Robert Dale Rogers – författare

A comprehensive illustrated guide to the lichens of North America• Explores more than 400 species of lichens, alongside full-color photos• Shows the ways that indigenous peoples of North America have traditionally used lichens for food, clothing, dye, paint, and medicine• Explains in detail the scientific research behind the potency of lichen chemicals to heal many human conditionsLichens—a symbiosis of fungi, algae, bacteria, and yeast—can grow on nearly any surface and thrive in an extremely wide range of environments, including on the International Space Station. Used for millennia by Indigenous people, lichens are now being recognized by modern science for their unique medicinal potential, particularly against antibiotic-resistant bacteria, viruses, cancer, diabetes, and cardiovascular disease.In Medicinal Lichens, Robert Dale Rogers explores more than 400 species of North American lichens, including full-color photographic examples. He explains how lichens are members of the Fungi kingdom and, surprisingly, more biologically related to humans than to plants. He looks at what types of lichens we can find in geographic regions and habitats and shows how lichens are an indicator species, revealing the health of the environment and neighboring life forms, including that of humans. Rogers also explores each lichen chemical’s healing properties, showing how pharmacological researchers are rediscovering the ancient wisdom of lichens long known by Indigenous peoples.Showcasing the benefits as well as the beauty of lichens, this book demonstrates how lichens are the perfect example of strength, cooperation, and harmonious living—Indigenous wisdom with the power to inform our modern way of life.

A comprehensive illustrated guide to bryophytes• Explores more than 600 species of the bryophyte family of plants—mosses, liverworts, and hornworts—in text and full-color photos• Shows the ways that indigenous peoples around the world have traditionally used mosses and other bryophytes for food preservation, clothing, and medicine• Details scientific research on the potency of bryophyte compounds and terpenoids as well as their antiviral, antimicrobial, antifungal, and anti-cancer propertiesIn this comprehensive book, master herbalist Robert Dale Rogers reveals the unique healing benefits of bryophytes—the family of plants that includes mosses, liverworts, and hornworts. These plants are some of the oldest on our planet, and recently they have been recognized by science for their antiviral, antimicrobial, and anti-cancer properties.Bryophytes have no vascular tissue and no roots. Found on all continents in a wide range of climates, they survive—and thrive—by extracting moisture and nutrients directly from the air. Using full-color photographic examples, Rogers presents more than 600 species of bryophytes through the lenses of ethnobotany, folklore, chemistry, and pharmacology, and he shares their healing applications in homeopathy and aromatherapy.Rogers explains how Indigenous people all over the world have used bryophytes for millennia for food preservation, clothing, insulation, and medicine. He then compares the three types of bryophytes with scientific research on the medicinal effects of their chemical compounds, showing that mosses, liverworts, and hornworts can be used in herbal preparations, homeopathic remedies, and essential oils for common ailments.He also explains that bryophytes have environmental benefits, such as in the sequestration of carbon and the phyto-remediation of our increasingly polluted planet, revealing how these ancient plants have supported humanity for eons—and, fortunately for us, continue to do so.

A comprehensive illustrated guide to medicinal ferns throughout the world• Explores more than 500 species of ferns, alongside full-color photos• Examines the Indigenous and folk uses of ferns for food and medicine throughout history• Explains in detail the scientific research behind the potency of fern chemicals to heal many human conditionsUsed for millennia by Indigenous people for food and medicine, ferns are now being recognized scientifically for their unique medicinal potential against antibiotic-resistant bacteria, cancer, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and liver, kidney, and respiratory conditions. In The Fern Pharmacy, Robert Dale Rogers explores more than 500 species of ferns and includes full-color photographic examples. He presents observations from naturalists from the 18th century until today as he details the traditional Indigenous and folk uses of ferns in North America, Europe, and Asia as well as their mythology, chemistry, pharmacology, and important healing applications. Rogers examines the unique botany of ferns as nonflowering seedless plants, including their relationship with mycorrhizal fungi, their propagation via spores, and their ancient past as colossal trees. Interpreting modern research on the chemistry of ferns, including in vitro and in vivo studies of their compounds and secondary metabolites, he explores their chemical constituents’ healing properties, from easing congestion and anxiety to treating infertility to fighting bacterial infections. He also gives examples of how pharmacological researchers are now frequently rediscovering ancient Indigenous wisdom, such as how Hammock Fern (Blechnum occidentale) was traditionally used in Brazil for pulmonary ailments, inflammation, and urinary tract and liver infections and how western maidenhair can be used for rheumatic pain, insect stings, and mental issues. Featuring photographs by Alan Rockefeller and Drew Henderson, this book reveals not just the beauty and variety of ferns, but also their many modern healing benefits.