"If I could remember the names of all these particles, I'd be a botanist."
Enrico Fermi
My smart, botanically gifted sister-in-law Becky has identified the mystery plant as Elecampane inula helenium. Common names include Elfwort, Elf Dock, Velvet dock, Scabwort, Horseheal, and Horse elder. It has numerous healing properties. Here's a excerpt from the Purple Sage Medicinal Herbs website.:
The name Inula comes from Helen of Troy, from whose tears it is said to have sprung. The Greeks and Romans regarded elecampane as a cure-all for ailments as diverse as dropsy, digestive upsets, menstrual disorders and sciatica. The Anglo-Saxons used the herb as a tonic and as a treatment for skin disease and leprosy. By the 19th century it was being used to treat skin disease, neuralgia, liver problems and coughs. Inulin was first isolated from elecampane in 1804 and took its name from the herb. Chinese research has demonstrated mild antibacterial properties as well as a stimulant effect on the nervous system, digestion and adrenal cortex. Elecampane is also used to flavour digestive liqueurs and vermouths and is candied and used in confectionery. It is often added to proprietary cough medicine, pastilles and pills.
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