Tenerife Island

In this section will be features which I wrote for Tenerife News and were first published by the paper. They will all be about the herbs found growing in Tenerife and detail their properties and uses.

Appearances can be deceptive, and in the case of the Milk Thistle, one look at its spiny leaves and flower-heads, and you may think that this is a plant to stay well away from, but don’t let your first impression of the plant put you off, because it is actually a very valuable medicinal and culinary herb. 

 The seeds of the plant contain silymarin, a substance which can be used to protect the liver from damage from toxins, including alcohol. As a herbal medicine it has been employed as a treatment for jaundice, cirrhosis, some forms of hepatitis, and also for preventing liver-damage from the side-effects of various medications.

 Taken as an infusion of the seeds, or the dried leaves and flowering stems, Milk Thistle can stimulate the appetite and be a remedy for digestive disorders.  Culpepper, and other herbalists, recommended that the young and tender plants are boiled, (after the prickles have been removed) and can then be eaten in spring as a tonic and blood purifier.

 Homeopaths prepare a tincture from the herb, using equal parts of the roots and the seeds with the hull attached. Milk Thistle has also been used to treat coughs, travel sickness and depression.

 Milk Thistle is usually about 1.2m in height, although it can grow taller than this in good conditions. It bears reddish-purple flowers and glossy green leaves, veined and marbled with white and carrying spines along the margins. It is a handsome plant and makes a good addition to a garden, where it can be admired. It is a biennial plant and likes a sunny position and well-drained soil. The seeds are planted in spring or autumn, and once you have the plant flowering you will probably find that it self-seeds itself too.

 Milk Thistle is common in Tenerife, and is often seen growing as a weed on waste ground, at roadsides, in fields, and beside pathways.  It also is found throughout Europe and has been naturalised elsewhere.

 Herbalist, John Evelyn once wrote: “…it is worthy of esteem, and thought to be a great breeder of milk and proper diet for women who are nurses.” This is an example of “the doctrine of signatures,” in which it was believed that a similarity between a plant and some part or function of the human body indicated what it was good for.

 In Spanish it is called Cardo de Maria, another of its English names is Marian Thistle, and botanically it is known as Silybum marianum. There is a tradition which explains this. It is said that the milk-white veins on the plant originated from the milk of the Virgin Mary, which, once upon a time, fell in drops upon its leaves.

 Perhaps there is something to the doctrine of signatures after all? On an island with so many followers of the Catholic religion, and shrines and altars devoted to the Virgin Mary, it seems very fitting to find that this herb grows so profusely.

 The Milk Thistle has its use in the kitchen too. The heads can be boiled and eaten like Globe Artichokes and the leaves are eaten as a salad or cooked as greens. In the past, when the plant was popular as a vegetable, the young shoots were added to pies, and the roots were prepared and eaten baked or boiled like Salsafy.

 Milk Thistle has been found to have very low toxicity and is generally thought to be safe, however, in cases of liver disease, due to the severity of the illness, a doctor’s supervision is always essential and the herb should not be used without consulting a medical practitioner or qualified herbalist.  It is also not a good idea to collect the herb from a wild location because it may have been contaminated with pollutants. This is particularly likely if it is growing near a road or in a city.

Milk Thistle is readily available in various forms and preparations from health-food stores and outlets that sell herbal supplements and getting it this way is a good way to ensure the right dosage. A cup of Milk Thistle tea is another method of enjoying it, and you don’t need to add the milk!

The Dragon Tree (Dracaena draco) or Drago, as it is called in Spanish, is a familiar sight to anyone who has lived on or visited Tenerife. It has such an aura of legend and mystery about it, and has such an unmistakeable appearance, that it is hardly surprising that it has become an image associated with the place, and in 1991, by a Regional Act dated 30^th April, it was declared the official natural plant symbol of the island.

