Ya nuat maeo| หญ้าหนวดแมว | Orthosiphon aristatus
Family: Lamiaceae - Genus: Orthosiphon
The Cat's Whisker can be found in the Paksong area. It can be seen growing in the wild along forest borders under shade, and along roadsides.
Cat's Whisker, also known as Java Tea, Cat's Moustache and Whisker Plant, is a medicinal herb. The plant is very attractive to bees and butterflies.
It is a perennial plant growing from 25 to 200 centimeter tall, with bluish-violet or with white flowers. The white-flowered plant is most common.
The leaves are a popular herbal remedy, used on their own and also in combination with various other herbs.
There are no edible uses know for the plant.
Harvest of the leaves usually starts 8 - 10 weeks after planting, at the beginning of flowering. Every 2 - 3 weeks the upper 4 - 10 leaves of shoots are plucked by hand
THE PLANT
CAt's Whisker It is a perennial herb, growing from 25 centimeter to 2 meter tall. The stems are purple in color.
Flowers are mostly white, but there is also a purple violet version.
THE LEAVES
The leaves of the Cat's Whiskers Leaves are dark green and smooth, with toothed margin, and oppositely arranged along the stems.
THE FLOWERS
Flowers are arranged in a conical-shaped inflorescence, measuring 10 - 20 centimeter long, each flower is white , with long whisker-like stamens. The genus Orthosiphon means straight-tube, which refers to the upright tube-like flowers. The specific epithet aristatus means bearded.
CULINARY USES
There are no edible uses know for the plant and parts of plant are poisonous if ingested. The herb is grown for medicinal use of the leaves.
TRADITIONAL MEDICINAL USE
NOTE: please take advice from a doctor if you are planning to use herbal medicine.
Cat's Whiskers, is a popular herbal plant , the leaves contain flavones, saponins, a glycoside, an essential oil, and potassium. It has anti-microbial and anti-inflammatory properties.
The crude herb is said to cause vomiting.
The leaves are strongly diuretic and are believed to increase the kidneys' ability to eliminate nitrogen-containing compounds. They are used in a dried form in the treatment of kidney infections, kidney stones and poor renal function as a result of chronic nephritis. They are also used in the treatment of cystitis, urethritis and gout.
INTO THE WILD: a down to earth experience
For guests and visitors to Paksong we organize weekly tours "The Edible Forest" and Foraging weekends: Into the Wild. We work with local guides to take you in the jungle of Paksong. After foraging, we will cook a meal with the ingredients, using bamboo together with you!
Come and join and learn about the abundance of food that nature gives us!
INTO THE WILD!
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