Elecampane



Elecampane

Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Phylum: Magnoliophyta
Class: Magnoliopsida
Order: Asterales
Family: Asteraceae
Tribe: Inuleae
Genus: Inula
Species: I. helenium
Binomial name
Inula helenium

Elecampane, also called Horse-heal (Inula helenium) or Marchalan (in Welsh), is a perennial composite plant common in many parts of Great Britain, and ranges throughout central and Southern Europe, and in Asia as far eastwards as the Himalayas.

It is a rather rigid herb, the stem of which attains a height of from 3 to 5 feet; the leaves are large and toothed, the lower ones stalked, the rest embracing the stem; the flowers are yellow, 2 inches broad, and have many rays, each three-notched at the extremity. The root is thick, branching and mucilaginous, and has a warm, bitter taste and a camphoraceous odor.  

For medicinal purposes it should be procured from plants not more than two or three years old. Besides antiseptic properties.

In France and Switzerland it is used in the manufacture of absinthe.

Recent science

Susan O'Shea, a research student at Cork Institute of Technology (CIT), Ireland, has shown that extracts from the herb kill MRSA as well as a broad spectrum of other bacteria. Newspaper report of the discovery

Folklore

The plant's specific name, helenium, derives from Helen of Troy; elecampane is said to have sprung up from where her tears fell. It was sacred to the ancient Celts, and once had the name "elfwort".[1]

Herbalism

John Gerard recommended elecampane for "the shortness of breath"; today herbalists prescribe it as an expectorant and for water retention; it also is claimed to have antiseptic properties. It has minor applications as a tonic and to bring on menstruation.[2]

References

  1. ^ Howard, Michael. Traditional Folk Remedies (Century, 1987); p135
  2. ^ Howard, Michael. Traditional Folk Remedies (Century, 1987); p136

This article incorporates text from the Encyclopædia Britannica Eleventh Edition, a publication now in the public domain.

 
This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article "Elecampane". A list of authors is available in Wikipedia.