Lithospermum incisum: Boraginaceae - Borage Family
forget-me-not family, known as: fringed puccoon, showy stoneseed, narrow-leaved gromwell, yellow puccoon, prairie stoneseed, a perennial forb from a purplish brown red tap root. Exploring the latin and common names: The binomial from Linnaeus 1753 ‘lithospermum’, or litho- rock, stone; spermun or seed, rock hard seeds, and ‘incisum’ incised referring to the fringed, wavy edged flower yellow, a borage family flower on a trumpet pedestal. Puccoon refers to a red purple dye plant, blood root, Sanguinaria for instance is known as puccoon.
Lithospmum has a brown purplish root. The puccoon part of the name comes from the Powaton people, ‘poughcoonie’, from the coastal woodland people of Piedmont Virginia. They also gave us the words moccasin and tomahawk. The name Powaton refers to Wahunsonacock, who was the leader of the Algonquin speaking coastal indigenous people who the English colonialists met in 1607.
Lithospermum incisum produces two kinds of flowers, an infertile yellow trumpet early spring nectar flower and a cream whitish inconspicuous flower, yielding up to 4 but usually one or two nutlet seed fruits at the leaf axil later in the season. Typical for borage family members, the 5 pollen anthers are not visible unless you use a lope to view them. They are tucked, inserted in the trumpet tube wall, in most other flowers the anthers rise above. The leaves in spring are plump lanceolate and with a creased central vein, and adjoining parallel veins, with no visible lateral veins. It has a moist succulent cool to touch feel, with fine soft hairs on leaf and stem. The leaves are alternate with a rather random presentation.
The medicinal qualities of Lithospermum spp worldwide have similar profiles among ethnobotanical history independent of tradition or contact. Lithospermum has been used in the asian variety, and eurasian Lithospermum officianale, similar to bugle weed as TSH agonist blocking the iodide pump. Likewise the puccoon pathway, the dye aspect of the root. Native Powaton people in 1607 used the unique color of the root to dye both leather and their skin. Recently the same ethnobotanical usage was duplicated in the socalled ‘biolipstick’ sold in Japan derived from Lithospermum erythrorhizon known as the TCM, J-pan Korea medicine component ‘shikonin’. Both facial powder rouge and lipstick, and lip stick gloss were sold. Lip stick gloss highlights, and in some ways duplicates the potent estro-flush of the female fertility cycle that communicates like the flash of male bird cardinal red feathers, potency, power, youth, beauty and prestige in human bio spirit. Shikonins are responsible for the deep red compounds in Lithospermun roots. The South Dakota prairie plains variety L. canescens Lakota: pȟežúta wahesa, likewise used similarly. Besides the colorant, dye quality of Lithospermum spp, in ethnobotanical uses the roots and above ground portion of plants were used topically, on the surface of skin for skin eruptions as compress. The roots specifically have been used for burns and for open wound wound healing as in stagnant lower extremity diabetic ulceration.
The genius world teacher Wild Herb Ways offers, The Four, as in “Woo Woo Song”, https://pgmanski.blogspot.com/2024/04/woo-woo-song.html
Referring to four compass points east, south, west and north, spoken sun-wise, in a greater teaching, four directions. As sung, performed, danced and chanted during the recent 8.4.2024 world day of prayer.
https://youtu.be/dp0tFBRWzFk?feature=shared in the liturgical piece. Not only the compass point directions, but specifically these four, taught by Wild Herb Ways, “Our well-being is non-negotiable.” So those who would compromise our well being, who would they be? All creatures, all peoples seek to demonstrate well being according to their biospirit. “As above, so below.” The Small body has the truth of the Big Body. We affirm the world by unapologetically advocating for our group well being. Because that part of us is another part of us. We cherish well being. We celebrate well being.
The English called Wahunsonacock Powaton, and it is passed to us a precept he spoke and lived by, : " The reason I rank higher than others is that I hold myself to a higher standard than others. So I keep my head high, and seek well being."
