Osha
Energetics:
Bitter, Dry, Pungent, Warm
Common Names:
Osha, Bear Medicine, Chuchupati, Colorado Cough Root,
Empress of the Dark Forest,
Indian Root, Mountain Ginseng, Mountain Carrot, Nipo,
Porters Lovage, Wild Lovage
Latin Name:
Ligusticum porteri
Family Name:
Apiaceae - Parsley Family
Functions:
Anesthetic, antibacterial, antihistamine, antiviral,
aromatic, carminative, circulatory
stimulant, diaphoretic, emmenagogue, expectorant,
hypotensive, immune stimulant
TCM Functions:
- Releases the exterior, dispels wind-cold and opens
the sinuses
* Lung wind-cold with cough, sinus congestion - Expels phlegm, regulates the Qi and stops coughing
* Lung phlegm-cold with sputum, cough, wheeze - Warms the Spleen-Stomach and relieves pain
* Spleen-Stomach cold with abdominal pain, stomach ulcers - Warms the uterus and promotes menstruation
* uterus cold with amenorrhea
Therapeutics:
Used for allergies, amenorrhea, bronchitis, catarrh, colds,
cough, emphysema, fever,
flatulence, flu, herpes, indigestion, rheumatism and sore
throat.
Notes:
Osha is strongly antibacterial and antiviral. It is an
incredible remedy for most upper respiratory infections,
especially coughs accompanied by chills and an aversion to
wind. Osha is also a strong medicine for digestive
complaints and skin infections.
Tradition:
Osha grows high up in the mountains in the run-off from
snowmelt, flourishing above 7000 feet. Osha was one of the
major plant medicines of any tribe who had access to where
it was grown, it in considered Bear medicine and used both
in ritual and in healing. The natives considered the bear a
primary healing animal because it used plants such as Osha
for its own healing. In a controlled study, botanist and
scientist Shawn Sigstedt, created a two hour video
documentation of several bears interacting with Osha in a
medicinal-like manner.
UpS Alternatives:
Osha is an endangered plant species, both due to the
habitat destruction of high alpine ecosystems and its
increased use in western herbalism. Osha is difficult to
cultivate and is very much a plant of the wild. Osha's
powerful root is fairly slow growing and easily prone to
over harvesting. Osha can be responsibly wildcrafted if the
land is in a long-term stewardship agreement with the
wildcrafter. Harvesting Osha from any but the most
inaccessible public lands is irresponsible and could lead
to the loss of this valuable medicinal species. As
development encroaches on high alpine ecosystems, it is
often possible to harvest Oshd from land that is in the
path of development. Though this is responsible
wildcrafting, it does little to ensure long-term viability
of this species. Beware of irresponsible wildcrafting, as
Osha has been confused with poison Hemlock by more than one
poorly educated herbalist.
Contraindications:
Avoid during nregnancv.