Guidelines for The Use of Herbal Medicines in Family Health Care

GUIDELINES FOR THE USE OF HERBAL MEDICINES IN FAMILY HEALTH CARE

Table 1. Parts of plant and time and method of harvest.

Part of plant Part of plant Time of harvest Method of harvest

used (selecting plant) (taking plant)

1. Leaves Leave without Before blooming/ Cut the branch before
   (folium) stalk. before flower falls. taking the leaves.


2. Leaves with Leaves. Before 10 a.m. Do not Cut the branch
   volatile oil take wet leaf after rain. and take the leaves.


3. Herb, whole All part of the Close to blooming. Pull up the plant including
   plant plant, root, the roots (better done
   stem, leaves. manually, with hand).


4. Rhizome Rhizome part of When plant stops Pull out entire rhizome
   stem/big root growing, the leaves without scraches.
   inside the earth. begin to wither,
   better in dry season.


5. Stem Stem. Main stem, branch Cut the lowest stem,
   medium age. Every using stainless steel
   part of plant has knife.
   different age.


6. Radix Root. Tuber. Dig earth around the
   plant, then cut the roots.
   Clean the roots from
   remaining soil, then cut.


7. Fructus Fruit. When it is ripe. Pick fruit manually
   by hand.


8. Semen Seed. When the fruit is Pick manually by
   (seed) ripe, before it cracks. hand.


9. Cortex Bark. Select the Cut the stem and peel the
   middled-age bark. For the creeping
   bark, but without herb cut only one branch,
   crack. using stainless steel knife.


10. Wood Stem with wood. Choose the mature Cut the stem as in
    wood. harvesting stem.


11. Flower Whole flower. When the flower Pick manually by
    blossoms, early in the hand.
    morning, before it
    withers.
    12. Bulbous Bulb. Maturation of bulb Use similar technique
    for harvesting as in harvesting root.
    varies among plants.