Osmorhiza facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Osmorhiza |
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| Osmorhiza claytonii | |
Scientific classification  |
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| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Eudicots |
| Clade: | Asterids |
| Order: | Apiales |
| Family: | Apiaceae |
| Subfamily: | Apioideae |
| Tribe: | Scandiceae |
| Subtribe: | Scandicinae |
| Genus: | Osmorhiza Raf. 1819 |
| Species | |
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Osmorhiza is a group of perennial plants. They are also known as sweet cicely or sweetroot. These plants are like herbs. Most kinds of sweet cicely grow in North America. Some types can also be found in South America and Asia.
Sweet cicely plants have a special trick. Their fruits have tiny hooks, like barbs. These barbs help the fruits stick to clothes, animal fur, or bird feathers. This is how the plant spreads its seeds to new places.
Contents
What is Sweet Cicely?
Sweet cicely plants are herbs that live for many years. This means they are perennial. They come back each spring. The name Osmorhiza comes from Greek words. It means "smelling root." This is because many types of sweet cicely have roots that smell nice, often like anise or licorice.
Historical Uses of Sweet Cicely
Long ago, Native Americans used the roots of sweet cicely. They believed it could help with many things. For example, they used it as a tonic for an upset stomach. They also used it to help make childbirth easier.
People would make a paste, called a poultice, from the root. They put this paste on boils and wounds. A tea made from the root was sometimes used as an eye wash. In folk medicine, people used the plant to help with coughs. They also used it as a tonic for stomachaches.
Important Safety Note
Even though sweet cicely has been used in traditional ways, it's very important to be careful. Some plants look very much like sweet cicely but are dangerous. They can even be poisonous. You should never eat any wild plant unless an expert tells you it is safe. Always ask an adult or a plant expert before touching or tasting any wild plant.
Different Kinds of Sweet Cicely
There are many different types, or species, of sweet cicely. Here are some of them:
- Osmorhiza aristata
- Osmorhiza berteroi (Also called Tapering sweetroot or mountain sweet cicely)
- Osmorhiza brachypoda (Known as California sweet cicely)
- Osmorhiza claytonii (Called Clayton's sweetroot or sweet cicely)
- Osmorhiza depauperata (Known as Bluntseed sweetroot)
- Osmorhiza glabrata
- Osmorhiza longistylis (Often called American sweet cicely, aniseroot, or licorice root)
- Osmorhiza mexicana (Mexican sweet cicely)
- Osmorhiza occidentalis (Western sweetroot)
- Osmorhiza purpurea (Purple sweetroot)
See also
In Spanish: Osmorhiza para niños
