Blackberry “lily” actually is a member of the Iris Family. This common name comes from the prominent clusters of black seeds that stay on the end of the stalks long after the flowers have faded and the plant gone dormant. Another common name “leopard flower” derives from the spotted appearance of the petals. The rhizomes of this plant are the Chinese herbal substance She-Gan. In traditional Chinese Medicine, it is used for asthma, croup, swelling and pain in the throat, and several other conditions. In the 200s, laboratory studies have shown that blackberry lily extract has some activity against the cells of prostate cancer. Seeds of the plant were brought from Asia to Europe by Jesuit priests in the 1730’s. The plant found its way to America in the early 1800’s.

Part used::
Rhizome

Origin:
Asia

Hull, Kathleen; Photog. Hull, Meredith /Indiana Medical History Museum: Guide to the Medicinal Plant Garden./ USA: Indiana Medical History Museum. 2010. -- p. 58.