The plants of middle earth

[alatar]

Originally Posted by Alfirin

I agree that tulsi is also a good athelas choice. for the record the leaves are shaped much like convential sweet basil but are grey an a little fuzzy the smell is somewhat liquorice like. It makes a very tasty and relaxing tea.

Sorry that I didn't do this sooner, but 'Welcome to the Downs, Alfirin!' Must been all them lab fumes gone to my head and all.

Anyway, found a list of plants with medicinal uses - not too hard to do - when trying to find one with analgesic properties similar to those of athelas. Sure, it takes a king's hand to get the full effect of the plant, but methinks that this is mostly legend. There's the whole placebo effect, meaning that just by being in the presence of the King (Aragorn or Elvis) was temporarily therapeutic in itself, and/or the King carefully cherry-picked those cases in which his 'healing hands' would have the greatest PR effect.

"Sire, there're injured here. One poor soldier with no arm, and another with a case of the Black Breath."

"Sorry, but I little time. Bring athelas - kingsfoil - to room #2 and I'll see what I can do."

Was watching my favorite show the other night Man vs Wild where Bear Grylls was escaping the Amazon. He'd cut himself - minor- but showed how one could use the blood red sap of a particular tree as an antiseptic. The other name for Croton draco is Dragon's Blood. The simbelmynë-like scions of Smaug's kind perhaps?