In the Greek myths there is a story about Hercules and his quest to bring back three golden apples from the Garden of the Hesperides. A hundred-headed dragon called Landon was the guardian of this place and after the hero had killed it, trees began to grow from the blood that had been spilled upon the land. This myth is said to explain the origin of the Dragon Tree, which when it is old also bears hundreds of flowering branches, which can be thought of as dragon heads. As the tree gets older the bark becomes more and more convoluted and scarred, producing all sorts of strange shapes, and also the aerial roots that hang down from the trunk and branches can be thought of as like some monstrous beard.

However, it is not only well-known because of its very ornamental nature or the mystical associations surrounding it, because the Dragon Tree has also been widely used for its medicinal properties as well. From Roman times onward the red sap or “dragon’s blood” was used to treat ulcers and haemorrhages, as well as being a remedy for gum diseases and dental problems.

The Guanches, who were the original inhabitants of the Canaries, practiced mummification of their dead, and the resinous sap of the Dragon Tree was an ingredient used in their embalming process.  They also made shields from the bark of the tree, bowls from its wood and a dye out of its red juice. The Guanches are thought to have included the pea-sized orange fruit of the tree in their diet too. In more recent times, the leaves have been employed as a food-source for livestock in times of shortage, as well as being used to make hair dye, and rope. The Dragon Tree trunks, after being hollowed out and dried, have been used to create bee-hives. The red sap has been an ingredient in varnishes and dyes, as well as being utilised to prepare an alcoholic liqueur.

The Dragon Tree has long leathery leaves, arranged in bunches at the end of its trunk or branches and the numerous small white flowers are carried in conspicuous clustered and branched spikes. Dragon Trees can grow up to 25 m but are very slow-growing and can take as long as 10-15 years to reach about 1 m, which is when the plant will bloom for the first time. It doesn’t branch at all until it flowers and it is possible to estimate the age of a large specimen by counting the number of branches it possesses.  According to Mrs M. Grieve’s A Modern Herbal, along with the Baobab tree, Dragon Trees share the distinction of being the oldest living representatives of the plant kingdom.

A very old Dragon Tree, known as “Drago Milenario,” is to be seen in Icod de los Vinos in Tenerife, and it is estimated to be between 1,500-3,000 years old.  Other noteworthy specimens are to be found at Pino Santo (Gran Canaria) and Buraca (La Palma). 

Dragon Trees are also found growing on the islands of Madeira and Cape Verde and in parts of Northern Africa. Although the tree is commonly planted in parks and gardens, following a serious depletion of numbers found growing wild it is now a protected species. A new closely related type of Dragon tree was recently discovered in Gran Canaria and it has been assigned the botanical name of Dracaena tamaranae.

 

Lavender is a herb that everyone is familiar with, and it was even the subject of an old nursery rhyme, but perhaps not so widely known is the fact that the Canary Islands have their own endemic variety. In Spanish it is called Lavanda, Lavandula, Espliego or Alhucema but the botanical name of the Canary Islands species is Lavandula canariensis.

 Lavender is a very beneficial and useful herb.  It is good for treating fevers, headaches and migraines, and also has tranquilising and sedative properties. Infusions of Lavender flowers can be used to make a compress, which is applied to ease pain in the head, and also in the form of a weak tea it can be taken for cases of anxiety and nervous tension.

Lavender has antiseptic and disinfectant properties too, and because of its strong and pleasant smell has been much used in perfumery and cosmetics. Scented sachets and pot-pourri made with the herb are very popular. Inhaling the fragrance of the oil or flowers can prove to be very calming and is a remedy for depression and insomnia.

 Lavender is useful for repelling insects and the oil will discourage head lice when applied to a comb. The herb is often used to scent clothes and at the same time help prevent attacks by clothes moths.

The Latin name for the plant comes from lavare, which means to wash, and the Romans are said to have used the herb to scent their bathwater. Infusions of fresh flowers make a good hair rinse and the essential oil can be included in home-made beauty preparations.

