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DOG ROSE ROSA CANINA The.flowers of the Wild Briar are accounted more restringent than the Garden Roses and by some are reckoned as a specific for the excess of the catamenia. The leaves of the Dog Rose are smoother and greener than are Garden Roses. The flowers are white or pale red. The seed vessels are round and red and full of pulp and the white seeds are cornered. Where to find it: In hedges. Flowering time: Late spring, early summer. The seed is ripe in early autumn. Astrology. It is under the dominion of the Moon. Medicinal virtues: The pulp of the hips has a pleasant acidity. It strengthens the stomach, cools the heat of fevers, is good for coughs and the spitting of blood and for scurvy. The seed has been known to do great things against the stone and gravel. The best way of preserving its virtues is by keeping it conserved. Modern uses: The leaves have been used as a substitute for tea. Rose hip tea may be purchased from health stores. The pleasant acidity is due to the hips containing citric acid, rnalic acid and ascorbic acid (vitamin C) which is why it is 'good for the scurvy'. The hips can be eaten or made into a jam, or syrup. The syrup is especially good for infants and young children as a nutritional supplement. The seeds are diuretic, and when dried and powdered can be used as a remedy for urinary stones. Use about a teaspoonful in water. |