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Herbarium: Medicinal Plants as Information Worthy Worts: Comprehensive Comparison of the Histories, Structures, and Therapeutic Uses of Plants in the Scrophulariaceae and Asteraceae Families In order to better understand the “worts'” categorization, an analysis of the plants within the Scrophulariaceae family (Scrophularia californica, Scrophularia scorodonia, and Galvezia juncea) and two plants within the Asteraceae family (Artemisia douglasiana and Artemisia campestris) was conducted. Through research thus far, it was found that these aforementioned plants share structural similarities in terms of aspects that include venation of the leaves. The most prominent common denominator of the wort category is that they all have therapeutic uses. Among the historical therapeutic uses found in the literature are anti-inflammatory, anti-viral, and antioxidant uses. These benefits have been utilized from societies ranging from the American Indians to the Europeans. -By Chris Leung, Catly Do, Fady Tawfik, and Sean Jamali. Exploring the Sages: Medicinal Properties and Appearances of Artemisia Californica and Salvia Apiana Both plants Artemisia Californica and Salvia apiana under the category of sages play important roles in maintaining the growth of their local ecosystems with similar habitats, medicinal properties, and flowering appearances during the times of collection. However, they also share important differences in their flowering and growth patterns as well as the active agents used for their medicinal properties. In analyzing the similarities and differences between these two plants regarding appearances, climate, medicinal properties, and growth patterns, the similarities in how they are able to provide and support their local ecosystems is the big picture idea that can be understood. - By Stephanie Bottomley, Rasika Obla, Tony Ong, and Balpreet Sond. Tea Time: Exploring the Medicinal Properties of Bark-Use Plants from a Traditional Ecological Knowledge Context This page discusses three different plants that contain significant medicinal properties in their bark and have been historically used by indigenous communities throughout North America: Populus tremuloides, Frangula californica subsp. californica, and Amelanchier alnifolia. These species will be compared on a global scale by examining the bark-based applications of two related species from Africa and East Asia: Dovyalis caffra and Rhaphiolepis umbellata. Despite their phenotypic differences and the differences in their medicinal properties, all five of these plants have been used to help relieve symptoms of communicable and chronic diseases through the direct digestion of tea like remedies made from the boiled bark of these plants. -By Saja Zidan, Maha Ulhaq, Kate Santoso, Gillian, Miller, Anna Jovin, and Luc Lorain The History, Comparison, and Analysis of Parasitic Plants Our project presents the process of collecting and researching the special characteristics of parasitic plants. We explore each plant's respective medical practices and compare them to epiphytic plants that are similar to our original plants of interest. In each project, we individually explain how the plants were collected, identified, translated, and classified. The contextual reasons behind this process are also presented and connected to the general unique characteristics of parasitic plants. Each page provides a collection of media images that visually represent the main plant of interest, the epiphytic plant, the historical materia medica image, and the individual journal observations that we made of our respective plants. We offer comparative analysis and highlight important parts of each specimen throughout these photos. - By Khang Vo, Jessica McLaughlin, Alastair Sterns, and Dania Alkoraishi Combating Coughs: The Respiratory Remedies across North America Bioprospecting and the application of materia medica have played central roles in the remedy of physical ailments in humans throughout history. From ancient cultures utilizing extracts from leaves and roots to modern medicinal practices extracting medicinal properties from plants to put into pills and other therapies, materia medica has and remains a relevant and growing practice. Here, we examine various plants from North America and their varied characteristics, though they share similar medicinal properties.- By Raymond Ko, Mari Williams, Elizabeth Pham, Julia Tang, Cienna Henry Milton, and Emma Barrall Antiseptics in Nature: An exploratory analysis of Coptis trifolia and Larrea tridentata The following research studies common properties of plants used as potential antiseptic medicinal use. Explained more in depth later on, the first page introduces the plant Coptis trifolia, and its common characteristics with a similar plant, Thalictrum fendleri. The second page studies Larrea Tridentata found at the UCLA Herbarium and its living species at the UCLA Botanical Garden. The pages also examine other species found at the UCLA Botanical Garden, with references of possible characteristics which may allude to the specificity and uniqueness of the plants and objects. These three species studied share a common use as an antiseptic. - By Neha Shetty, Simran Athwal, Mariah Ghodrat, Madeline Huttie, and Liam Kordmahale-Izaddoust Plant Specimen and their Alias : Exploring the Identity of Plants with Animal in the Name Lycium torreyi and Equisetum laevigatum, both plant species with an animal in their name, were explored for their characteristics and relationship to their respective animals. Through extensive research, we deduce several similarities and differences between our plants that led us to an understanding of why each plant earned their colloquial name, or alias. Lycium torreyi and Equisetum laevigatum, alias Wolfberry and Smooth Horsetail, respectively, have several commonalities and differences to their corresponding animal including physical and character traits as well as their medicinal qualities. Images, observations and outside research portray the many queries and answers to their common name. By Frieda Anastopulos, Alexa Hernandez, Denise Llera, Chelsea Okoro, Grace Randall Precious Polygonaceae: Insight into the Historical Collection and Therapeutic Uses of Polygonum, Eriogonum, and Rumex Genera This comparative analysis took to exploring six species under the Polygonaceae plant family, half of which are housed in the UCLA Herbarium and half of which are located in the Mildred E. Mathias Botanical Garden at UCLA. Although they shared a meaningful commonality, these plants fell under a total of three genuses, which seems to explain their differences in morphology - as observed in the physical herbarium specimen sheets and the botanical garden visit - and utility, as unveiled by various Materia Medica entries. However, with an understanding of both historical and modern collection processes, this analysis also postulated that such differences could relate to how these plants were collected and their associated metadata. - By Moryel Yashar, Lexie Baughman, Nicole Cohen, Yair Tabibi, Tabetha Sanchez, and Leah Tabibi Bidens pilosa, Crataegus douglasii, and Urtica dioica effects on Cardiovascular System Bidens pilosa, Crataegus douglasii, and Urtica dioica are medicinal plants that have been found to contain a myriad of bioactive compounds, such as flavonoids, antioxidants, and polyphenol compounds. These compounds are known to have significant effects on the cardiovascular system by primarily targeting systolic hypertension. Plant extracts and their derivatives ameliorate oxidative stress, hyperlipidemia, and hypertension associated with cardiovascular disease. This association is due to the characteristics of anti-inflammatory, vasorelaxant, and antiviral activity within the specimen. These medicinal outcomes are elicited to prevent the onset of cardiovascular diseases risk factors. Overall, Bidens pilosa, Crataegus douglasii, and Urtica dioica play a crucial role in cardioprotective effects and health benefits. - By Salma Fawzi, Anaeli Guzman, Rere Huang, Lilliane Martin, Isabel Nakoud, and Sriha Srinivasan A History and Analysis of Antiviral Medicinal Plants Medicinal plants vary wildly among cultures around the world, and proper identification, collections, and bioprospecting of these plants expand upon modern medicine and provide new possibilities of drugs. Exploration of historical materia medica, preserved herbarium specimens, and observation of plants both in adaptations and chosen environment allow for the discovery of new medical leads. Three plants in particular, Eclipta prostrata, Astragalus nuttallii var. Nuttallii, and Sambucus canadensis, have historically been documented and used in medicine for their antiviral properties. Through the process of observation as well as investigation of historic cultural uses, much can be learned about these medicinal plants that carry these critical properties. - By Allison Wang, Joanne Kwak, Nina Do, Nicolo Villasis, Sabrina Huang, and Hamza Mojadidi