 Lavender has been used for culinary purposes too with the flowers being added to provide flavour to sugar, which can then be employed as an ingredient in the making of cakes, biscuits, meringues, ice-creams and desserts.

 There are very many other species and varieties of the plant grown in gardens, and, because it readily hybridises and has been cultivated for so long, it is not always easy to provide accurate identification of a specific type. Lavender likes a well-drained and sunny location to do well and so the Canary Islands provide an ideal habitat for it to grow.

The Canary Palm (Phoenix canariensis) bears large bunches of fruit, which are very similar to dates and known as támaras in Spanish.  In English this has given it the name of Canary Island Date Palm, whilst in the language of the islands it is called Palmera Canaria.

The Canary Palm is often planted in parks and gardens and is a common sight throughout Tenerife. It is also found on the other islands of the archipelago and because of its great value as an ornamental tree is grown throughout the world where the conditions are suitable.

The Canary Palm has a very tall and straight trunk, which can reach up to 20 metres in height. It is crowned with a huge rosette of very large leaves which can be up to 6 metres long and are divided into very many stiff green leaflets. These leaves droop downward as they grow older, and when they fall off, or are removed, they leave characteristic scars in a pattern down the trunk.

The Canary Palm flowers in spring and summer and has both male and female flowers on separate trees.  Male flowers are at first contained in a sheath which opens to reveal the yellowish-white inflorescences. The female ones are on orange-red flowering spikes and produce the heavy clusters of orange-coloured fruit.  These támaras are edible but because they are not as fleshy or as big as dates they have not been considered commercially viable.

However, it is the fruit of the Canary Palm which is of medicinal value and, when boiled and taken with goat’s milk, has been used as a remedy for respiratory disorders and stomach problems.  The juice can be applied directly to treat skin complaints.

The Guanches, who were the original people of the Canary Islands, used to include both the támaras and the tender young leaves in their diet, as well as making many more uses of the tree.  The sap of the Canary Palm, known as guarapo, was extracted to make palm honey, and this custom is still in practice, especially on the island of La Gomera.

The leaves were fashioned by the Guanches into clothes, baskets and fishing nets, and this handicraft tradition has survived to the present day with mats, hats and many other items being made from the same source. The strong leaves also make great brooms and these may be used to sweep the roads of the islands.

With all these uses, and considering the great beauty of the Canary Palm, it is perhaps no surprise at all to find that, like the Dragon Tree, it has become regarded as one of the official plant symbols of the Canary Islands.

Aloe vera (Aloe barbadensis) is a very well-known herb that is found growing in Tenerife and the Canaries. In Spanish it is known as Linaloe, Acibar and Zabila, whilst other English names include Aloes, Barbados aloe, Cape aloe and Curacao aloe, but whatever it is called, Aloe vera is certainly one of the most useful medicinal herbs around.

 The mixture of constituents present in it give the herb exceptional healing properties. Aloe vera contains polysaccharides that help boost the immune system, anti-microbial and anti-inflammatory agents that help fight off disease, and antioxidant vitamins C, B12 and E, which are all vital to bodily health.  It also contains amino acids and various minerals and trace elements.

 A gel made from Aloe vera leaves is used to treat burns, sunburn, eczema and skin conditions, and to help wounds to heal. This preparation is applied externally but in the form of tablets, capsules or as a juice the herb is also taken internally for ulcers and other digestive disorders, for an irritable colon, and as a general tonic as well. Aloe vera has recently been used in the treatment of cancer and AIDS.

 The herb has also been employed as a laxative and a strong purgative medicine known as “bitter aloes” is prepared from the sap of the leaves.

 In addition to all the health-products it is in, many cosmetics contain Aloe vera as well. It is often used as an ingredient of preparations for protecting against the UV rays of the sun, and so it is very apt that the plant grows in hot climates.

 Herbalists in the past knew the considerable value of the herb as well and it is said that Aristotle once attempted to persuade Alexander the Great to conquer the island of Socotra in the Indian Ocean, just because it was the only place known where Aloes were growing at the time.

