''Eryngium aquaticum'' is a species of flowering plant in the family

Apiaceae Apiaceae or Umbelliferae is a family of mostly aromatic flowering plants named after the type genus '' Apium'' and commonly known as the celery, carrot or parsley family, or simply as umbellifers. It is the 16th-largest family of flowering plant ...

known by the common name rattlesnakemaster,''Eryngium aquaticum''.
USDA Plants Profile. marsh rattlesnake master,''Eryngium aquaticum''.
NatureServe. corn-snakeroot, bitter snakeroot, and marsh eryngo.''Eryngium aquaticum''.
USDA NRCS Plant Guide. This plant is native to eastern North America. This biennial or perennial herb grows up to 2 meters tall. The ribbed, erect stem branches toward the top. There are alternately arranged leaves which are lance-shaped and toothed on the edges. The basal leaves may be up to 90 centimeters long by 9 wide. The

inflorescence An inflorescence is a group or cluster of flowers arranged on a stem that is composed of a main branch or a complicated arrangement of branches. Morphologically, it is the modified part of the shoot of seed plants where flowers are formed ...

contains white to blue flower heads with spiny, blue-tinged bracts. In the wild this plant grows in wet soils, such as those by

bog A bog or bogland is a wetland that accumulates peat as a deposit of dead plant materials often mosses, typically sphagnum moss. It is one of the four main types of wetlands. Other names for bogs include mire, mosses, quagmire, and muskeg; a ...

marsh A marsh is a wetland that is dominated by herbaceous rather than woody plant species.Keddy, P.A. 2010. Wetland Ecology: Principles and Conservation (2nd edition). Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, UK. 497 p Marshes can often be found a ...

es, and ditches. It tolerates saturated soils and periodic flooding. This plant had a number of medicinal uses for Native American groups. The

Cherokee people The Cherokee (; chr, ᎠᏂᏴᏫᏯᎢ, translit=Aniyvwiyaʔi or Anigiduwagi, or chr, ᏣᎳᎩ, links=no, translit=Tsalagi) are one of the indigenous peoples of the Southeastern Woodlands of the United States. Prior to the 18th century, th ...

used it for nausea.''Eryngium aquaticum''.
University of Michigan Ethnobotany. The

Choctaw people The Choctaw (in the Choctaw language, Chahta) are a Native American people originally based in the Southeastern Woodlands, in what is now Alabama and Mississippi. Their Choctaw language is a Western Muskogean language. Today, Choctaw peop ...

used it as a remedy for

snakebite A snakebite is an injury caused by the bite of a snake, especially a venomous snake. A common sign of a bite from a venomous snake is the presence of two puncture wounds from the animal's fangs. Sometimes venom injection from the bite may oc ...

and

gonorrhea Gonorrhea, colloquially known as the clap, is a sexually transmitted infection (STI) caused by the bacterium '' Neisseria gonorrhoeae''. Infection may involve the genitals, mouth, or rectum. Infected men may experience pain or burning with ...

, and the Delaware people used it for intestinal worms. Many groups made it into tea to treat gastrointestinal complaints. The

Koasati The Coushatta ( cku, Koasati, Kowassaati or Kowassa:ti) are a Muskogean-speaking Native American people now living primarily in the U.S. states of Louisiana, Oklahoma, and Texas. When first encountered by Europeans, they lived in the terri ...

attributed magical powers to the plant. This plant is used in flower arranging and as an

ornamental Ornamental may refer to: *Ornamental grass, a type of grass grown as a decoration *Ornamental iron, mild steel that has been formed into decorative shapes, similar to wrought iron work *Ornamental plant, a plant that is grown for its ornamental qua ...

garden plant. However, most plants sold under the name ''E. aquaticum'' are actually specimens of '' Eryngium yuccifolium''.''Eryngium aquaticum''.
Missouri Botanical Garden.

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q5396287 aquaticum Plants used in traditional Native American medicine Flora of the Eastern United States Plants described in 1753 Taxa named by Carl Linnaeus