Tea, Anyone?

[SDCPs]

Looking at this most excellent webpage, I learned that D. capensis leaves were used to make tea.

What is the value of this tea? What other carnivorous plants have uses? I know Pinguicula leaves have been used to curdle milk, and Venus Flytrap bulbs are prized for their supposed medicinal properties. What else? How about we draw a cutrain between fact and fiction.

If Capensis tea is any good, then I, for one, wish to try some

 

[Heli]

Not a food but nepenthes pitchers are used as water sources and jugs.

 

[cpsammich]

Oh cool
I think Drosera rotundifolia is used to treat coughs

 

[pappydew]

Apparently rotundifolia have medicinal properties too.

 

[Heli]

Heliamphora can cure cooties! Edwardsiana can cure any disease, to bad its so rare. :/

 

[pappydew]

Not a food but nepenthes pitchers are used as water sources and jugs.

I believe there was a thread about people putting rice into pitchers.

 

[Heli]

Really? I have never heard that. Thats interesting.

 

[pappydew]

http://www.terraforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=123775&highlight=rice

 

[Wire Man]

Yup, The indigenous people in N. veitchii territories use their pitchers to cook rice. It's pretty cool! The hard nature of veitchii pitchers makes it possible. Same thing with N. ampullaria. Here's a link.

http://www.wildborneo.com.my/articles/art_nos_use.html

Some people S. purpurea has medicinal properties to help with pain. That would be the conine killing nerves.
I think some tuberous dews are edible.

 

[Peatmoss]

I have also read that Drosera are used as a treatment for coughs...

I would use an all green form to try as I have heard that some red pigments in plants can be toxic, can anyone verify this?

 

[Sig]

I recall that drosera dew is the same stuff in aloe vera. Maybe it could be used on cuts and burns?

 

[Heli]

prolly not.. Dont think you could get enough dew.

 

[kahnli]

I've made the rice stuffed Nepenthes... not bad.

 

[MH1]

In the UK, Drosera rotundifolia dew was used to treat warts and corns

 

[gill_za]

I recall that drosera dew is the same stuff in aloe vera. Maybe it could be used on cuts and burns?

Isnt the dew full of digestive enzymes. Proteins that cleave larger molecules into the constituent blocks. It cant be similar to Aloe Vera dew and I'd think putting it on a wound would not be very pleasant in a long run. The enzymes produced by VFT are similar to that of dew and can digest skin (check sarracenia.org).

 

[The Griffin]

http://www.historicfood.com/rosolio.htm

 

[sarracenia_X]

I'd think putting it on a wound would not be very pleasant in a long run.

well that put a verrry disturbing picture in my head....

---------- Post added at 08:07 PM ---------- Previous post was at 08:04 PM ----------

wait a sec... arent the enzymes secreted from glands separate from the stalked glue glands? wouldn't mean that the enzymes are NOT in the dew?

 

[Wire Man]

well that put a verrry disturbing picture in my head....

I could find a photo of a brown recluse bite and you won't have to imagine it anymore.

Sphagnum was used for bandaging in WWI, due to its anti-fungal qualities.

 

[gill_za]

well that put a verrry disturbing picture in my head....

---------- Post added at 08:07 PM ---------- Previous post was at 08:04 PM ----------

wait a sec... arent the enzymes secreted from glands separate from the stalked glue glands? wouldn't mean that the enzymes are NOT in the dew?

Sessile glands (not producing dew) absorb the nutrients soup, that the enzymes( produced in stalked glands) free up from the unfortunate victim. There are two types of glands at work.

 

[Peatmoss]

I know that if I pour the liquid from my Nepenthes on to my hands it does burn a little bit but I have never seen any long term effects such as a rash or burn. Perhaps I will apply some Drosera and Pinguicula leaves to my skin for a long period of time to see if they have an effect.