 Besides being used for its healing properties the herb has also been used as a religious symbol, and Mrs M. Grieve, writing in A Modern Herbal, reports that Muslims who have made a pilgrimage to the shrine of the Prophet are entitled to hang the Aloe above their doorways. Apparently it is believed that this will protect the householder from any evil influences. In Cairo, the Jews have also adopted the practice of hanging up the herb over the door. The ancient Egyptians prized Aloes too and used it as an embalming ingredient.

 Aloe vera’s place of origin is somewhat uncertain, although it is believed to have come from Africa or Southern Arabia.  It is also found growing in many tropical and subtropical regions throughout the world. Aloe vera was introduced to Europe in the 10^th century and became established over the years as an ingredient in many proprietary medicines.

 It is a succulent with clusters of greeny-grey leaves, which are spiked at the edges and it bears tubular yellow flowers on spikes carried above the rosette of leaves. Aloe vera can grow to 40-60cm (2-3ft) tall and favours dry, sunny locations.

 Although it is such a useful herb, a word of caution is still necessary because it should not be taken in large doses or be consumed by pregnant women.  There are also legal restrictions on Aloe vera in some countries.

 Because Aloe vera and other species of Aloe are attractive and unusual in appearance they are often grown as houseplants.

Fennel (Foeniculum vulgare), or Hinojo and Cañamo de la India, to give it its Spanish names, is a very graceful perennial herb from the parsley family.  It has tall stems reaching up to 2 m in height and bearing finely cut, feathery leaves, together with umbels of tiny yellow flowers. 

With its delicate appearance it seems apt that the herb has been used as a slimming aid and to deaden the pangs of hunger. Its chemical structure bears certain similarities to those of the amphetamine stimulants, which have been widely used for the same purposes.

Writing in Nature’s Paradise (1650), William Coles stated that Fennel was “much used in drinks and broths for those that are grown fat, to abate their unwieldiness and cause them to grow more gaunt and lank.”

 The ancient Greek name for the herb was “Marathron,” and this was from the verb maraino, meaning “to grow thin.” This was probably another reference to its use as a slimming aid. Fennel tea, made from the seeds, is still used today by those on a slimming regime.

But as a medicinal herb, Fennel has many more uses besides being good for reducing weight. The Romans recognised its many uses, and Pliny listed it as a remedy for no fewer than 22 complaints.

 An infusion of the seeds is good for calming the digestive system and for flatulence, with 1 teaspoonful of the slightly crushed seeds being added to 250 ml of boiling water and left to stand for 10 minutes.  Cooled fennel tea can also be used as a gargle for sore throats and as a mouthwash for gum problems. Fennel has also been said to be good for helping nursing mothers to produce breast milk.

 Having stated that, however, a word of caution is also needed, because a large dose of fennel can act as a uterine stimulant and so it is not suitable for women who are pregnant.  Collecting the herb from the wild is not recommended too, due to the ease with which it could be mistaken for other poisonous plants in the same family.

Many herbalists have believed that Fennel has a very beneficial action on the eyesight and the poet, Longfellow, alludes to this in these lines:

Above the lower plants it towers,
The Fennel with its yellow flowers;
And in an earlier age than ours
Was gifted with the wondrous powers,
Lost vision to restore.

 Fennel may be a tonic for our eyes in more ways than one because it is certainly a very beautiful herb to grow and behold, and besides its graceful appearance the herb is very aromatic with a strong smell of aniseed, a herb to which it is closely related.  The essential oil of Fennel has been used in perfumery, to scent soaps, and as a flavouring in toothpastes and other products.

 Once again, a poet has immortalised the herb in verse for Milton, in Paradise Lost, wrote:

A savoury odour blown,
Grateful to appetite, more pleased my sense
Than smell of sweetest Fennel.

