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Poisonous Plants

Pheasant’s Eye Herb Uses and Toxicity

Botanical Name: Adonis vernalis.

The plant genus that pheasant’s eye belongs to is named after Adonis, a young man of great beauty which according to Greek mythology was loved by the goddess Aphrodite.

When he was killed by a wild boar it caused Aphrodite great sorrow and according to legend her tears were transformed into the beautiful pheasant’s eye flowers.

Other Common Names: Spring adonis, false hellebore, spring pheasant’s eye, sweet vernal, ox-eye, arontorpsros. (Swedish), ojo de perdiz (Spanish), adonis du printemps (French), Frühlings-Adonisröschen (German), troldøje (Danish), våradonis (Norwegian), kevätruusuleinikki (Finnish).

Habitat: Pheasant’s eye has its native range from the Black Sea and to the east through southern Siberia and towards the Altai mountains in central Asia.

The plant is also found in grassy mountainous areas in the south of Germany and Central and Eastern France.

It is often cultivated as an ornamental plant and thrives best in dry calcareous and well drained soil in semi shade or full sun.

Pheasant’s eye is a rare plant in most of its native range and it is therefore legally protected from foraging in most countries.

Plant Description: Pheasant’s eye is a perennial plant that belongs to the buttercup or crowfoot family (Ranunculaceae). It grows to 20 to 30 cm (8 to 12 inches) in height with light green leaves and smooth stems.

The beautiful yellow flowers are hermaphrodite (have both male and female organs) and are pollinated by bees, flies and beetles. The plant is self-fertile.

The flowers turn constantly toward the sun and close every night. They stay also closed in cloudy and rainy weather.

The plant is in bloom from March to May, and the seeds usually ripen from May to June. The seeds are spread by ants.

Pheasant’s eye is a very beautiful and distinctive plant when it is in flower, and the finely divided foliage makes the plant easy to recognize even when not in bloom.

Plant Parts Used: The above ground parts of the plant, apart from the leafless lower part of the stem, are used in herbal medicine.

The plant material is harvested every third year when the plant is in flower.

The plant material should be spread in a thin layer and dried quickly at temperatures of 50-60 ° C. During the drying the plant parts should be carefully turned several times.

Due to the herb’s toxicity, the collected material should be kept separated from other plants during the drying process.

The dried herb is odorless and used in tinctures and liquid extracts. The herb must be stored in containers with a tight lid to protect it from light and moisture. The herb has poor shelf life, and the stocks should be renewed every year.

Most of the herb used in herbal medicine comes from Eastern Europe and Russia.

Pheasant's Eye herb
Pheasant’s Eye Applications in Herbal Medicine

Therapeutic Benefits, Application and Properties of Pheasant’s Eye

Active Ingredients and Substances: Adonis vernalis contains a variety of cardiac stimulating glycosides (cardenolides), in concentrations ranging from 0.2 to 0.5%.

It also contains cymarin as the main active substance, small amounts of adonitoxin, flavonoids and 26 other cardenolides.

A Herb for the Heart and Cardiovascular System

Pheasant's Eye Adonis vernalis
Pheasant’s Eye (Adonis vernalis) – Illustration ©The Herbal Resource
Pheasant’s eye contains cardiac glycosides that are similar to those found in common foxglove (Digitalis purpurea). These substances improve the effectiveness and performance of the heart while at the same time lowering the heart rate.

The herb is considered helpful as a remedy for impaired heart function, mitral stenosis (narrowing of the heart’s mitral valve) and edema (swelling due to excess fluid buildup) caused by heart failure or poor blood circulation.

Unlike foxglove, pheasant’s eye has a mild sedative effect on the heart, and the herb is usually prescribed when the heart beats too quickly or irregularly. The effect is faster than using foxglove, but more short-lived.

Since pheasant’s eye is less toxic than foxglove and as the herb does not accumulate in the body as much as foxglove does, the herb can be used over a long period of time. However, the practical application of it is somewhat limited, as its substances are absorbed in an uneven manner.

Other Medicinal Uses

The herbs is regarded to have diuretic, sedative, antiarrhythmic, cardiotonic and vasoconstriction properties

Pheasant’s eye has a long history of use as a medicinal herb and it is still included in the Pharmacopoeias (an official publication containing a list of medications) of many European countries.

