Cup plant

Low back soreness described as bruised, worse with exertion, in a person of debilitated constitution

Profuse, exhausting perspiration with underlying weakness rather than acute fever heat

Overview. Cup plant is a tall, coarse perennial of the North American tallgrass prairie, easily recognized by its opposite leaves fused at the base to form a water-holding cup around the square stem. The root was the part used by nineteenth century Eclectic and physiomedicalist practitioners, who regarded it as a lesser relative of compass plant (Silphium laciniatum), employed for similar but milder purposes. It never achieved wide use and dropped out of practice well before the modern era, so clinical experience with it is thin compared to its better documented congener.

Clinical Notes. Historical texts describe cup plant root as a mild tonic and diaphoretic reached for in low, remittent fevers and in states of general debility accompanied by excessive, weakening perspiration, where the aim was to support tone rather than simply to promote sweating.

Properties and Uses. The root of this plant is among the stimulating relaxants, moderately diffusive in action, and of a gently tonic character. A warm infusion is diaphoretic, and sustains the capillary circulation; and is used in colds, catarrh, and bilious and remitting fever. Cold preparations are somewhat alterant, and are said to be of value in intermittents, biliousness, and ague cake. Medical Herbalism journal and medherb.com The Physiomedical Dispensatory by William Cook, M.D., 1869

Description. Natural Order, Compositae. In the same genus with the preceding, but quite different in general appearance. Stem four to eight feet high, stout, square, often branched above. Leaves opposite, connate, six to fifteen inches long, thin, the upper pairs united by their bases so as to form a hollow or cup around the stalk. Flowers nearly as in the preceding plant. Common in rich soils by the borders of streams through the West and South. July.