 Fennel is found throughout Tenerife and the Canaries, growing on waste ground, at the sides of roads and also near the sea.  It is a native of Asia, the Mediterranean and many parts of Europe, and also grows in other parts of the world where it has been naturalised.

 Many people grow the herb in their gardens and there are other varieties, like the very ornamental Bronze Fennel (F. v. purpureum), with its purple-bronze foliage, and the Florence Fennel or Finnochio (F.v. var. dulce), which is cultivated for its edible, bulbous stem bases.

 Fennel has very many uses in the kitchen, and the leaves and seeds are good cooked with fish, especially oily fish like mackerel. The properties of the herb also help the digestion as well as adding flavour.

 The stems of Fennel have been eaten raw as a salad, and in Italy, when peeled and served with a dressing of vinegar and pepper, they are known as “Cartucci.” Fennel leaves may be also be used in salads, while the seeds can be added to curries and rice and stir-fry dishes, as well as being good in apple pie and sauces.

Canary Island St. John’s Wort (Hypericum canariense), or Grenadillo, Hyperico or Sanjuanero, as it is called in Spanish, has been used to treat depression and anxiety states  and its more commonly used cousin, the Common St. John’s Wort (Hypericum perforatum), has come to be known as the ‘Sunshine herb,’ or ‘Nature’s Prozac.’ Its bright golden-yellow flowers are enough to bring a smile to your face without using the plant as a herbal medicine, but many sufferers from depressive illness have also found relief by taking regular doses of the herb. 

 St. John’s Wort owes its ability to medicinally uplift the spirits of a person who suffers chronic depression due to a substance known as hypericin. It has proved to be a very popular herbal supplement and remedy and is readily available from most suppliers of herbs and health-care.

 The Canary Island St. John’s Wort is a small perennial  shrub, growing to about 3m in height, and found on Tenerife and the other islands of the group with the exception of Lanzarote and Fuerteventura. It prefers the more northerly wetter areas, where it likes to grow in the scrubland and the laurisilva forests. Canary Island St. John’s Wort can grow as much as 1m in a good year and also has a long flowering season if conditions are right.

 It is a very densely branching shrub bearing waxy green leaves in winter, which turn a shade of orange in early summer, and then go red before falling. The cheery 5-petalled yellow flowers have very conspicuous stamens, are carried in groups and they form when the plant is in leaf. They are followed by globular brown seed-pods, which are divided into 4 sections and which hold the small dark seeds.

 There are very many superstitions regarding the St. John’s Worts and the scientific name Hypericum is taken from Greek and means “over an apparition.”  This is a reference to the belief that the herb was so hated by evil spirits that one whiff of it would be all that was needed to dispel them. The reddish juice which exudes from the crushed flowers was thought to signify the blood of St. John, after whom the plant was named, and actually it is this juice which is rich in hypericin.

 The dried flowers and leaves are the parts of the plant which are harvested, and the herb can be taken as an infusion, although St John’s Wort is usually available commercially in the form of tablets and capsules.

 Although hypericin has proved to be a very popular herbal remedy, it should not be used without consulting a trained herbalist or medical practitioner. This is because it may interfere with the action of other medication already prescribed and also may not be suitable for everyone. As well as this, there is another caution because the consumption of St. John’s Wort can lead to extreme photo-sensitivity to sunlight, and this allergic reaction can cause blistering and dermatitis in some people.

You can’t help but notice all the Nasturtiums that are found growing wild in Tenerife, and many people also like to plant them as an attractive garden flower, but what is perhaps not so widely known, is that La Capuchina, as it is called in Spanish, is also a useful medicinal herb and a salad ingredient.

 Nasturtiums are unmistakeable with their round leaves and brightly-coloured flowers in shades of yellow, orange and red. The flowers are carried on single stalks, which arise from the leaf axils of the long and trailing stems. The fruits are globular in shape and split into 3 sections, which are green at first but become brown and hardened when ripe.

