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| Toadflax Linaria dalmatica |
For herbalists it's understood as a figwort. This is a non-native perennial plant naturalized now in many areas. It is native to the mediterranean, Yugoslavia, Dalmatian Coast of the Adriatic Sea. It is considered to be an invasive weed and in many areas, the regimes in power release various beetles and insects and spray poisonous chemicals to eradicate it, and they make studies on which herbicide works best in killing toadflax, usually unsuccessfully. There are narrow leafed and broad leaf varieties, this is the broad leaf variety.
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| Clasping alternate leaves |
Linaria dalmatica is a tall plant, up to 4 feet tall, with alternate heart shaped to oblong clasping leaves, with a pointed tip that circle the stem. It has showy yellow distinctive flowers, in a spike raceme. Individual flowers resemble snapdragons with a long spur at the base, that delicately curves. The flowers are unique, bright yellow, asymmetrical with two lips the upper with two lobes, and the lower with three lobes, and an orange throat.
It was brought by colonial Quakers to Pennsylvania and Delaware as a yellow dye and medicinal plant.
John Gerard (1545-1612)the English herbalist who wrote a classic text of herbalism, Herball, published in 1597. His book was 1500 pages and is the first of its kind in English with extensive block plant drawings.
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| Herball John Gerard 1597 |
The early Quaker's as well as all English speakers were acquainted with it. He writes of Toadflax: "A. The decoction of Toad-Flax taketh away the yellowness and deformity of the skin, beeng washed and bathed therewith.
B. The same drunken, openeth the stoppings of the liver and spleen, and is singular good against the jaundice which is of long continuance.
C. The same decoction doth also provoke urine, in those that piss drop after drop, unstoppeth the kidneys and bladder."
Which is how we understand the plant, as a liver tonic and stimulant."
Nicolas Culpeper writing at roughly the same time as Gerard in 1652, wrote of Toadflax: "Government and virtues. Mars owns the herb. In Sussex we call it Gallwort, and lay it in our chicken's water to cure them of the gall; it relieves them when they are drooping. This is frequently used to spend the abundance of those watery humours by urine which cause the dropsy. The decoction of the herb, both leaves and flowers, in wine, taken and drank, doth somewhat move the belly downwards, opens obstructions of the liver, and helps the yellow jaundice; expels poison, provokes women's courses, drives forth the dead child, and after-birth. The distilled water of the herb and flowers is effectual for all the same purposes; being drank with a dram of the powder of the seeds of bark or the roots of Wall-wort, and a little Cinnamon, for certain days together, it is held a singular remedy for the dropsy. The juice of the herb, or the distilled water, dropped into the eyes, is a certain remedy for all heat, inflammation, and redness in them. The juice or water put into foul ulcers, whether they be cancerous or fistulous, with tents rolled therein, or parts washed and injected therewith, cleanses them thoroughly from the bottom, and heals them up safely. The same juice or water also cleanses the skin wonderfully of all sorts of deformity, as leprosy, morphew, scurf, wheals, pimples, or spots, applied of itself, or used with some powder of Lupines."
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| Toadflax flowers long spur |
Toadflax is a useful liver stimulant and the protocol is dry the plant first before use. Use a teaspoon of the dry herb to make a tea. Use it for a liver flush or liver inflammation flare ups, best combined with Mahonia, dock, dandelion root, and or red root. You can also use toadflax as a bitter digestive tonic for chronic indigestion and add a warming aromatic herb such as poleo, angelica, fennel catnip. One of the side effects of chemotherapy, radiation treatments and even some recent biospiritual viral attacks is an inability to taste, a deficit of salivary saliva- it would be useful if someone is in this condition to try a formula of toadflax. In severe cases swishing the mouth before meals can encourage saliva and digestive juices. Oftentimes with liver issues there are skin issues such as allergic dermatitis, excema, psoriasis which are related to liver, formulas listed previously could be explored. Toadflax is an herb with a profound history in our biospirit. A useful addition to your materia medica, widely available, and easily found. Make sure when gathering toadflax, you gather in areas the self appointed regime has not sprayed with herbicides. A tincture of dried toadflax, DPT 1:5 may also be useful to some
