Apocynum sibiricum var. cordigerum (Greene) Fernald
Apocynum sibiricum var. farwellii (Greene) Woodson
Apocynum sibiricum var. salignum (Greene) Fernald
Apocynum subuligerum Greene
Apocynum suksdorfii Greene
Apocynum suksdorfii var. angustifolium (Bég. & Belosersky) Woodson
Apocynum suksdorfii var. typicum Greene
Apocynum thermale Greene
Apocynum tomentulosum Nieuwl.
Apocynum venetum A.DC.
Cynopaema hypericifolium (Aiton) Lunell
Forsteronia pavonii A.DC.
Apocynum cannabinum (dogbane, amy root, hemp dogbane, prairie dogbane, Indian hemp, rheumatism root, or wild cotton)[4] is a perennialherbaceous plant that grows throughout much of North America—in the southern half of Canada and throughout the United States. It is poisonous to humans, dogs, cats, and horses. All parts of the plant are toxic and can cause cardiac arrest if ingested. Some Lepidoptera feed on this plant, such as the hummingbird moth.
Description
Apocynum cannabinum grows up to 1 m (3 ft 3 in) tall. The stems are reddish and contain a milky latex. The leaves are opposite, simple broad lanceolate, 7–15 cm (2+3⁄4–6 in) long and 3–5 cm (1+1⁄4–2 in) broad, entire, and smooth on top with white hairs on the underside. It flowers from July to August, has large sepals, and a five-lobed white corolla. The flowers are hermaphrodite, with both male and female organs.[5]
Apocynum cannabinum grows in open wooded areas, ditches, and hillsides. It is found in gravelly or sandy soil, mainly near streams in shady or moist places.[5] It is native to much of North America—in the southern half of Canada and throughout the United States.[2]
Ecology
Apocynum cannabinum flowers
The plant serves as a larval host for the snowberry clearwing (Hemaris diffinis),[10] which is a pollinator that resembles a small hummingbird.[11] It is also a host plant for the dogbane tiger moth (Cycnia tenera) and the zebra caterpillar (Melanchra picta). The larvae of Marmara apocynella[10] feed on the stems, making a "long whitish serpentine mine".[12]
Toxicity
It is poisonous to humans,[5] dogs, cats, and horses.[13] All parts of the plant are toxic, and the plant contains cardiac glycosides.[5] The plant is toxic both green and dried.[14] The stems contain a white sap capable of causing skin blisters.[15]
Uses
Fiber
Much like flax and hemp, Apocynum cannabinum contains long fibers in the stems, known as bast fibers, which can be extracted and used to create textiles. The fibers are very fine and strong, with a silky texture, and easier to process than hemp.[6] The stalks of this plant have been used as a source of fiber by Native Americans[16] to make bows, fire-bows, nets, tie down straps, hunting nets, fishing lines, bags,[17] and clothing.[7] According to Craig Bates of the Yosemite Museum, five stalks of the plant are needed to make one foot of cordage. A large bag used for storing roots would take one to three months to complete.[18] The stems should be harvested in the fall, after the leaves have fallen and the stalks have turned a deep reddish-brown color. Since cutting the stalks promotes regrowth in the spring, as much as possible should be harvested. Unused stems are traditionally cleared away by burning, which causes the plant to grow back taller and straighter in spring.
Food
The seeds have an edible use as a meal (raw or cooked) when ground into a powder.[5]
Chewing gum
The plant's latex sap can be squeezed from the plant and allowed to stand overnight to harden into a white gum which can be used (sometimes mixed with clean clay) as chewing gum.[5]
Phytoremediation
Apocynum cannabinum can be used to sequester lead in its biomass by taking it up from the soil through its roots. This process, called phytoremediation, could help clean sites contaminated with lead.[19]
Medicinal
Apocynum cannabinum showing sap from a broken leaf
^
De Prins, J.; De Prins, W. (2022). "Marmara apocynella Braun, 1915". Global Taxonomic Database of Gracillariidae (Lepidoptera). Archived from the original on 5 November 2022. Retrieved 5 November 2022.
^Kalm, Pehr (1772). Travels into North America: containing its natural history, and a circumstantial account of its plantations and agriculture in general, with the civil, ecclesiastical and commercial state of the country, the manners of the inhabitants, and several curious and important remarks on various subjects. Translated by Johann Reinhold Forster. London: T. Lowndes. p. 103. ISBN9780665515002. OCLC1083889360.
^"Indian hemp"(PDF). plants.usda.gov. United States Department of Agriculture.
Davis, A.; Renner, K.; Sprague, C.; Dyer, L.; Mutch, D. (2005) "Integrated Weed Management: One Year's Seeding." Michigan State University Extension Bulletin E-2931. East Lansing, Michigan. Accession Number LTER62246.