The Nasturtium grows commonly on waste ground, in clearings in woods, at roadsides and on rubbish tips. It comes originally from South America but in the 16^th century it was introduced to Spain from Peru. Nasturtiums are now widely grown throughout the world. It is a short-lived perennial in the tropics but in cooler temperate regions it is a half-hardy annual. There are many cultivars with single and double blooms, and in low-growing and climbing varieties.

The botanical name of the Nasturtium is Tropaeolum majus, and it is of interest to note that the generic part of the name Tropaeolum, is derived from the Greek tropalon, meaning a trophy, and this was because the round leaves were thought to resemble the trophy-bearing shields of the ancient classical world.

Tropaeolum peregrinum syn. T. canariense, the Canary Creeper, is a close relative of the Nasturtium, and is also commonly grown as a garden flower, but although it is in the same genus, its leaves are not rounded like shields but are split into 5 lobes. The Canary Creeper has smaller fringed flowers of a bright yellow that contrast well against the foliage. It is a climbing plant and can grow to 3.5m (12ft.)

The leaves and flowers of the Nasturtium, with their spicy flavour similar to Watercress (Nasturtium officinale), became very popular as an addition to salads in the 17^th century and later on. The plant used to be known as Nasturtium indicum, or Indian Cress, and because of its very high vitamin C content was used to prevent and treat scurvy.

The seeds and leaves have antibacterial and antiseptic properties, and, taken in infusions, have been used to treat catarrh, bronchitis, emphysema, kidney problems and other infections of the urinary and upper respiratory tracts. The Nasturtium contains mustard oil glycosides and glucotropaeolin as active ingredients. To make an infusion you need 14g (1/2oz) of fresh leaves, which are steeped in 568ml (1pt) of boiling water and left to cool. The dose is 56ml (2 fl oz) to be taken 2 or 3 times a day. The Nasturtium can help to purify the blood, and, as well as this, the herb is believed to have aphrodisiac properties. 

 The fresh leaves and blooms of the plant, when included in spring salads, add both a dash of colour and a hot spicy flavour.  Nasturtium flowers have also been used as flavouring for vinegar, and the green seeds can be pickled as a substitute for capers.

The Ginkgo, (“Gingco” in Spanish), Maidenhair Tree, Kew Tree, or Ginkgo biloba, to give it its full botanical name, has been increasingly recommended over the last  few decades, as a remedy for failing memory,  as an aid to improving mental alertness, and for many other health conditions.

It is found growing in Tenerife and is also a common ornamental tree planted in parks and gardens throughout Europe and in other parts of the world, although it originated in China, where it has been regarded as sacred and was often planted at temples. It has a distinctive fairly tough fan-shaped leaf that is very similar to that of the Maidenhair Fern (a commonly grown pot-plant) but the leaf of the Ginkgo is very much bigger. In fact, it is of such a unique appearance that there is no other tree you could easily mistake for it.

There are both male and female Ginkgo trees, but it is usually only the male ones that are planted because the female trees bear plum-shaped fruit, which release an unpleasant smell when they fall to the ground. The fruit are a greenish-yellow at first but ripen to a yellow-orange and the odour they emit has been described as smelling like rancid butter.

However, the seeds of the tree are edible and have been considered as delicacies in China and Japan. The outer unpleasant layer is removed and then the seed is roasted and can be served with bird’s nest soup.

Nowadays Ginkgo is to be found ready-processed and packaged into capsules and tablets, on its own, or in combination with other herbs like Ginseng. It can be obtained in nearly every health store, and it is also readily available from all the mail-order companies who supply herbs and food supplements. Ginkgo tea-bags are another product made from the tree, and in this form it is usually mixed with green tea.

But the Ginkgo tree is hardly new; in fact, it is one of the oldest species of life known and dates back some 200 million years. It is also known as the Fossil Tree, and is an actual example of a living one. The Ginkgo is the sole survivor in the family of trees known to science as the Ginkgoaceae. It is a very robust tree that has few pests, tolerates pollution well and will also grow in the salty air near the sea.

