It was traditionally used as a bandage due to these properties. The diuretic action of Polytrichum moss, known in seventeenth century Europe and independently used in traditional Chinese and Guatemalan medicine, was rediscovered in the nineteenth and early twentieth century (Drobnik and Stebel 2015), when Sphagnum moss was used for dressing wounds in 1882, and subsequently used in World War 1 simply as an absorbent. Medicine from moss: Bioreactor technique may offer hope to people with age-related blindness Date: July 23, 2010 Source: Albert-Ludwigs-Universität Freiburg Six species of the genus are known from Australia, with S. cristatum being the most common. Sphagnum moss is most notable and well-known use is as a wound dressing. This diversity is in most part due to its special pr operties; of being able to absorb up to twenty times its dry weight in water (Fleet 1986). Since it is absorptive and extremely acidic, it inhibits growth of bacteria and fungi, so it is used for shipping seeds and live plants. When collecting moss just neatly cut with a … It will best to learn the old ways. Several big sacks can be filled on a final visit, and the carriage of perfectly dry moss is an easy matter. It was chemically stripped of its outer gray bark and use for that purpose up until about 1960. Tangled history of the European uses of Sphagnum moss and sphagnol Sphagnum Moss) packs in 25 lb bales, at 25 bales per pallet; 10lb, 5lb, and 2lb bales; as well as in 1lb polybags! Often called sphagnum peat moss, the plant breaks down over thousands of years when it’s submerged in water. Sphagnum moss naturally grows in different locations, and most gardeners use them for container gardening, such as hanging baskets, houseplants, and orchids. After the glaciers melted, the water runoff filled in these areas. ---Description---Sphagnum is easily distinguished from other mosses by its habit ofgrowth, its soft thick fullness (each head resembling a full and elaborate bloom of edelweiss), and its vividly pale-green colour. Oak moss is found in the mountainous regions of the US and grows, as the name suggests, on oak trees. In fact, during World War I, the Germans used sphagnum moss to make bandages that proved vastly superior to the cotton pads available at that time. Tuesday, 22 August 2017. However, if you’re in a survival situation, the odds of dying of dehydration most definitely outweigh the odds of finding halophiles in the moss. Moss is damp, isn’t it? Within 24 hours, these root systems will grow together and you have an instant, waterproof roof. Medicinal Teas . Champagne P, Li CX (2009) Use of Sphagnum peat moss and crushed mollusk shells in fixed-bed columns for the treatment of synthetic landfill leachate. Because sphagnum moss is sterile and has some antibacterial qualities, it has a long history of medical uses. David E. Allen. All the links below are Affiliate Links, so I do get a small commission for recommending them, with no extra cost to you. Also if you insulate your house with flammable moss won’t it burn easily? But the use of sphagnum moss as a wound dressing has a much longer history; during the Great War it played an important part as a substitute for cotton gauze dressings. Sphagnum Moss Is a Source of Drinking Water. There are over 12,000 varieties and they all have uses. Sphagnum cristatum Hampe. Sometimes it grows on the sides of a building, giving it that picture-pretty appearance. The moss is spread out on a table and all other substances, such as grasses, twigs, bits of heather and other plants, and above all, pine-needles, must be carefully removed by hand. You can use sphagnum moss for hanging planters for flowers and other plants. As an alternative medicine ingredient, Spanish moss use has not been approved for any specific medical treatment by the Food and Drug Administration. In favourable weather a few days' sun and wind will dry these thoroughly, as the cushions are too bulky to be scattered by the wind. Soil Amendment. One way to save water in your garden is by adding sphagnum peat moss to the soil. Very good to know in a wilderness survival situation. Although this particular use of the moss is generally looked upon as an innovation, we owe the introduction of Sphagnum Moss as a modern surgical dressing to Germany, where its value for this purpose was quite accidentally discovered in the early eighties. Because of the high acidity and the antibacterial properties of sphagnum moss, it can be included in your filtration system to help filter your water. Many types of moss, including sphagnum moss, are great for dressing a wound. Is mood miss edible? The semi-decomposed plant, excavated from bogs, is a first rate soil conditioner and is also used