Common Names
Fairywand, blazing star, devil's bit, false unicorn, grub root, helonias, rattlesnake root, star root, starwort.

Description
A perennial that grows to 4 feet in height. Plant produces a rosette of basal leaves from which a spike rises. A few narrowly linear leaves may be found on the spike. Male and female flowers are on different plants. The male flowers are white and, when dried, yellowish; the female flowers are greenish.

Flowering Period
April to July.

Habitat
Bogs and wet places in woodlands, meadows, and thickets.

Harvest
Rootstock in fall.

Uses
This herb has been used as a diuretic, diaphoretic, anthelmintic, purgative, and tonic.