Black-eyed Susan

Eastern Deciduous Forest, Tall Grass Prairie

Black-eyed Susan 

  Rudbeckia hirta

http://tse3.mm.bing.net/th?id=JN.IvoeZEZOAvR%2f3dmNDNMjAA&pid=15.1

 Habitat: Field, roadsides, waste places.

Seasons: June-October

Active Chemicals:Sesquiterpene lactones-C₂₂H₃₀O₇ 

• _{anti-microbial}
• _anti-worm
• _{anti-inflammatory}
• _{anti-bacterial} 

http://pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/compound/5862623

Parts Used:root

Use of Specimen:

• Treatment for sores, snakebites, swelling (root tea externally)
• Treatment of earaches (root juice)
• Treatment of cold (root infusion)
• Anti-inflammatory, antiviral, antioxidant

Procedure:To make a tea, add 5 teaspoons of the dried root to a cup of boiling water and steep for a few minutes then strain the tea to remove the irritating hairs.

Resources: Foster, S., & Duke, J. (2014). A field guide to medicinal plants and herbs of eastern and central North America (3rd ed.). Boston: Houghton Mifflin.