Scientific name - Symphytum officinale

Synonyms --

Popular names - Daddy beard, boracioc, weed Tatin, sheet-fathers, gavat, lunaticului grass, grass baloasa, lungwort, Nada, plosnicioasa, black root, zlac, tataneasa, Fekete nadalyto, Grosse Wallwurz, Common Comfrey, Consuelda, cabalo Cola, Alfalfa, Arnica, Equinacea.

Distribution and Habitat - originally from Europe, western Siberia, Cauzazi, and North America, grows on the edge of waterways.

Description - herbaceous perennial species, up to 1 m high. Rhizomes and roots are black-glossy. Stem erect, branched covered the whole surface with scrub, edges. Leaves alternate, the basal are ovat-lanceolata, the higher are lanceolata, nestipelate, 15-20 x 2-3.5 cm, green face superiocountry, and pale green on lower face; nervatiune pedata, evidence, language around the edge, top acute, the pinna, the mad surface (hairs rigid, willing irregular). Five blossom terminal white flowers 5.10 each, actinomorfe, bisexual. Calyx with 5 SEPA ovat-acute, hairy, persistent, 6-8 mm long. Corola tubular, 5 petals joined up at the top, top lobes are acute, curved outwards, corolla tube 14 mm. Stamens 5, ± equal, attached to the corolla tube. Gineceu higher bicarpelar, bilocular with long style. Style inserted to the ovary, 15 mm. Blooms in May-August. Fruit tetra-Acorn.

Growth rate - moderate.

Tolerances - drought conditions.

Requirements - soil rich in humus, deep, moist, and sunny or semi-shady exhibitions.

Management - flowers are clipped after flowering.

Propagation - by splitting machines (rizomilor), spring. The seeds in containers in greenhouses, cold autumn or spring.

Diseases and pests --

Natural partners and Garden --

Cultivars and varieties - 'Axeminster', 'Goldsmith', 'variegatum' has leaves with white edges.

Properties and Uses - is used in folk medicine for respiratory and digestive diseases.

Rhizomes and roots contain 0.6-0.8% alantonina.

The leaves are harvested while flourishing in May-June, dry in the shade, in thin layers. Keep in cotton or paper bags.

Rhizomes and roots are harvested from September until the first frost, wash, cut pieces and dried in the sun. Keep in cotton or paper bags.

Juice of root, external wounds is Grease.

To treat stomatitis, absceselor teeth, hemorrhoids, eczema, burns, ranilor, skin cancer and breast, boil 5 tablespoons fine chopped roots in 250 ml water for 20 minutes in a covered bowl, then strain. The mouth rinse and gargle with this decoction in mouth disease, in other cases the local baths, or compresses. If hemorrhoids, are enemas and compresses it.

For rheumatism, is a decoction of 200 g crushed root boiled for 30 minutes in 3 l water, strain and add to bath water.

The leaves can be consumed cooked in soups and broths. Young shoots are used as substitutes for asparagus.

Tataneasa root is not used for internal use.

The leaves contain vitamin A, vitamin B-12, vitaminca C, and vitamin E.

Myth, Legend and Folklore - of times great-old has been used for medicinal properties, in gastronomy, and butter in Bavaria. May be used for animal feed.

Anglo-Saxons used Symphytum officinale to treat dry cough with honey, three mornings and three evenings.

In Ireland, the roots macerated, withdraw an ointment is used for burns and skin ulcers.

In some parts of Ireland, fever is treated with tataneasa roots boiled in milk, and adding the roots to feed pigs.

References

AR Harding - Ginseng and Other Medicinal Plants - Mokelumne Hill Press, 1996

Allan M. Armitage - Armitage's Garden Perennials - Timber Press, 2000

Barbara Ellis - Taylor's Guide to Perennials - Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2001

Barrie R. Cassileth, Charles D. Lucarelli - Herb-Drug Interactions in Oncology - PMPH USA, 2003

DC Watts - Elsevier & rsquo; s Dictionary of Plant Lore - Elsevier, 2007

David E. Allen and Gabrielle Hatfield - Medicinal Plants in Folk Tradition - Timber Press, 2004

Frank S. D'Amelio Sr. - Botanicals A Phytocosmetic Desk Reference - CRC, 1998

James A. Duke, Mary Jo Bogenschutz-Godwin, Judi duCellier, Peggy-Ann K. Duke - Handbook of Medicinal Herbs - CRC Press, 2002

Sir Ghillean Prance, Mark Nesbitt - The Cultural History of Plants - New York-London: Routledge, 2005