in seed and potting composts[172]. This is because moss grows best where it’s moist and (preferably) shady most of the day. Sphagnum moss, how to prepare a medicinal plant. It’s green and grows on trees, rocks and the ground, right? In 1939, for example, 10,000 tons of it was raked from trees in Florida and Louisiana. While retrieving botanical data from the Cynosura Materiae medicae (Boecler 1731), we encountered a description of a medicinal stock named muscus terrestris et hortensis.Our aim was to identify one or more moss species of this stock and to compare their historical and possibly ethno-pharmacological uses with modern knowledge of the species. Oregon Evergreen & Willamette Evergreen sell the highest quality Oregon Green Moss (a.k.a. Those who do not know will not it will not survive.. Sphagnum moss also makes a good packing material for protecting delicate items in transit, it can be used as a cotton wool substitute and as a potting material for many species of orchid. The use of peat moss as dressings was developed in the 1880's. Johannes Enroth (Bryonet 28 January 2009) visited the Yucatan, Mexico, and discovered mosses in use there. Day 1. The growing plant, with its underlying layers of withered stems and leaves, is collected, picked clean from other plants, pineneedles, etc., and dried. The moss helps keep the soil warm and holds moisture in, keeping the soil from drying out as quickly. Because it’s so dense and has such a tight root system, moss makes an excellent insulator. Spanish Moss — which isn’t a moss — was used to stuff car seats and furniture not only in the United States but Europe as well. Sphagnum peat moss is composed of accumulated dark brown fibrous biomatter. So how, exactly, should you use peat moss, now that you know about the benefits and downsides of sphagnum peat moss? Canadian peatlands formed over 10,000 years ago in very moist and poorly drained low spots such as old river beds, lakes or ponds. If there is sphagnum moss growing in the stream, is the water safe to drink? It belongs to the class Sphagnopsida and order Sphagnales and is the only member of the family Sphagnaceae. Adding typical pebble and soil layers will make them heavy. There are almost 400 species of peat moss. Sphagnum cristatum Hampe. The moss should be gathered as cleanly as possible, squeezed dry and carried home in sacks. Medicinal use of Sphagnum Moss: The whole fresh plant is antiseptic. Medicinal bryophytes and their morphological features and ethnic uses were examined and documented. Published evidences of medicinal use of peat have been hardly known while the awareness of the use of peat moss ( Sphagnum ) in military surgery is narrowed to the period of The First World War (moss dressings) — see for example Painter (2003) , Dickson et al. This moss is acidic, so no bacteria grows on it, which means it’s safe to drink directly from it without boiling. Sphagnum Moss has important advantages (as an absorbent) over cotton-wool. In the case of Angola, in-depth taxonomic studies on Aloe virtually ceased in the 1970s. There are several different types of edible moss, including: Technically, Spanish moss isn’t moss at all but a member of the bromeliad family. The Peat Tar contains similar antiseptic and preservative properties as the Moss itself - conclusively demonstrated by the fact that bodies of animals have lain buried in peat bogs for years, and when accidentally disinterred have been found in a state of perfect preservation. ---Peat Tar---In connexion with the uses of Spaghnum Moss as a dressing for wounds, mention should be made of the Tar extracted from the Peat on which the Moss isusually found growing. In gathering Sphagnum most people use their hands, though some employ a rake. Many types of moss, including sphagnum moss, are great for dressing a wound. There was a munition factory in Scotland, where much of the moss was sublimated and part of it compressed by hydraulic power into these cakes. It has also lately been reported from Sweden that successful attempts have been made to extract alcohol from Sphagnum. Bryophytes do not have seeds or flowers; instead they reproduce largely via spores or vegetatively. Uses of sphagnum moss in folk medicine Share. ECONOMIC AND ETHNIC USES 15 formed a hard tufa; J. M. Glime and R. E. Keen (1984) found a similar response in Fontinalis, where iron oxide completely enveloped the moss in a hard cover. Sphagnum moss also has antiseptic properties. She was born and raised in the hills of West Virginia, where she learned to farm, hunt, fish, and live off the land from an early age. Herbal Remedies and Medicinal Uses of Moss: The Ground Moss is said to be good to break the stone, and … Still, we’re including it