Meaning
A pungent, garlic-smelling medicinal bush (Petiveria alliacea) widely used in Jamaican folk medicine. Brewed as a bitter 'bush tea' or boiled into a 'wash' for the body, guinea-hen weed is taken for colds, aches and pains, and cleansing, and it is long valued as a powerful traditional remedy, its strong smell felt to signal its strength. Growing wild in yard and bush, it is among the most respected of the medicinal plants, reached for when the body needs a strong, purging tonic.
Examples
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Granny bwile guinea-hen weed tea fi di cold.
Granny boiled guinea-hen weed tea for the cold.
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Dem use guinea-hen weed fi all kinda ailment.
They use guinea-hen weed for all sorts of ailments.
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Di whole yaad smell a guinea-hen weed.
The whole yard smells of guinea-hen weed.
Origin
Named for its use around guinea fowl and its strong smell; the plant (Petiveria alliacea, also called anamu or gully root) is a staple of Caribbean bush medicine.
How it’s used
A well-known Jamaican bush-medicine plant. One of many herbal remedies in the 'bush tea' tradition.