In the past the herb was used as a folk medicine for sexually transmitted diseases, fever, menstrual pain, bladder and kidney stones, epilepsy and intestinal worms.

Today, it is often used in the treatment of low blood pressure and due to its diuretic action it can be useful as a remedy to to counter water retention (edema). The herb has also been used as an anti-epileptic drug and it is thought to be effective against rheumatism.

The German Commission E Monographs, a governmental regulatory agency that was founded in 1978, approves pheasant’s eye for arrhythmia, and heart palpitations due to anxiety.

The herb is included in a homeopathic remedy called Adonis that is used as a treatment for angina.

Dosage and Administration

When the herb is used to treat cardiovascular diseases, it is done in the form of standardized powder, or to less extent as a tincture. The doses must be accurate to avoid adverse side effects.

The average dose of the powder is 0.6 g. According to the German Commission E, single doses should not exceed 1 g and the maximum daily dose is 3 g.

Pheasant’s eye should never be used for self-medication. The herb or any substances extracted from it should only be used under the guidance of a professional health care provider and then only in the form of standardized ready-made preparations.

Side Effects and Possible Interactions of Pheasant’s Eye

Pheasant’s eye is toxic, even in relatively small doses. The herb can cause vomiting and diarrhea in small amounts and in large amounts it can paralyze both the heart and blood vessels.

Supporting References

Bown, Deni: The Royal Horticultural Society New Encyclopedia of Herbs & Their Uses. London, Dorling Kindersley 2002.
Hensel, Wolfgang: Medicinal Plants of Britain and Europe. London, A&C Black Publishers Ltd. 2008.
Príhoda, Antonín, Ladislav Urban & Vera Nicová: The Healing Powers of Nature. Leicester, Blitz Editions 1998.
Stuart, Malcolm: The Encyclopedia of Herbs and Herbalism. London, Orbis Publishing 1979.
van Wyk, Ben-Erik & Michael Wink: Medicinal Plants of the World. Portland, Oregon, Timber Press 2004.
Volák, Jan & Jiri Stodola: The Illustrated Book of Herbs. London, Caxton Editions 1998.
Williamson, Elisabeth M.: Potter’s Herbal Cyclopaedia. Essex, Saffron Walden 2003.

Ragwort – Traditional Uses and Toxicity

Botanical Name: Senecio jacobaea.

Other Common Names: Common ragwort, mare’s fart, tansy ragwort, ragweed, stinking willie, stinking nanny, dog standard, staggerwort, stammerwort, cankerwort, cushag, hierba de santiago (Spanish), herbe-de-saint-jacques, cinéraire (French), Jacobs-Greiskraut (German), eng-brandbæger (Danish), landøyda (Norwegian), stånds (Swedish).

Habitat: Ragwort is Native to Europe, North Africa, Caucasus and Western Asia. The plant has been introduced to North and South America, Australia and New Zealand.

The plants thrives best in dry and rather nutrient-poor soil and can usually be found in cultivated fields, grazing pastures, along ditches and roadsides

The plant is regraded as a troublesome and often very dangerous weed and in some Australian states, farmers and landowners are required by law to the keep the plant at bay or eradicate it.

In New Zealand, farmers sometimes use helicopters to spray their farms with herbicides or they introduce the ragwort flea beetle to the affected area if ragwort is too widespread.

Description: Ragwort is a 40-80 cm tall, biannual (can exhibit perennial properties under the right conditions) that belongs to the daisy family (Asteraceae). The plant has erect, stiff and tough stems and thick roots.

The upper part of the stem is usually highly branched and produces many flower heads. The hermaphrodite bright yellow flower heads form dense, flat-topped clusters. The plant is in bloom from June to November (northern hemisphere). Pollination is done by bees, flies, moths and butterflies.

The green leaves are pinnately lobed and have rather unpleasant smell which explains some of the plant’s English common names like stinking willie, stinking nanny and mare’s fart.

Plant Parts Used: In the past, the above ground parts of the plant were used for medicinal purposes. The plant was usually harvested during the flowering period and used fresh or dried for later use.

ragwort herb
Ragwort – A Poisonous Plant

Health Benefits and Medicinal Applications of Ragwort

Active Ingredients and Substances: Like many plant species belonging to the genus Senecio (ragworts and groundsels), common ragwort contains toxic pyrrolizidine alkaloids (seneciphyllin, senecionine, jacodin, jaconine, jacobine, jacozine, otosenine and retrorsine).

