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DISCLAIMER: These pages are presented solely as a source of INFORMATION and ENTERTAINMENT and to provide stern warnings against use where appropriate. No claims are made for the efficacy of any herb nor for any historical herbal treatment. In no way can the information provided here take the place of the standard, legal, medical practice of any country. Additionally, some of these plants are extremely toxic and should be used only by licensed professionals who have the means to process them properly into appropriate pharmaceuticals. One final note: many plants were used for a wide range of illnesses in the past, but be aware that many of the historical uses have proven to be ineffective for the problems to which they were applied.


BOAT LILY
Commelinaceae
a.k.a Man-in-a-Boat, Moses-in-a-Boat, Moses-in-the-Bulrushes, Moses-in-the-Cradle, Moses-on-a-Raft,
Oyster Plant, Purple-leaved Spider Wort, Three-Men-in-a-Boat, Two-Men-in-a-Boat
(Rhoeo spathacea)
image 1Image

Succulent perennial herb native to the West Indies, Mexico, and Guatemala, but more well known in northern regions as an attractive houseplant. Leaves are 1 foot long by 3 inches wide, green above, purple below; flowers are small, white, and nearly hidden within a boat-shaped envelope of 2 bracts.

CULTIVARS:
Concolor (R.s. 'Concolor'): Leaves entirely green.
Variegata (R.s. 'Variegata'): Leaves striped lengthwise above with pale yellow.

MEDICINAL USES:
Has been used in Oriental medicine to treat intestinal bleeding, blood in sputum, and dysentary.



©2004 by Ernestina Parziale, CH

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