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Silphium terebinthinaceum
Also called Prairie Dock, Basal Leaf Rosinweed, Dock Rosinweed, Swamp Cabbage
Silphium terebinthinaceum is a member of the Asteraceae, a family that includes sunflowers, and is commonly referred to as prairie dock or prairie rosinweed. It is native to central and eastern North America. "Rosinweed" became one of the plant's common names due to the fact that upon injury, resin flows from the wound, giving the plant a sweet smell. Tea brewed from the roots of the prairie dock have a variety of medical applications in Native American culture. The smoke from this plant has also been used as a treatment for congestion and rheumatism.
Silphium terebinthinaceum prefers full sun. S. terebinthinaceum is a drought-resistant plant that thrives in slightly dry to moist environments. While S. terebinthinaceum prefers deep loamy soils, it is tolerant of soils with gravel and rocks. The plant is slow at developing but is strong and difficult to kill when it is mature. Even though it is a robust plant, harsh conditions may still affect this plant. When there is a drought, a windstorm, or damage to the leaves of the S. terebinthinaceum, patches of brown can develop. Recovery after wildfires occurs quickly, as it has a very deep taproot.
Silphium terebinthinaceum is native in the United States from Iowa, Missouri, and Arkansas to the west, Wisconsin to the north, Virginia to the east, and Mississippi, Alabama, and Georgia to the South. In Canada, it is native to Ontario, although it is critically imperiled. The habitats of S. terebinthinaceum include black soil prairies as well as gravel, shrub, and hill prairies. It also prefers to grow alongside roads and railroads.
Like Silphium perfoliatum (cup plant), S. terebinthinaceum is used as a tea to relieve lung bleeding, to minimize menstruation bleeding, and as an emetic by Native Americans. Other root tea uses include a treatment for liver issues, fever, and enlarged spleen. The smoke from this plant is used as a treatment for nerve pain, along with relieving congestion and rheumatism. However, this plant is considered potentially toxic.
White rosinweed · Starry rosinweed · Cumberland rosinweed · Kidneyleaf rosinweed · Wholeleaf rosinweed · Compassplant · Mohr's rosinweed · Cup plant · Old Cahaba rosinweed · Tansy rosinweed · Roughstem rosinweed · Whorled rosinweed
Text excerpted from the Wikipedia article Silphium terebinthinaceum by its contributors, under CC BY-SA 4.0; the excerpts are shared under the same licence.
Life form, climate and native range: World Checklist of Vascular Plants, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew (CC BY 3.0), reformatted; see Plants of the World Online.