because you can eat it and it’s also believed to have some medicinal properties, including helping lactating mothers produce milk and helping relieve the symptoms of rheumatism, diabetes and infantile epilepsy. Sphagnum moss is simple to use and beneficial for potted plants as a liner, as it acts like a sponge absorbing and retaining moisture while keeping its natural acidity. In recent years, the light-brown layer of semi-decayed Sphagnum Moss deposits that lies above the actual peat on bogs and moors, has been largely employed as valuable stable litter in the place of straw, under the name of Moss Litter, entirely on account of its great absorptive powers. The manufacture of spinning material out of peat-fibre has been attempted in Sweden, and experiments have advanced so far that cloth as well as clothing has been made out of peat fibre mixed with other textile materials. Irish moss is used for its mucilaginous and nutritional qualities. Spanish Moss, Tillandsia usneoides get’s it’s name from Usnea because of their similar appearance. We use it for field dressing cuts or puncture wounds. Sphagnum moss is a natural antibacterial, and can be used as a natural cleansing agent for wounds. However, there are other ways you can use sphagnum moss: Tip #1: Use it for hanging baskets. It will hold body heat in, and it will keep heat out. (2009) , Ayres (2013) , … Pull the moss bail apart and place it into a bucket of water. Well yes it is but it likes to hold on to its water. A tar extracted from the decaying moss is antiseptic and is seen as a … Peat moss develops its richness in the absence of air, and when put to use it naturally starts decomposing completely, and when it does it releases the nutrients but makes it especially useless for carnivorous plants. Hi, since you included Reindeer Moss in your article and it’s really a lichen, perhaps you should also include Usnea barbata, Beard Moss or Old Man’s Beard. Despite the ethno-medicinal property Sphagnum spp. Oregon has the best climate for producing it – couple that with the fact that Oregonians enjoy putting the properties of nature to good use, purchasing green moss from Oregon is a wise decision for your garden. In an emergency situation, Beard lichen could be used solely to bandage and keep clean a wound. Soak the sphagnum moss for 30 minutes. If squeezed with the hand, it must not be pressed into a hard ball. Fortunately the supply is practically an unlimited one; indeed, if the demand grew considerably, the artificial cultivation of Sphagnum for surgical purposes would be worth while. Iceland moss An edible lichen, Cetraria islandica. It would be nice if you could include photographs so we can make certain not to eat poisonous moss. Sphagnum moss also makes a good packing material for protecting delicate items in transit, it can be used as a cotton wool substitute and as a potting material for many species of orchid. Old Man’s Beard could perhaps be used in combination with balsam fir sap (which is a topical pain killer and adhesive) to secure the lichen to the wound, keep it clean, safe from infection, and reduce pain. You can just rip it off a tree and squeeze the water into your mouth. Notify me of follow-up comments by email. Large cushions of the moss are taken out and placed on a drier area near by - a couple of workers can put out about a hundred of these in an hour. In the dry state, sphagnum mosses can absorb water about 20 times its own weight, which is 4 times greater than the capacity of absorbent cotton. x. David E. Allen. Drying is best done in the open air; artificial heat is apt to overheat the moss and diminish its elasticity, making it brittle and easily rubbed into dust. Today, it's much more commonly found and used for gardening purposes. Aug 12, 2008 #2 great dude, i'm very interested to see how this will work. The even absorption of the moss is one of its chief virtues, for the patient is saved a good deal of disturbance, since the dressing does not require to be changed so frequently. Throughout history its uses have ranged from medicinal to clothing to food. If you’re on the run and trying to steer clear of invading forces or even roving plunderers, moss is a great way to camouflage your shelter. This probably should have been a bit closer to the top of the list of survival uses for moss, but here it is. Peat moss is useful as an additive in potting mixes, as a soil amendment, and in your vegetable garden. To make peat moss, the bog is dried out, and the peat moss is extracted from the ground. Therefore instead of stones, it is a common practice to use peat moss as a bottom layer of hanging pots. medicinal plants. Because sphagnum moss is sterile and has some antibacterial qualities, it