Sitting with plants rose Verbena, elaboration on the shoemaker cobbler Jacob Boehm: & Qualities of the signature. The signature is the evidence of the nature of things given to us within biospirit to further exist by using the stuff of creation. We call it the doctrine of signature, meaning that creation is speaking to us in the act of listening to further become. When we see a form, that is a fundamental aspect of things revealed to us by creator with whom we are part. That is the essence of sitting with plants.
Sitting with rose verbena. Using all the senses, touch, taste, smell, sight, a deeper listening to fulfill the signature. Where the plant grows. How the plant grows. When the plant grows. It's form in the landscape as a wild entity with the same set of ground rules as you. The plant and yourself are both living beings set with the vital flame of viriditas, the plant burning with a chlorophylic green flame and you burning with a hemoglobic red flame of blood. When we use terms like 'health and well-being', or , sacred land sacred sex, it is about the actual situation of having red fluid within our bodies circulating, moving, blood spurting, pulsing in our bodies, and the earth, the solid ground, we stand up on, is an aspect of standing, to support the well being of our people. Sitting on the ground next to Rose Verbena.
(Contraction): The vital force within both creation and created, mutual, as desire drawing all towards itself within further existence, kind after kind. We can imagine the spring dances of courting, preparation for the prom, the debutant ball of spring, the fine dress, the special elaborate dancing shoes, the jewelry and necklace, the flower headdress or corsage. The cindarella story of courting, the prince and princess dancing, seeking one another out as partners for mutual benefit. This is the sitting with plants. The plant is as much sitting with you, as you are sitting with the plant. It is impossible to deny a persons movement towards mutual benefit, and well being.
(Desire) Desire is the fundamental tension as friction: The expansive vital force creating a dual action and differentiation. Desire going into multiplicity. The one becomes three by first becoming two. Sacred land sacred sex working both in the person and working through the fundamental tension of sexuality to become itself further through merging completely with the other. The plant's pink rose flowers are exactly like the robins red breast, the Cardinals red feather, the jasmine spicy scent and riotous color are all little rouses, lovers kiss and tell lies to make seeds. When you are with your first love in the height of wet passion you say all kinds of crazy things knowing on some level it is a rapturous spell, a hex, a fabulous dream. You both are playing yet sincere it's not like you are lying, it is just that there are many truths and the one before our eyes is the most potent, the most captivating. Yes, I love you.
(Motion) Sensibility: rotary motion of 1 and 2. The wheel of life. It is a wheel of life, turning, turning us, everything is spinning. The greatest miracle is that the earth underneath our feet is itself turning, how is it that we don't fling off into space? Or like riding a dizzy bobbing merry go round, don't pass out from the vertigo.
(Sensation) Lightning or Fire: The Spirit diffuses a mild light, transforms the dark principle, ending strife. The senses are windows out and doors within. We are not meant to be passive observers, prisoners in the world. There are things to be done and we are the doers to achieve them. Captivation is something to be done, a place to be. It begins in the quiet of listening and seeing, the mutual interplay of seeing and being seen, touching and being touched, tasting and being tasted, listening and being heard, this is the potent nature of living in a world that is itself alive. Spirit meeting spirit, life tasting life.
(Love or Light): love binds, builds up and harmonizes the principles of joy. Well being non-negotiable means exactly that, we seek our well being because it is fundamental associative under love. Love is seeking pursuing and advocating for one's well being. It is absolutely good to be here and joy tells us that. Joy is like gravity, a force that holds us together with our feet touching the ground.
(Audibility): intelligible or vital sound. The manifestation of Life. Biospirit creates a cultura or expression of itself that is unique to itself. Form is created from the formless. The only way we can know ourselves is through what, how and who we do. Words, sound are the initial form of becoming. Not a cult of words but the natural flow of conversations among, family, folk and kin.
(Intelligence) Essential Wisdom: gathers the previous six into one harmonious whole
