- Alkanet Root - Alkana tinctoria - (Dyer's Bugloss, Anchusa tinctoria ) - Usage - In an ointment, alkanet was used externally to help support wounds, skin irritations, rashes, burns and bed-sores. Culpeper said that, made into a vinegar, it "helps yellow jaundice, spleen, and gravel in the kidneys." - Culinary Usage - The flowers and young leaves of alkanet were eaten raw in salads or cooked like spinach. - Miscellaneous - In the Middle Ages alkanet was mainly grown for its root, from which was e