-IBIS-1.5.0-
rx
herb
Aletris farinosa (Blazing Star)
botanicals
definition
botanical name(s): Aletris farinosa
synonyms: blazing star, star grass, true unicorn root, ague grass, bitter grass, colic root, mealy starwort, star root, cane leaves
<part(s) used: root and dried rhizome
<qualities: bitter
affinities: stomach and intestines; female reproductive system
dosage:
» tincture: 2 - 4 ml.
actions: antispasmodic, sedative, stomachic, tonic. Large doses of fresh root are narcotic, emetic and cathartic, but not when dried. (Grieve)
therapy: promotes appetite; aids digestion; flatulence; colic; relieves diarrhea; dyspeptic conditions (Felter and Lloyd, p.142); pelvic floor relaxation, prolapse (Weiss, p. 316); sluggish digestion, debility, anorexia, digestive colic; nausea; vomiting; morning sickness; dysmenorrhea; heavy bleeding; threatened miscarriage; impotence; to increase fertility (Anderson Geller); rheumatic pain
note: this herb was often mistakenly substituted for Chamaelirium luteum (Helonias dioica), also a unicorn root; consequently, the action of Chamaelirium on the female reproductive organs is incorrectly ascribed to Aletris in many books (Felter and Lloyd, p. 142)
AHPA Botanical Safety Rating: 2d
toxicity: 1
» contraindicated in pregnancy due to uterine stimulating activity; used to prevent miscarriages late in pregnancy (Ellingwood, p. 480; Kuts-Cheraux, p. 151)
» large doses may act as an emetic and cathartic, producing colic and vertigo (Ellingwood, p. 480; Kuts-Cheraux, p. 151); narcotic effects may follow (Duke, p. 28)
constituents: saponin aglycone, diosgenin (C27H42O3), with gentrogenin present to a lesser degree in some varieties; an amber-colored volatile oil; a resin; a saponin-like glycoside; and alkaloids.
drug interactions: none in literature
footnotes
Anderson Geller, C. 1984-1989. Lectures in Botanical Medicine, National College of Naturopathic Medicine. Portland, OR.
Duke, JA. 1985. C.R.C. Handbook of Medicinal Herbs. Boca Raton, FL: The C.R.C. Press.
Ellingwood, F. 1919. Ellingwood's Therapeutist American Materia Medica Therapeutics and Pharmacognosy. Evanston, IL.
Felter, HW, Lloyd, JU. King's American Dispensatory, Vols. I and II. Portland, OR: Eclectic Medical Publications. Reprinted 1983.
Grieve, M. 1971. A Modern Herbal, Vols. I and II. New York: Dover Publications, Inc.
Kuts-Cheraux, AW. (ed.). Naturae Medicinae and Naturopathic Dispensatory, Vol. 3. American Naturopathic Physicians and Surgeons Association. Portland, OR: Eclectic Medical Publications.
Moerman, D.E. 1986. Medicinal Plants of Native America. University of Michigan Museum of Anthropology, Technical Reports, Number 19, Ann Arbor, MI.
Weiss, RF. 1988. Herbal Medicine. Gothenburg, Sweden: Ab Arcanum; Beaconsfield, England: Beaconsfield Publishers, Ltd.