Identification:
This plant may grow as high as four feet or higher. It has pointy, basil-like leaves that are commonly curled at margins.
The leaves that alternate up the stem are smaller but there are more of them.
They have a red inner vein in the winter
June to September
The roots of this plant are usually yellowish when you cut in half
Plants usually have a bright red seed stalk that bear long terminate clusters of small greenish-white flowers above the rest of the plant. When flowers grow to maturation they turn a rusted red color as well.
Nutritionally:
This plant is high in iron
the leaves are usually gathered in early spring and can be prepared and eaten just like spinach.
Medicinally:
This plant can be a laxative or a anti-diarrheal depending on the amount taken.
1tsp. ground root to 1 cup boiling water. Steep 2-3 min. (the longer it steeps the more anti-diarrheal it becomes; for laxative steep only one minute)
take 2-3 cups a day
It is an astringent (medicine that closes pores); this also will inhibit and arrest the spread of ringworm.
use crushed fresh leaves and apply as a poultice
It is an antiscorbutic (fights scurvy)
syrup: boil 1/2 lb of crushed root in one pint of natural syrup
use 2-3 tsp. per day
Attention Use At Your Own Risk
I am not medically trained in anyway. I am simply a student. I read and experiment with ancient herbal techniques. I am simply passing on the knowledge I have gained from studding many texts on the subject and I am in no way responsible for anything you do with this information. For a listing on the books that I have compiled knowledge from visit: http://www.authorsarafhathaway.com/#!saras-survival-stuff/c1mzf
Picture for my graphic and more information on Curly Doc can be found at: www.primalkb.com/939/plantago-major www.eol.org/pages/38064/details