Rhatany
Parts Usually Used
Root
Description of Plant(s) and Culture
Rhatany is a shrubby, leguminous, perennial plant that you are not likely to encounter unless you are wandering in the dry, gravely hills of Peru. The long, horizontal root produces a procumbent, branching stem with alternate, hoary, oblong to obovate leaves. Red flowers grow on short stalks and bloom all year.
Where Found
Found in the dry, gravely hills of Peru.
Medicinal Properties
Astringent, diuretic, styptic
Uses
Historical herbalists utilized the root as an astringent to address diarrhea. Traditional practitioners also valued its styptic qualities to check internal and external bleeding. Additionally, past herbals recommended the root for inflammatory conditions of the alimentary canal, such as enteritis, gastritis, and proctitis.
Bibliography
American Folk Medicine , by Clarence Meyer, Meyerbooks, publisher, PO Box 427, Glenwood, Illinois 60425, 1973 The Herb Book , by John Lust, Bantam Books, 666 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY. copyright 1974. Indian Herbalogy of North America , by Alma R. , 15 Columbus Circle, New York, NY 10023