Tragopogon, Salsify

Goat’s Beard, Oyster Plant, Vegetable Oyster, Joseph’s Flower, Noon Plant, Jack-go-to-bed-at-Noon
Hirci Barbula

Tragopogon pratensis
Salmon, Botanologia, 1710

Tragopogon pratensis
Masclef, A., Atlas des plantes de France (1890-1893)

Botanical name:

Tragopogon spp.

T. pratensis (Yellow Goat’s Beard)
T. porrifolius (syn. T. sinuatum) (Purple Goat’s Beard)

Parts used:

Root; also the Herb in flower or whole plant

Temperature & Taste:

Neutral. Sweet (Some classed it as Warm, Dry)

Classification:

Uses:

1. Clears Heat, Opens Obstructions:
-Jaundice (claimed a specific), Biliousness, Liver congestion, Hypochondriac pain
-juice or decoction was given to ‘dissolve bile’
-Strangury, suppressed Urine (strong decoction as an enema, Culpeper)
-Gravel and (small) Stones (Culpeper)
-Arteriosclerosis, Hypertension

2. Nourishes Lungs, Stops Cough:
-Cough, Bronchitis, Sore Throat
-Hemoptysis, Lung Ulcers (Avicenna)
-Pleurisy (Culpeper)

3. Strengthens Digestion, Tonifies Qi: (West, TCM)
-‘it strengthens the Stomach’ (Avicenna)
-‘heartburn, loss of appetite’ (Culpeper); ‘Stomach pain’ (Salmon)
-Intestinal Ulcers (Avicenna)
-‘The roots dressed like parsnips with butter are good for cold, watery stomachs’ (Culpeper)
-‘Strengthen the Whole Body’ (Salmon)
-‘strengthen the lean and consumptive, or the weak after long sickness’. (Culpeper)
-used for weakness and convalescence in West and TCM
–Gan-accumulation (TCM)

4. Stops Leakage:
-Uterine Bleeding (flower) (Avicenna)

5. Resists Poison:
-used in Antidotes
-Plague and Epidemic diseases
-Internal Abscesses (Distilled Water)
-Elephantiasis, Leprosy

6. Externally:
-root is used topically for Ulcers of the ear or Deafness (Avicenna)
-Chronic Ulcers (leaf or flower) (Avicenna)
-Tinea Capitis (TCM)

Dose:

Eaten as a vegetable.
Decoction: 6–12 grams (15–30 grams fresh)

Substitute:

Scorzonera.

Comment:

The roots of the Yellow variety were eaten like Parsnip, the young stalks were boiled like Asparagus and were regarded as having a similar flavor and nutrition. The Purple variety is more astringent and bitter and wasn’t typically eaten.

Main Combinations:

1. Hemoptysis:
i. Salsify, Talcum, Starch, Gum Arabic, Plantain, Saffron (Syrian ‘Book of Medicine‘, Budge, 1913)
ii. Salsify, Red Earth, Frankincense, Tragacanth, Poppy seed, Saffron
2. Lung Ulcers, Salsify with Barley Water (Avicenna)
3. Consumption, take the extract with Milk
4. Strangury, the whole herb boiled and strained and mixed with Olive oil is taken.
5. Elephantiasis, Salsify with Plantain, Celandine, Betony
6. As a nourishing dish the fresh chopped roots are boiled with Potatoes until soft, then mashed and cream, milk and butter are mixed through, adding salt and pepper to taste.

Major Formulas:

Cautions:

None noted