Bear's foot
StarSmallanthus uvedalia
Synonyms: Osteospermum uvedalia, Polymnia uvedalia var. densipilis, Polymnia uvedalia var. floridana, Polymnia uvedalia var. genuina, Polymniastrum uvedalia, Polymnia macrophylla, Polymnia uvedalia
Western Herbalism Properties
Traditional Uses
In nineteenth-century Eclectic and Physiomedicalist American practice, the root of Smallanthus uvedalia (then Polymnia uvedalia) was used as a stimulant to the lymphatic system, applied as an ointment or fomentation in indolent swellings, hypertrophy of the spleen, and mammary congestion, and given internally as an alterative and mild laxative (King's American Dispensatory, Felter and Lloyd 1898). The Cherokee employed the plant medicinally, and an ointment from the root was sometimes called "leaf-cup ointment" for chronic inflammation and stiff joints.
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Botanical Description
Smallanthus uvedalia (formerly Polymnia uvedalia), known as bear's foot or yellow leafcup, is a coarse, robust perennial herb of the Asteraceae native to moist woodlands, stream banks, and clearings of the eastern and southeastern United States. Plants reach 1 to 3 m in height, with stout, often purplish, branched stems arising from a thick taproot. The opposite leaves are very large—up to 30 cm long—broadly ovate with deeply palmately three- to five-lobed blades and toothed margins, the lower leaves long-petioled and the upper sessile and clasping. Yellow flower heads about 3 to 5 cm across are borne in loose terminal cymes, each with eight to thirteen ray florets and a brownish disk; the involucre has two whorls of bracts. The fruit is a short, thick, blackish achene without a pappus. It flowers in midsummer to early autumn.
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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