Other ingredients in the herb are flavone glycosides, resins, mucilage and mineral salts.

The essential oil extracted form the plant contains germacrene D and 1-undecene as the main ingredients, but it also contains 1-nonen, myrcene, ocimene and beta-caryophyllene.

Traditional Uses

In the past, ragwort did have some medicinal uses, especially in England.

In folk medicine, the herb was used externally (mixed with pig fat) as an ointment for relieving pain in the arms, hips and legs.

The plant was also used to treat throat inflammation in humans and in horses. A poultice made from the plant was laid on the throat, or it was infused in water and used as a gargle.

One of the old English name for ragwort is “stammerwort”, referring to the common believe that it could be used to treat stuttering.

Until recently, ragwort extract was used internally as an herbal remedy for coughs and colds.

It was also used in the past to relieve pain related to sciatica, rheumatism, arthritis and gout, often in combination with wintergreen (Gaultheria procumbens) and lobelia (Lobelia inflata). These traditional uses were also know in the U.S.

Ragwort was applied on boils to get them to open up and in some parts of England, a branch of ragweed was worn as protection against variety of infectious deceases.

Medicinal Properties of Ragwort

Ragwort Seneca jacobaea
Ragwort (Seneca jacobaea) – Illustration ©The Herbal Resource
Ragwort is closely related to common groundsel (Senecio vulgaris) and has similar medicinal properties and applications.

Ragwort is thought to have purifying, sudorific and antipyretic properties. The plant is also regarded to have cooling and astringent effect.

Ragwort may be useful in treating burns, sores and eye infections and it may also be helpful as a gargle to treat mouth ulcers and sore throat. In addition, it is thought to ease the pain of bee stings.

A homeopathic preparation is made from the plant. It is used to treat variety of health conditions such as intestinal worms, internal bleeding, menstrual disorders and other female related ailments.

Despite its medicinal properties ragwort is a highly poisonous plant that should never be used internally in any form or externally on open wounds. The plant can also cause skin rashes in sensitive people just by a simple touch.

Dosage and Administration

Ragwort should never be used internally and it is regarded to be unsuitable as a medicinal herb due to its toxicity so any self medication of the herb is advice against and can result in serious side effects.

Side Effects, Interactions and Toxicity of Ragwort

Most plant species in the genus Senecio are potentially poisonous, and ragwort is probably the one considered most dangerous.

The herb contains a wide range of toxic pyrrolizidine alkaloids and cyclic diesters. These substances are carcinogenic and can cause severe liver damage (necrosis and cirrhosis) both in humans and animals.

Domestic grazing livestock normally avoids the plant in pasture and fields but hay can easily become contaminated with ragweed and pose serious health concerns. The toxic alkaloids are not destroyed by drying and because the toxins accumulate in the body, small doses ingested over long period of time can eventually lead to deadly poisoning.

Symptoms of ragwort poisoning in animals are digestion system failure, restlessness, hepatitis, blindness, shaking of legs or leg tremors and eventually total collapse. These symptoms can appear in few days to several weeks or even months. Once the symptoms have manifested, the animals usually die within days.

In the 1930s it was discovered that the so-called “Pictou cattle disease“, a liver disease particularly affecting cows, was due to ragwort.

In several countries, serious poisoning in humans has been reported when food grains have been contaminated with seeds from different Senecio species.

Some researchers believe that the high rate of liver cancer in rural Africa is caused by large amounts of ragweed in uncleaned bread grains.

Symptoms of poisoning in humans can be abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting, headache, enlarged liver, apathy and abnormal weight loss.

People have also been poisoned indirectly by consuming milk or honey that is contaminated with ragwort.

There is no specific treatment for ragwort poisoning, only general symptom relief and treatment of digestive disorders and liver damage.

Like so many plants in the daisy family (Asteraceae), can ragwort cause allergic reaction (contact dermatitis) in sensitive people.