Dovyalis caffra

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Analysis of Salicaceae Specimens: Populus tremuloides and Dovyalis caffra Populus tremuloides and Dovyalis caffra are deciduous trees that come from the Salicaceae or Willow family. Despite the plants belonging to the same family, Populus tremuloides is found in the northern hemisphere in North America and Dovyalis caffra is found in the southern hemisphere in South Africa. Furthermore, each plant has unique characteristics that distinguish it from the other. Populus tremuloides does not produce any fruits, while Dovyalis caffra produces a yellow edible apple. Despite differences in their leaf shape and flower production, both trees are connected by their similar medicinal properties derived from their bark that were used by indigenous communities to treat pain.- By Saja Zidan and Maha Ulhaq Indigenous communities in North America have a rich history of using the specimens around them to help heal, cure, and comfort individuals suffering from illness. One plant that was used throughout North America to treat pain was Populus tremuloides, a tree more commonly known as quaking aspen (Simpson 2010, 55).

While indigenous communities understood the medicinal properties of the plants around them, many settlers to North America were unfamiliar with the medicinal properties of the plants and therefore explored specimens. Collections of explored specimens can be found on online collections like the Consortium of California Herbaria (CCH2). The image shown on the right displays an example of a collected specimen found on CCH2.This specimen was collected and identified as Populus tremuloides by Ray C. Friesner on October 13, 1934 in a seeping marsh along Sugar Creek in Montgomery, Indiana according to the metadata in the bottom right corner and given the catalog number LA00631195 in the UCLA Herbarium collection. The contextual reasons behind this collection process that Freisner took part in is to be as specific as possible in both detailing the collection and identifying the specimen, so it can be easily be located on databases such as CCH2.

The specimen Freisner was able to collect was classified and identified as Populus tremuloides based on the characteristic catkins that grew from the twigs, its round sage colored leaves, and smooth bark. These features that distinguish Populus tremuloides from other trees, especially the catkins, can be seen depicted in materia media like the 1855 chromolithograph by William Dickes (Dickes and Pratt 1855). The catkins depicted in the illustration range in size and length and have been drawn together to help observers like Freisner distinguish the differences between certain Populus species based on the catkins.

Similar detailed collection techniques Freisner used were applied when exploring the Dovyalis caffra specimen found in the UCLA Mildred E. Mathias Botanical Garden in Los Angeles, California. The contextual reason behind the collection process was not to harm the living plant and instead collect from fallen items off the ground at the base of the tree. The specimens that were collected ranged from leaf varieties, twigs, and bark to try to create a comprehensive image of the specimen to compare to Populus tremuloides.

While the Dovyalis caffra specimen does not have catkins like Populus tremuloides and is found in South Africa instead of North America, both specimens are part of the Salicaceae family. The main similarity that categorizes both trees in the same family despite their phenotypic differences is the salicylates found in their bark, a property used to derive aspirin, to treat pain including menstrual cramps, arthritis, and lower back pain. Furthermore, both plants have been used by indigenous communities to treat pain in both North America and South Africa by boiling the bark and making tea to ingest (Anderton 2011, 4). Without considering the medicinal properties of the bark, it would be difficult to connect Populus tremuloides to Dovyalis caffra. However, historical medicinal use of these trees by indigenous communities and specimen collections have aided in connecting these two plants together into the same family.
WORKS CITED
Anderton, Laurel. 2011. “Native American Uses of Native Utah Forest Trees.” Digital Commons, 2211.
Dickes, William and Pratt, Anne. 1855. "Four twigs with catkins, all from named types of poplar or aspen (Populus species)." Wellcome Collection, 24819i.
Simpson, Michael. 2010. “Salicaceae.” Science Direct, 02260.