Polarplant
StarSilphium laciniatum
Synonyms: Silphium spicatum, Silphium laciniatum var. robinsonii, Silphium gummiferum
Western Herbalism Properties
Traditional Uses
Silphium laciniatum was widely used by Plains tribes. The Omaha, Dakota, Pawnee, Ponca, Winnebago, and Meskwaki are recorded as employing it as a witchcraft medicine, a veterinary aid for horses, an emetic, and a tonic, while the hardened resinous sap was chewed as a candy and gum (Gilmore, 1919; Smith, 1928).
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Botanical Description
Silphium laciniatum, the compass plant or polarplant, is a striking tall-grass prairie perennial of the Asteraceae native to the central United States. From a massive, deep, woody taproot it sends up stout, rough-hairy stems 1.5-3 m tall, bearing a sparse to copious milky-resinous sap. The large basal and lower stem leaves are deeply pinnatifid into narrow lobes, 30-60 cm long, sandpapery to the touch, and held in a near-vertical plane oriented north-south — a behaviour that gives both the common name and the legendary navigational reputation of the species among prairie travellers. Upper leaves become progressively smaller. The inflorescence is a sparse spike-like arrangement of large yellow sunflower-like heads 6-10 cm across, each with 15-35 ray florets surrounding a yellow disc; involucral bracts are broad, ovate, leafy, and pubescent. Flowering occurs from midsummer into early autumn. The species inhabits undisturbed tallgrass prairie, savannah openings, and roadsides on deep loams.
This information is for educational purposes only and is not intended to replace professional medical advice. Always consult a qualified healthcare provider before using any herbal remedy, especially if you are pregnant, nursing, or taking medications.
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