerous and you'll want to stay away!
Edible Members of the Carrot Family
Biscuit Roots (Lomatium spp.) were top foods of the northwest Natives. I have never tried them, but apparently their starchy roots are good food. The genus is certainly worth learning about for those living in the Northwest or travelling through (there are notable medicinal species as well), but there are concerns regarding population decline so learning about Biscuit Roots is more in preparation for emergency survival than for expanding your regular diet.
Bishop’s Weed (Aegopodium podagraria) is also known as Goutweed, for its medicinal effect. It is a common groundcover that was introduced from Europe. It often spreads “uncontrollably” in landscapes and can be found persisting on old home sites. It is cooked as a spring green, or potherb, when it can help rid the body of the uric acid build-up after a heavy meat diet in winter.
Though so many edibles and many culinary herbs belong to the Carrot (or Parsley) Family, you should approach this group with caution. As there are many poisonous species. Culinary herbs in the group include Parsley (Petroselenium crispum), Cilantro (Coriandrum sativum – the seed is Coriander), and Dill (Anethum graveolens).
Medicinal Members of the Carrot Family
Osha and its relatives (Ligusticum spp.) are top medicinals. A couple species are known to Chinese medicine and used extensively. Garden Lovage is well-known to the western world, though somewhat forgotten. And the Osha of the Rocky Mountains it one of our Nation’s most famous medicinals. In fact, Osha is one of the few herbs that I have come to depend on that is not available in the wild or even in the garden of my area. Osha grows in high elevations, usually over 9,000 feet. It has many medicinal uses but is best known as an antimicrobial for lung and respiratory infections. The Navajo call it Bear Root and consider it a cure-all for lung ailments. It works remarkably fast, especially if used at the onset of a cold.
Angelica is a very important genus of medicinal herbs and worthy of its own article. With a name like Angelica, its got to be good – or at least it was revered at some point. Angelica archangelica is the main European species known to medicine. It has been used for respiratory, digestive, and circulatory disorders, among others. It is a common ingredient in “digestive bitters” as it is a quintessential aromatic bitter. Bitter herbs are bitter (not just bad tasting, but bitter, like Dandelion). Aromatic bitters are also pungent or are predominantly pungent but are similar medicinally to bitter herbs, particularly in that they benefit digestion. The pungent aromatics are also generally good for moving mucus and blood, which is largely how Angelica species are employed in medicine. The famous Dong Quai (A. sinensis) is a top herb in Chinese medicine for moving blood (treating blood stagnation) and nourishing blood (treating anemia and similar deficiencies). It is especially used to treat menstrual disorders and injuries.
Rattlesnake Masters (Eryngium spp.) have been used for snake bites and as an antidote to poisons.
Toxic Medicinals in the Carrot Family
Deadly Angelica (A. venenosa) has poisonous properties (as you might expect from the name), yet the Iroquois employed it in poultices in the treatment of injuries. Another, Poison Angelica (A. lineariloba) was used by the Paiute for pneumonia and spitting up of blood.
Sanicle species (Sanicula spp.) have some toxic properties, or some toxic species belong to the genus. On the other hand, they were also used as poison antidote and for snake bites. They are also known as Snakeroots (like Echinacea and Black Cohosh, Cimicifuga or Actaea). It is not uncommon that snake bite remedies have some toxic properties.
Fatally Poisonous Members of the Carrot Family
One of the most famous poisonous plants and perhaps the most famous of Apiaceae is Poison Hemlock (Conium maculatum). It is the plant that killed Socrates. Water Hemlocks (Cicuta spp.) are also very poisonous. Cicuta douglasii has been called the most deadly plant in North America. Though they too undoubtedly have medicinal uses, they should be considered far too toxic to mess with.
Have you ever have any of these members of the carrot family, or used them for medicinal purposes? Tell us a little about your experiences with them by sharing your thoughts in the comment section below!
Article Source: Survival Cache
