COMMON NAMES : Adder's Tongue, Dog's Tooth Violet,
American Adder's Tongue, Yellow Snowdrop,
Serpent's Tongue, Trout lily

ELEMENT : Water

RULING PLANET : Moon

GENDER : Feminine

MAGICKAL POWERS : Healing

DESCRIPTION : The stem is slender and only a few inches high. A pair of oblong, dark-green, purplish-blotched leaves connected near the ground. The leaves are about 2 1/2 inches long and 1 inch wide, minutely wrinkled, with parallel, longitudinal veins. The stem ends in a large, pendulous, lily like flower, about 1 inch across. Flowers appear in late April and early May.

CULTIVATION : Adder's Tongue grows best in a woodland setting. Part sun to mostly shade and deep, moist loamy soils are ideal.

PARTS OF PLANT USED : Leaves and roots of Adder's Tonque are used.

COLLECTION : You may collect leaves anytime, roots are best collected in the fall.

PLANT ANALYSIS, BODILY INFLUENCE : Little is known of the constituents of Dog's Tooth. It is known to contain alpha- methylenebutyrolactone. This plant is an emetic, emollient, antisorbutic when fresh. It is a nutritive when dry.

MEDICINAL USES : When made into a tea with horsetail grass (Equisetum hyemate), Dog's Tooth Violet is a good agent for conditions of bleeding or ulcers of bowels, or for tumors and inflammation of the bowels. This plant is also a quick relief for nose bleeds and it also aids sore eyes.

The fresh roots and leaves may be simmered in milk. This is beneficial in dropsy, hiccups, vomiting and bleeding of the bowels. The juice of the plant, when infused in apple cider, is found to be beneficial for these ailments also. Leaves that are fresh and straight off the plant are rarely used although they are strongly emetic.

Dog's Tooth Violet, when boiled in water, is a panacea for wounds and a reducer of inflammation. It has been used to heal scrofulous skin ulcers and tumors.

HISTORY : Adder's tongue was grown near the camps of Roman Soldiers, who used it on foot sores.

This plant was rarely used by Native Americans. European settlers considered Adder's Tongue to have similar properties to Meadow Saffron(Colchicum autumnale).It was listed in the Pharmacopoeia of the United States from 1820-1863 as a treatment for gout.

LORE : According to Culpepper, this plant is under Moon and Cancer. Therefore, if the weakness is suspected to be caused by an evil influence of Saturn in any part of the body that is governed by the Moon or dominated by Cancer, this herb will cure it.

Christian legend says the lily sprang from the tears of Eve when she found motherhood was near.

DOSAGE : Internal - 1 teaspoon of dried leaves or root to 1 cup of water. Drink a cupful per day.

External - Use fresh leaves. Bruise the leaves and follow the information above. Apply to infected part 3 or more times a day.

MAGICKAL USES : Soak in cold water. Remove from water and wrap in cloth then apply to wound or bruise. Leave in place until the bundle is warm. Remove, then bury in a muddy place. The wound will then be cured.

CULINARY : The leaves may be cooked and eaten as a vegetable.