Photo Details:
1.
Flower, September 22, 2005 - Hidden Valley Park, Salt Lake
County,
Utah. 2. .plant, buds and leaves, August 22, 2004 - LeBarron
Point,
Utah
County, Utah . 3., 4. Flower, stems, leaves and bud of trailing
gumweed on which I
have questions on species or variety - September 13, 2005 - Albion,
Salt Lake County, Utah - ©Nicky Davis
Description
Flower: 3 inch yellow
flowers, both ray and disk flowers, buds covered with sticky
white
resin. Leaves:
lance-shaped, serrated at the margins Phyllaries:
curled up Habitat:
dry
fields, prairies,
mountain meadows, railroad sidings -
Pioneer and Native American
uses for Curly Cup Gumweed
Native
Indians
used the
boiled extract from the roots and flowerheads to treat respiratory
ailments.
Sticky resin of gumweed contains a high content of the drug, grindelia,
which is effective in treating acute bronchitis. Both the Pioneers and
the Native Americans drank teas made from gumweed for bronchitis and
severe
coughing. Broth from dried leaves and flowers were applied to poison
ivy
and small pox lesions, as it seemed to relieve itching. The sticky
resin
was used in place of stitches to hold deep cuts together for healing.
Today
some species of gumweed are used in cough syrups and cough drops.
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