October – Herbologist

[Prof. Maxim Trevelyan]

Pretty self-explanatory, a herbologist is a witch or a wizard that specializes in the field of Herbology. They discover new magical plants or their new uses, nurture them or teach young magical students about the intricacies of Herbology.

There are a lot of famous herbologist, one of such being Phyllida Spore, author of One Thousand Magical Herbs and Fungi and Hogwarts Headmistress, as well as Neville Longbottom, who became a Herbology professor at Hogwarts.

Help Neville Longbottom make a compendium of modern magical plants. Your job is to take a photo of a plant or tree growing in your region and describe in a couple of sentences why you think it is magical and what uses it could have in the wizarding world.

For 15 Hoots and 15 beans, post your photograph (600x600 or less) and a small write-up as a reply to this thread by October 31st 11:59 pm HOL time at the latest.

[Eno Thomas]

Dafina (which is the native name) is a plant which is grown mostly in Albania. If you're having difficulties spelling it, it's like Daphne but a little bit different (Daph - eee - nah). It is mostly used in cooking because of it's characteristic smell but it also has a lot of curative properties.
Dafina is used as a cure for the following:

• Diabetes

• Digestion system

• Cardiovascular system

• Infections

• Kidney problems

• Sleep problems

• Skin problems

[Prof. Scarlet Leslie-Lewis]

Flushank is a tiny herb, generally with light pink flowers. It is considered a weed in the Muggle world. Flushank is native to Europe and Asia, but can now be found worldwide. When the flowers are combined with gillywater, bubbles are produced. Larger bubbles are used in Hiccoughing Solution, while small bubbles are key in an Elixir to Induce Euphoria, giving flushank flowers the affectionate nickname gigglebuds.

[Amaryllis Storm]

Maiden Blush
Momordica charantia
scientific name: Momordica charantia L.
Botanical family: CUCURBITACEAE

In my little neck on the woods, this plant is known as Maiden Blush, others may know it as Bitter Melon or by some other local name. This herb is used for just about everything as it is combined with other herbs and boiled into a bitter concoction that is used for colds and flu, to just about aches and pains you can think of.

It grows wild where I live and appears randomly at various times of the year in various places, but will usually reappear where it has grown before.

The ripe fruit is something most children look forward to when the plant appears. In researching this plant, I also read that the fruit, as well as the plant itself, is also used as a curative for High Blood Pressure and Diabetes among other illnesses.

That is why this plant has my vote for being included as a magical plant.

[Prof. Maxim Trevelyan]

15 Hoots and beans go to:

Amaryllis Storm
Eno Thomas
Prof. Scarlet Leslie-Lewis