WEEK 1
To kick off the year I thought we'd learn a couple Herbology related spells. The first is a transfiguration spell that is used to conjure flowers. By moving your wand in a circle and using the incantation Orchideous, you can pretty much conjure whatever kind of flower you want – just remember to concentrate as you do so. Caution must be taken when using this spell as it's closely related to a jinx that turns your target into a flowering shrub. Since it has a different wand movement I'm sure none of you will get it mixed up...
The other spell is a charm that speeds up the rate at which a plant grows. It's quite useful if you have your own garden at home and want to see all your flowers in bloom at once. It's incantation is Herbivicus, but it's wand movement is a bit of a challenge as it's in the shape of a 3-point leaf. As with Orchideous, there is a similar spell to Herbivicus that causes yellow flowers to sprout from a person's head. Its incantation is Herbifors so I don't expect any of you to mix it up with Herbivicus. Should you ever be tempted to use Herbifors please do so only in the duelling chamber.
HOMEWORK
1. Practice the Orchideous Spell. You are free to conjure any flower you wish, be it magical or non-magical. Tell me how your practice went.
2. Choose a plant you have previously studied in Herbology and cast the Herbivicus Charm on it. Tell me how your practice went.
WEEK 2
Now that you've learned some handy Herbology spells, we're going to dive right into a pair of mundane plants that are useful in the magical world: mistletoe and valerian.
Mistletoe
There are many varieties of mistletoe: the largest family has 73 genera and over 900 species. Subtropical and tropical climates have more mistletoe species (Australia, for example, has 85). Mistletoe is considered a parasitical plant as it grows on host trees and is spread through bird feces. Undigested seeds are excreted in the birds droppings and stick to twigs, where it hardens. With the droppings acting as fertilizer, mistletoe will then start to grow. The seeds use the host tree mainly for water and mineral nutrients, though mistletoe leaves do have some capability for photosynthesis.
Mistletoe is a poisonous plant that causes acute gastrointestinal problems including stomach pain and diarrhoea along with a low pulse. Despite this, mistletoe leaves and young twigs are used by herbalists and is popular in Europe, especially Germany, for treating circulatory and respiratory problems.
In the magical world, mistletoe berries are used in the Forgetfulness Potion and the Antidote to Common Poisons.
Valerian
Valerian is quite adaptable to different types of terrain and is the reason why there are many different varieties of the plant. You can find Valerian in many temperate regions of the world, but the plant is native to Europe (including the UK) and northern parts of Asia.
Growing to a height of 3-4 feet, the main stem of Valerian is round, but grooved and hollow and somewhat hairy (especially at the base). Its leaves, which are arranged in pairs and are made up of lance-shaped segments, are about 2-3 inches long. At the top of the Valerian plant is a cluster of small pink or white flowers that bloom from June-September.
The chief constituent of Valerian used by muggles and magic-folk alike is a yellowish-green to brownish-yellow oil, which is present in the dried root. Valerian is used for conditions connected to anxiety and psychological stress by allaying pain and promoting sleep, though it does not have the same after-affects of narcotics. In large doses, Valerian will cause headaches, heaviness and stupor. Historically, Valerian root has been used a a spice, a perfume and the oil was used as a remedy for cholera.
In the wizarding world, Valerian sprigs and roots are used in several potions, including the Draught of Living Death, the Draught of Peace, and the Forgetfulness Potion.
HOMEWORK
1. How does mistletoe propagate and why is it considered to be a parasitic plant? 2. Look up the etymology of the word ''mistletoe'' and tell me what it is. Hint: If you find the correct answer it should give you a chuckle.
3. What part of valerian is used by magic-folk?
4. Tell me two ways muggles use valerian.
WEEK 3
Your Herbology education wouldn't be complete without a lesson on toadstools, which are the fruiting bodies of fungi that grow above ground, have a fleshy texture and produce spores. Most toadstools grow in damp environments and have well-defined stalks, caps and gills (found underneath the caps), though some are shaped differently, such as the puffball which has no stalk. Gilled toadstools, whether they have a stalk or not, are commonly referred to as mushrooms. There is an old wives tale that claims mushrooms are edible while toadstools are poisonous. This is incorrect as one of the most deadly toadstools in the world is referred to as a mushroom – the death-cap, which is used by magic folk in the brewing of the Death-Cap Draught.
Most of you should be familiar with various types of edible mushrooms – white button, Portobello and shiitake for instance, but there are magical varieties you should be aware of. Two of these magical mushrooms can be found in the Forbidden Forest: leaping toadstools and bursting mushrooms. As each of their names suggest, leaping toadstools have the ability to jump while bursting mushrooms explode with enough force to harm you should you get too close. Luckily bursting mushrooms come with a bit of a warning: they will begin to swell and shrink very quickly before exploding so do make haste getting out of their way! If you're clever enough to prevent these mushrooms from bursting they can be collected and used in potions, particularly the Fire Protection Potion.
One final thing worth mentioning this lesson is Spattergroit, which is a very contagious disease caused by an infectious and as yet unknown magical fungi. A sub-strain of Spattergroit also exists called Cerebrumous Spattergroit. You will learn more about these diseases in your homework.
HOMEWORK
1. Describe the physical appearances of bursting mushrooms and leaping toadstools. (Hint: Look them up on HP Wiki, paying particular attention to their photos).