Its use in herbalism is nothing new either, for it was recorded by the Chinese in the “Chen Houng Pen T'sao”, published way back in 2800 BC. Not surprisingly, it is still included in the modern Chinese pharmacopoeia. The leaves are recommended as a tonic for heart and lungs, a decoction of leaves can be taken as a treatment for asthma and the boiled leaves are used to treat chilblains. In Japan and China the seed has been used as a remedy for coughs.

The main property the tree possesses is its ability to improve blood circulation to the brain and thus improve memory, concentration and ability. As we get older we tend to be at risk of suffering a number of degenerative disorders including senile dementia. Dementia has a number of contributing factors but one main cause is lack of a good circulation to the brain.

The brain cells need a constant supply of glucose and oxygen, obtained from the blood, but as we age the arteries going to the brain often get clogged by fatty build-up or atheroma deposited on their walls. This clogging of the arteries, technically known as ischaema, besides cutting down the supply of vital nutrients, leads to damage to the cell membranes of the brain. In turn, this can cause an accumulation of fluid in the spaces being formed between the tissues, and this state is called cerebral oedema.

Such damage tends to be slow but it is accumulative and brings with it a decrease in mental functioning and the symptoms of senility. Ginkgo, by opening up the arterial passageways brings a good supply of blood to the brain and can help to reverse this deterioration.

 

Because it acts on the circulation in the body it also brings a welcome relief to people who suffer from cold feet or discomfort in their extremities. Ginkgo can also help in treating Raynaud's disease, cramp, depression, tinnitus and vertigo.

It is not only those getting old or suffering any of the listed conditions that can benefit from Ginkgo, for according to research undertaken by I. Hindmarch, just one dose of its extract could be very beneficial to younger people too. In a double-blind crossover trial involving healthy young volunteer human guinea-pigs, aged between 25 and 40 years, the researchers discovered, within only one hour, that there were significant short-term memory improvements in the subjects who had taken the extract. The performance of the controlled subjects who had not ingested it, didn’t show these beneficial results. After many such tests Hindmarch concluded that Ginkgo exerts a specific activity on central cognitive processes.

This means that anyone wishing to sharpen their memory and tone up their mental performance skills could find that Ginkgo is a great help in giving them the advantage over their fellows. Students taking exams, business executives preparing for stressful meetings or even people who enjoy crossword puzzles might find that Ginkgo is just what they need to give them that winning edge.

And Hindmarch is not alone in his opinion because five times memory-champion, Dominic O'Brien, also believes that this substance helps the memory function better. He is reported to have stated that after using Ginkgo he noticed a definite improvement.

Evidence exists suggesting that this ancient herb may well be of benefit to sufferers of angina, congestive heart failure and acute respiratory distress syndrome.  Research is underway on the possible use of Ginkgo for patients undergoing organ transplants too. Apparently, adding ginkgolide (an extract from the tree) to prescribed medications can reduce the impact of side-effects of the drugs given to patients who have had such major surgery.
 

The recommended dosage of the leaf extract is 80-120mg daily, however, varying dosages are available on the commercial market, some of which contain the extract whilst other products are made up from the dried and powdered leaf.

Although Ginkgo generally has no side-effects when taken in moderate doses, it should not be used by anyone already taking anti-coagulant drugs like Warfarin, for example. The use of the herb should also be avoided during pregnancy and lactation. Furthermore, the seed and fruit pulp can trigger severe allergic reactions in some people so should not be handled or ingested by anyone who is sensitive to it.

In conclusion, the Ginkgo, which has been with us for all recorded time, looks set to stay with us into the future as well as being a means of bringing renewed health to mind and body. Research continues into the benefits of this common and attractive tree, a tree which can actually help nourish our brains. The Ginkgo is literally food for thought!                                                     

The herb known to botanists as Withania aristata is commonly called Orobal in Spanish, and because it is possibly the most useful and well-known of all the medicinal plants found on the Canary Islands, it has been compared with Ginseng (Panax ginseng) for its use as a panacea.

