Indian Hemp, Dogbane Hemp, Prairie Dogbane, Rheumatism Root

6/15/2018

Indian Hemp, Dogbane Hemp, Prairie Dogbane, Rheumatism Root
Apocynum cannabinum
Dogbane Family (Apocynaceae)

Found in gravelly and sandy soil by roadsides, ditches, stream sides
Seen blooming on June 11, 2018 in Arroyo Trujillo

Indian Hemp grows to 3 feet tall in erect clumps with a smooth red stem which contains a milky latex that can cause blisters. Tiny white flowers are urn-shaped and produce 8" long seed pods. Apocynum in the scientific name means "poisonous to dogs". All parts of the plant are poisonous. The cannabinum refers to its similarity to cannabis as a fiber plant, hemp, rather than as a source of a psychoactive drug. A very good quality fiber obtained from the bark is used for making clothes, twine, bags, linen, and paper. It is an unpleasantly bitter stimulant irritant herb that acts on the heart, respiratory and urinary systems, and also on the uterus. North American Indian tribes used it to treat a wide variety of complaints including rheumatism, coughs, pox, whooping cough, asthma, internal parasites, diarrhea, and to increase milk flow in lactating mothers. The plant is still used in modern herbalism, but it should be used with great caution. Source.
If you want to identify a different flower then you might find it useful to check what was blooming this time last year. If you cannot identify a flower from the website send a photo and where you took it to contact@rockymountainsflora.com. Read online for tips.

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Author

I am Marilyn Phillips, a native of England, whose love of nature and the outdoors from childhood brought me by a circuitous route to Crested Butte, Colorado in 1993 and 16 years later to northern New Mexico. My exploration of the many trails in these areas, my interest in wildflowers and photography, and career in computer system design came together in this creation. If you have any corrections, comments or questions, please contact me by email.