has a long history of medical uses. When used with orchids, sphagnum moss can be a life savior, or the doom of an orchid. For use in field-hospitals, etc., the moss is packed in compressed cakes cut to a certain size, which are more conveniently packed for sending abroad than the soft dressings, these small slabs being also placed, each in a muslin bag, very much too large for the size of the dry cake put in them, for obvious reasons. In World War I, it was even used as sponges during surgeries when sponges and bandages that were typically used were scarce, Epstein said. Sphagnum moss has been used since ancient times as a dressing for wounds. They grow to be about 3-8 centimeters long. You can not hire people to do evil when money will be of no worth. They’re ability to retain moisture keeps everything cool and nourished for longer and less. Wringing or squeezing the moss does not harm it for surgical purposes, though it must not be allowed to dry in closely pressed pieces, because it tears when being opened up again. Where this treatment was adopted there were no specific complications, and thousands of lives were thus saved. In horticulture, long before the war, this Moss had a marketable value, in combination with peat fibre, being widely used as a rooting medium for orchids, on account of the remarkable manner in which it retains moisture, a handful when wet being like a sponge, and when chopped and mixed with soil in pots preventing moisture passing too quickly through the soil. It acts as a natural iodine and is purportedly sterile because of this quality. The leaves along the stem are tongue-shaped, while the leaves along the branches are pointed and lance-shaped. It is seldom found in woods; it grows best on heath moors, in water holes. The Government bought up tons of the bulbs, which were sent out to the front; the raw juice expressed, diluted with water, was put on swabs of sterilized Sphagnum Moss and applied to wounds. Perhaps the most common use for sphagnum peat moss is as a soil amendment. Pull the moss bail apart and place it into a bucket of water. The presence of these capillary cells makes Sphagnum economically useful. The moss itself must not be torn or broken into short pieces. We’ve barely scraped the surface in this article, especially when addressing the medical and edible benefits of moss, but at least now you get the gist of it. A MODERN HERBAL Home Page, © Copyright Protected 1995-2020 Botanical.com. Sphagnum Moss. The only real risk you have is that there is an extremely small chance that there are halophiles in it. The Tree Moss grows only on trees. The Tree Mosses, Lichen Plicatus, are cooling and binding, and have a digesting and mollifying quality. The local guide was a "coba-maya" who was familiar with uses of plants. If you manage to find a vertical surface that’s off the ground such as a big rock face that is covered in moss, that side is likely facing north in the northern latitudes because the surface isn’t directly in the sun after noon, the most drying part of the day. It’s also been used as an estrogen substitute and Spanish moss has antibacterial properties. Its use is said to have saved the lives of thousands of soldiers in the First World War. The water can be squeezed out, but the Moss does not collapse and is ready to take in fluid again. For example, in traditional Chinese medicine, they were applied in eye lesions, haemorrhages and as a heart tonic; some North American tribes used Sphagnum as a disinfectant carrier for berries that were rubbed on children's sores (Glime, 2008). Or serve my good on top of it? The Moss often attracts attention by its display of beautiful shades of colour, such patches being avoided by wary persons, who do not wish to get their feet wet. Green moss is extremely useful for efficient survival of both flora and fauna (humans inclusive). It also retains large amounts of moisture, which was quite useful in keeping the skin around a … Recommend to Library. The decomposed and compacted remains of the mosses, used as a soil conditioner and as a dressing for wounds. But is it good for anything? The herb being bruised, boiled in water and applied, eases inflammations and pains arising from a hot cause, as the pains of the gout. Since it’s lightweight, you may even want to add some of it to your homemade fire starters or just carry some raw. Indeed, such moss symbionts are respon­ sible for most of the nitrogen fixation in artic and sub-artic ecosystems. Another one of sphagnum moss's many uses is … Theresa Crouse is a full-time writer currently living in central Florida. How to use peat moss in your garden depends on what you plan to use it for. 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