Orobal has been used effectively as a treatment for rheumatism, arthritis, lumbago, and diabetes, as well as being employed as a remedy for insomnia, anxiety and to combat fatigue and lack of libido. It is a diuretic, and to stimulate urination the fruit of the plant is usually eaten whilst fresh. Orobal can be used to treat constipation, as well as being a treatment for ear and eye problems. The herb is generally prepared as an infusion of leaves and bark, which are left to soak for a week or more after they have been boiled in water.

 It is found in Tenerife, and on all of the islands in the Canaries, apart from Lanzarote and Fuerteventura, and the shrub also grows in parts of Northern Africa. Orobal can grow to as much as 4 metres in height and has fragile branches and rough greyish bark. It has long bright green leaves, which can measure up to 10 cm and are an elongated heart-shape in appearance. Orobal blooms right through the winter and spring and bears small greenish-white bell-shaped flowers, growing in the leaf axils, either singly or in little groups. The fruit is a green berry, carried in a receptacle, which is the old calyx of the flower. When it is ripe it turns an orange colour.

Orobal is very closely related to Ashvaganda (Withania somnifera), another herb from the Solanaceae or Potato family, that has proved to be very popular as a cure-all and general tonic.  Ashvaganda is one of the most important herbs used in the Indian Ayurvedic medicine and is employed as an aid to slowing down the aging process.  Like Orobal, Ashvaganda has been used for its sedative and painkilling properties and also as an aphrodisiac. The “withanolides” the plants contain are being investigated for their potential use in fighting cancer.

Sorrel (Rumex lunaria) is known as Vinagrera or Calcosa in Spanish, and is found on all of the Canary Islands. It tends to grow on very rough and stony ground and is one of the first plants to colonise such places and so is well suited to these volcanic islands.

Sorrel is an important herb with many medicinal properties and infusions made from the roots have been used to treat catarrh, bronchitis, sinusitis and other respiratory disorders.  The juice from the crushed leaves of the plant is useful as a remedy for unblocking the nasal passages, and the herb has also been utilised as a treatment for soothing the inflammation caused by insect bites and for painful haemorrhoids. 

The Canary Island Sorrel is an evergreen member of the Dock family (Polygonaceae) with densely branching and fragile stems that can reach as much as 2 metres in height. It bears bright green, rather fleshy leaves and inflorescences of tiny greenish flowers. After flowering is over the fruits that form become a reddish colour as they dry out and ripen.

Several other species of Sorrel have been utilised in herbal medicine and for culinary purposes. The Common or Garden Sorrel (Rumex acetosa) grows in fields and grassy places throughout Europe and the young leaves have been used to add a tangy flavour to salads, as well as being cooked as greens and being an ingredient of soups and omelettes. John Evelyn wrote that Sorrel “sharpens appetite…cools the liver and strengthens the heart” (Acetaria, 1719). He also considered that it was an essential salad ingredient and a good substitute for oranges and lemons.

 The French Sorrel (Rumex scutatus) has a milder flavour than the Common Sorrel, and, as its name suggests, has proved very popular in the kitchens of France where it has been used in many dishes.

Sheep’s Sorrel (Rumex acetosella) is a common plant throughout Europe and also in North America and Canada. It has diuretic properties and the juice from the fresh plant has been used as a remedy for urinary and kidney diseases. It is the main herb in the recipe for the controversial Essiac herbal cancer treatment, and in this it is combined in correct proportions with Slippery Elm (Ulmus rubra), Burdock (Arctium lappa) and Turkey Rhubarb (Rheum palmatum).

 All species of Sorrel contain Vitamin C in the leaves but they also contain oxalates and because of their high acidity they are not recommended for people who suffer from gout, rheumatism or arthritis.