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A
City Herbal – by Maida Silverman
Review by Morgan Akasha
Rated 2.5/5 |
This
book is about the lore, legend and uses of common weeds found
in New York, USA, this however does not limit it to use only
in New York, as many of the plant species found are also here
in Australia.
It
contains information on 34 herbs, each have a detailed picture,
folk names, locations, botanical descriptions, historical lore,
legends and uses – some even contain suggested uses and recipes.
The
herbs it mentions are Bittersweet, blackberry, soapwort, burdock,
snap dragon, chicory, clover (red), clover (white), daisy,
dandelion, dock, goldenrod, ground ivy, Japanese knot wood, lady’s
thumb, fat hen, Mexican tea, milkweed, motherwort, mugwort,
mullein, mustards, plantain, poison ivy, pokeroot, carrot, ragweed,
Shepard’s-purse, melilot, wild sumac and yarrow.
A
city herbal also contains a section on instruction to dyeing with
natural plant materials and glossary or herbal terms.
Maida
has written this book well and makes for an easy read with a
wonderful array of interesting information. There should be more
books like this on Australian herbs and common weeds. But, as not
all of these weeds are common to Australia, I rate it 2/5.
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