Herbarium: Medicinal Plants as Information Main Menu Introduction Student Projects 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 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

Precious Polygonaceae: Insight into the Historical Collection and Therapeutic Uses of Polygonum, Eriogonum, and Rumex Genera

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Thought to have originated in 1771, Materia Medica roughly translates to “healing stuff.” While a less than eloquent expression, the value Materia Medica holds is enormous. Complemented by the element of “practice,” more contemporarily referred to as clinical pharmacology, the records contained in Materia Medica represent a collection or knowledge of therapeutic substances, both medical and medicinal, that originated from natural resources. More broadly, this practice emphasizes the value of ethnobotany, which has and continues to serve as a reservoir of priceless information that may contribute to the betterment of health and society. This is the case for the plant family Polygonaceae; Materia Medica entries of the flowering plants have described versatile uses of their various individual structural components – roots, stems, leaves, seeds, and flowers - and the entire plants themselves. Thus, a comparative analysis of a selection of species within this family - Polygonum lapathifolium, Eriogonum grande var. rubescens, Eriogonum umbellatum var. umbellatum torr., Eriogonum giganteum var. compactum, Rumex acetosella, and Eriogonum cinereum - demonstrates their diversity in terms of utility and structural features, despite their commonalities in overall morphology and lineage.

While Materia Medica highlights the utility of plants and how humans can rely on nature, it is also important to consider the processes that led to these plants being documented in this manner. The value of these entries in part lies in their collection processes, especially in the sense of knowing their collection details. Such information often includes the collector, collection location, and collection date, alongside detailing the collected specimen itself. As evidenced by Materia Medica, there was clear importance to this information that has stood the test of time. This is especially true in terms of herbaria, or collections of preserved plants. There are about 3,100 herbaria worldwide, with 390 million specimens contained in them. Though impressive, these specimens only hold value if they detail what was collected, where it was collected, when it was collected, and who collected it. This process has become pretty standardized in herbaria, as exemplified on the physical specimen sheet of Eriogonum umbellatum var. umbellatum. All specimens in the UCLA Herbarium contain a similar label, which lists the aforementioned collection details. There may even be additional information, such as the elevation or location coordinates. Having this information gives these specimens ecological and evolutionary value, which can certainly complement their medicinal value. In this way, it allows viewers to make comparisons, whether in terms of the collected information itself or the broader context of the plant.

As such, an integration of information derived from various sources of Materia Medica, preserved herbarium specimen sheets, and living botanical garden specimens gives way toward attaining a more holistic understanding of the plant family Polygonaceae. Each page within this section analyzes three specimens: one from the UCLA Herbarium, one from the Mildred E. Mathias Botanical Garden, and one from a relevant piece of Materia Medica. In order, these pages considered Polygonum lapathifolium and Eriogonum grande var. rubescens; Eriogonum umbellatum var. umbellatum torr. and Eriogonum giganteum var. compactum; and Rumex acetosella and Eriogonum cinereum. While all of these specimens fall under the Polygonaceae family, there are clear differences in their form - dried, alive, and illustrated, respectively - and often more nuanced differences in their representation. The analyses generally compare the collection information and morphological details of the plants and go on to situate these comparisons in a historical context. Specifically, it was of interest to consider why such differences may exist. For example, between the P. lapathifolium herbarium specimen and Materia Medica entry, there were differences in flower structure. Using the collection information, one can consider how this discrepancy may relate to their nativity, for example.

Comparisons like these can also be drawn between this whole collection of plants. As mentioned previously, all of the plants in this section fall under the same family - Polygonaceae - giving them a meaningful commonality that can serve as a basis for their comparison. Interestingly, in the last comprehensive revision of this plant family published in 1993, the family was divided into two subfamilies, namely Eriogonoideae and Polygonoideae, on the basis of earlier systems of plant classification (Brandbyge, 1993). While the circumscriptions of these two subfamilies have since been changed in light of phylogenetic studies of DNA sequences, the Eriogonum, Polygonum, and Rumex genera have maintained their position on the Polygonaceae phylogenetic tree. Such a tree shows each of these genera to branch from a separate node, indicating their evolutionary distance from each other.

This evolutionary distance is reflected in their morphology: looking between the three originally assigned plants, one can quickly point to many differences between them. Just one example of this is in the leaves, which vary in shape, size, and distribution. The leaves of P. lapathifolium are large and tear-drop-shaped with several visible veins; those of Eriogonum umbellatum var. umbellatum are small and rounded, with inconspicuous veins; and those of R. acetosella are small, skinny, and long. This variation is also observed in terms of their medicinal potential. For example, the E. umbellatum plant has historically been utilized by Native American tribes to treat sores, pains, and upset stomachs, among other ailments; R. acetosella is known for its treatment of inflammation and pain; and P. lapathifolium as a whole has been employed in an antiseptic fashion, with specific portions of the plant associated with antioxidant or anti-inflammatory activity. Just as before, one can consider the collection processes or collection details of these plants and how they may be responsible for their differences, which are largely expected, since the plants each fall under a different genus.

From synthesizing this information and analyzing the plants in this way, one can appreciate the significant diversity that exists within a single plant family. Even more significant, this diversity extends beyond first glance, to these plants’ collection processes and utility in society. To have this realization is to see the immense value in these practices that has been known for centuries.

This page has paths:

  1. Student Projects Tabetha Nicole Sanchez

Contents of this path:

  1. Comparing and Contrasting Polygonum lapathifolium and Eriogonum grande var. rubescens, Two Members of the Polygonaceae Family
  2. The Buckwheats: Exploring Rumex acetosella L. and Its Connection to Eriogonum cinereum

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