2. What are the symptoms of Spattergroit? What are the symptoms of Cerebrumous Spattergroit? What are the treatments for those suffering these illnesses?
3. What role did a field mushroom play in Lyall Lupin's life?
WEEK 4
Got another really fun lesson planned for this week – gillyweed! A magical aquatic plant native to the Mediterranean, gillyweed is easily recognized by its rather unsettling appearance: it looks like a cluster of slimy, grey-green rat tails. Even more unsettling is the fact that gillyweed must be eaten in order to experience its full magical ability, which is to enable a person to breathe underwater.
Once eaten, gillyweed causes a person to grow webbing between their toes and fingers, as well as gills on both sides of their neck, just below their ears. Their feet will also elongate, enabling them to swim much more easily. Gillyweed causes other changes to the body as well, such as an increased tolerance to cold. Caution must be taken when using gillyweed as the duration of its effects in fresh and salt water is still heavily debated, but the general consensus is that they last about an hour in fresh water.
While famed Herbologist Beaumont Marjoribanks is credited with discovering the properties of gillyweed, it was actually Elladora Ketteridge who accidentally discovered them a century earlier.
Now, I hope none of you are scared of the water...
HOMEWORK
I'd like you to take some gillyweed and trek down to the Black Lake. I've placed a magical barrier around a designated swimming area (because, let's be honest, you do not want to encounter some of the things that live there) and would like each of you to test the effects of gillyweed. Write a paragraph or two on your adventure in the Black Lake.
Interactive Practical
Students electing to do the interactive practical instead of the above homework should check in at the Lakeside Lawn using the appropriate password.
WEEK 5
Over the course of your Herbology studies you have come across some notable names, specifically Zygmunt Budge, Tilden Toots, Beaumont Marjoribanks, Elladora Ketteridge and Sacharissa Tugwood. Each has contributed significantly to the study of magical plants. In this lesson we're going to take a look at some other famous Herbologists.
Dame Phyllida Spore, once Headmistress of Hogwarts, lived during the 15th century and authored your textbook One Thousand Magical Herbs and Fungi along with several other books, including my particular favorite, Healing at Home with Herbs. She has two portraits here at Hogwarts, one of which can be found in the Headmaster's office.
Another author of Herbology worth noting is Selina Sapworthy. Born sometime prior to 1969, Sapworthy attended Hogwarts as a Gryffindor student and, upon graduating, devoted part of her life to the study of water plants collected by yet another Herbologist named Sir Winogrand. The book she wrote based on these plants, called Winogrand's Wondrous Water Plants, earned the Herbology Book of the Year award. A portrait of Selina Sapworthy can be found on the sixth-floor near the Grand Staircase.
Homework
Write a concise, yet detailed research essay on Miranda Goshawk, the author of your textbook Goshawk's Guide to Herbology. Include whatever information you deem important.
WEEK 6
WEEK 7
Our final magical plant of the year is the puffapod. These lovely plants produce large pink seedpods with shining beans that will bloom the instant they come into contact with a hard surface. This plant can assist with troll control as they are allergic to it and begin to sneeze violently when they are nearby. This indicates puffapods affect the respiratory system, just not ours.
Puffapods prefer wet soil, near or just in water. They like partly shaded conditions with 3-4 hours of sunlight per day. The full grown puffapod is oval shaped and stands upright at a height of approximately 1 foot. At its widest point, puffapods are about 7 inches around and, like the Sopophorous plant, will need fertilizing with Mooncalf dung as it is a delicate plant. A little known fact about the puffapod is that it is slightly photoluminescent and glows gently at dusk.
Homework
Choose a puffapod from the greenhouse and take care of it for the week. Keep a journal detailing how this went. In it you should include the location you've decided to keep your plant in, your plans to protect it, and an entry every couple days about its condition, growth and your care of it.
A fun lesson this week, this time on the Bubotuber. These plants, which can be found in Forbidden Forest, look like squirming black slugs that are both large and thick. To make its appearance even more repulsive, each Bubotuber is covered with shiny lumps that can be squeezed to produce thick yellow liquid called pus.
Bubotuber pus, which smells very much like gasoline, can be diluted and used topically to treat severe acne. As unattractive as it looks, this is truly a plant that should bring smiles to some of your poor, pimply faces (not making fun, I was once one of you!). You'll have to thank the lovely Sacharissa Tugwood for discovering the acne-curing properties of Bubotuber pus. At least you could were it not for the fact that she died in 1966...
Moving on! If used undiluted, Bubotuber pus can do very unusual things to the skin – including causing the very thing it can cure: boils – meaning that dragonhide gloves must be worn whenever the pus is extracted from the plant. Diluted Bubotuber pus is recommended over spells to remove acne as spells often backfire, causing extreme side effects such as nose loss.
HOMEWORK
Your task this week is to collect several bottles of Bubotuber pus. Write, in a paragraph or two, how this experience went.
WEEK 8
As always, I'm giving you a break from the usual lesson this week. I hope you've all enjoyed learning about the plants we covered. I know I certainly had fun teaching you!
If you're missing any homework now is the time to get caught up.
HOMEWORK
No homework, just post in the Owlery to tell me you read the lesson and are studying for the exam.