View photos of the medicinal plant, Ligusticum grayi (Oshala).

View photos of the medicinal plant Ligusticum porteri (Osha’), profiled in Medicinal Plants of the Western Mountain States.

Ligusticum grows tentatively in some of the Sky Islands of Arizona and New Mexico. It’s probably best not to collect the plant from these areas. The southern and middle Rockies have robust stands, which are more capable of withstanding (reasonable) collection without overall harm to the species.

Conioselinum (Hemlock parsley) and Conium (Poison hemlock) are two close-appearing Carrot family plants that may cause some identification confusion. Conioselinum is not poisonous (nor particularly medicinal), however Conium can be deadly if enough is ingested. I should mention Cicuta (Water hemlock) too, an even more virulent poison than Conium – its leaves are not quite as fern-like as the others so a mix-up with this plant is less likely…but for some people? Anyway, be absolutely sure the right plant is being harvested.

Here are several photos from a 11/2004 wild-forest Ligusticum planting. About a dozen plots had healthy spring/summer 2005 sprouts. They were looking good in 2006 – until they were all eaten. Fence deficiency.

A passage from Medicinal Plants of the Western Mountain States:

Influenza sufferers will notice a marked improvement after taking the herb even for just a day. Not only is it directly inhibiting to various influenza strains, Ligusticum is helpful in lessening a number of secondary flu symptoms such as fever, nausea, and aches and pains. Its diaphoretic effects are best employed when the skin is dry and the fever low to moderate.