Pipsissewa the Forgotten Herb

Despite its humble, "hang-down-your-head" and "ah, shucks!" appearance, pipsissewa is a king among herbs! From a Wikipedia article, we learn that Pipsissewa is a Native American Cree name meaning "It-breaks-into-small-pieces". In some of
my "ancient" reference books, I read that they
called it that because of its ability to break up
kidney stones, and you know how hard they are! How VERY interesting...

Pipsissewa has long been valued for its cleansing properties. Unlike many herbs, the entire Pipsissewa plant can be used. In some of the old books I own, written by herbalists, they list that Pipsissewa was used by Native Americans, my ancestors, for tumors, dropsy, rheumatism, gonorrhea, dissolving kidney problems, liver disease, scurvy, skin eruptions and other skin conditions, cystic catarrh, tuberculosis, urinary obstructions, typhoid fever, coughs, and colds. That is quite a list. How efficacious it is, I don't know - but, I just love the look of it, and its name.

This is a spectacular photo of Pipsissewa "capsules". Yes, that is what they are called. To me, they are reminiscent of little turbans, but - don't you think they look good enough to eat? As a matter of fact, I understand that some people do. Actually, many of us have actually ingested some Pipsissewa, because it used to be a common ingredient in "root beer"!

Photo credits:
Russ Kleinman, Bill Norris, Kelly Kindscher & Danielle Walkup
Vascular Plants of the Gila Wilderness, presented in association with the Western New Mexico University Department of Natural Sciences.

Here is another photo of Pipsissewa buds. Toward the left hand side of the photo, down a bit, you can just make out the Pipsissewa flower. It's a little bit blurry, but there it is - hanging its head down, as usual!

The entire Pipsissewa plant has such a wonderfully humble look to it, and yet it is a very important plant. Considered one of our native species, this unusual plant can be found growing in most of the states in the USA. Take a look at the map, below.

As we noted earlier, Native Americans were very familiar with it, and used it for a wide varieties of ailments. Supposedly, it is very hard to grow, so with my experience with flowers, I'm not likely to plant some any time soon!

Photo credits:
Ian Cumming, Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, UBC
Wildflowers of Brohm Lake Interpretive Forest

From American Wildflowers, published by Hastings House in 1946, comes a reference to Pipsissewa. The book is a selection of short texts, and hand-colored lithographs taken from another book, American Wildflowers in Their Native Haunts, written by Emma C. Embury, illustrated by Edwin Whitefield, and published in 1845.

Two publishers joined forces to get the book in print, as it was one of very few books at the time on native flora. The publishers were D. Appleton & Company, New York, and George S. Appleton, Philadelphia. One of the interesting aspects of the lithographs, is that the plants are in full color, and the landscape behind them - drawn from their actual locale, is in black and white. Here is Edwin Whitefield's detailed rendering of Pipsissewa, drawn from his actual observations of the plant in Crum Elbow Point, between Hyde Park, and Poughkeepsie, NY.

The text, on the page about the Pipsissewa, says at the bottom - and I quote: "Leaves of this plant, moistened with brandy assauged the rheumatism. Vegetable Materia Medica, 1825"

Now, I am a "tea-totaller", so I wouldn't know about THAT, but I would imagine that ANYTHING taken with brandy, would make a person forget that they ever HAD rheumatism, or any OTHER ailment, for that matter!

For those who don't know, here is what Uncle Wiggily's Pipsisewah looked like.

He is one ugly creature, isn't he? Now, you wouldn't think, by looking at him, that he was named after a remedy for ANYTHING, would you? He looks like he "ought" to be named for a disease, not a medicinal flower. Be that as it may, this is what he looked like, and he is really named after a lovely herb!

By the way, spelling really seems to be an issue, in the realm of Uncle Wiggily. Not only is the Pipsisewah spelled differently than the herb, but some folks who sell the Uncle Wiggily games, don't spell it correctly, either! See below...

Photo credits: Wikipedia