Supporting References

Barker, Julian: The Medicinal Flora of Britain & Northwestern Europe. Kent, Winter Press 2001.
Bown, Deni: The Royal Horticultural Society New Encyclopedia of Herbs & Their Uses. London, Dorling Kindersley 2002.
Hatfield, Gabrielle: Hatfield’s Herbal. London, Allen Lane 2007.
Stary, Frantisek & Zdenek Berger: Poisonous Plants. Leicester, Magna Books 1995.
Turner, Nancy J. and Adam F. Szczawinski: Common Poisonous Plants and Mushrooms of North America. Portland, Timber Press 1997.
Williamson, Elisabeth M.: Potter’s Herbal Cyclopedia. Essex, Saffron Walden 2003.

Sun Spurge Uses, Benefits and Side Effects

Botanical Name: Euphorbia helioscopia.

The genus Euphorbia (spurge) contains over 1600 species making it one of the most species-rich plant genus in the world.

The common characteristic of all these species is that they contain poisonous, milky latex-like sap that tastes strong and bitter.

Since it is the sap that has been used medicinally, these species are interchangeable.

Other Common Names: Wart spurge, umbrella milkweed, wartweed, madwoman’s milk, euforbia girasol (Spanish), åkervortemelk (Norwegian), Sonnenwend-Wolfsmilch (German), euphorbe réveille-matin (French), revmorstörel (Swedish), skærm-vortemælk (Danish).

Habitat: Sun Spurge is native to Europe, Central Asia and North Africa, and it has been introduced by humans and naturalized in other parts of the world, so now it is close to have cosmopolitan distribution.

The plant is considered to be a weed and grows best in open areas and nutritious soil. It can often be found in fields, gardens, parks, mounds and fallow land.

Description: Sun spurge is an annual belonging to the spurge family (Euphorbiaceae). It can grow up to 10-30 cm in height with base branched and sparsely hairy stems.

The yellow-green leaves are oval, broadest above the middle and finely toothed on the upper half.

The tiny flowers have two to five basal bracts. They are similar to the leaves but more yellow-green. The plant blooms from mid spring to late summer.

The seed capsule is 3-4 mm, smooth and glabrous, the seeds are dark brown with wrinkles.

Plant Parts Used: The white sap latex is the only part of the plant that has been used as herbal medicine.

It should only be used externally but in the past the dried plant sap was also used internally, but such use is now strongly discouraged due to the herb’s toxicity.

sun spurge herb flower
Sun Spurge Flower

Traditional Uses, Therapeutic Benefits and Claims of Sun Spurge

Active Ingredients and Substances: Sun spurge and other species belonging the genus Euphorbia contain a white latex-like sap with several active ingredients, including the poisonous substance euphorbon and some very strong irritants.

The toxic sap is found in all parts of the plant, and the toxic effect is not diminished by drying.

A Remedy for Warts

Throughout the ages the milky sap latex of plants belonging to the spurge family has been regarded as an effective remedy against warts (including verrucas).

It has also been used to treat corns and ringworms.

If the sap latex is used as a natural treatment for warts it must be applied with care so it does not come into contact with the surrounding skin.

Other Applications of Sun Spurge

The dried plant sap of sun spurge ( and other euphorbia species) was once used internally as laxative and emetic but due to the toxicity of the herb it probably did more harm than good, even causing fatalities.

In the past women rubbed the sap on their cheeks which irritated the skin and increased blood flow resulting in a rosy fresh look. But this practice could also lead to blistering and sores that took a long time to heal.

From the Isle of Man comes one of the strangest use of the plant as an aphrodisiac or “natural viagra” of sorts. Small amounts of the milky sap was rubbed on the penis glans to make it swell.

This practice to increase sexual arousal was well known among the locals and the plant was often referred to as “Saturday-night-pepper”. This method is far from being safe and should not be tried as it may cause serious injury!

Dosage and Administration

Because of the plant’s toxicity it should not be included in any homemade herbal preparations or remedies. It should only be used externally in very small quantities as a treatment for warts.

To be on the safe side it is highly recommended to contact a skilled herbalist regarding the use of the herb prior to use.

Possible Side Effects and Interactions of Sun Spurge

Sun Spurge Euphorbia helioscopia
Sun Spurge (Euphorbia helioscopia) – Illustration ©The Herbal Resource

Sun Spurge and all species belonging to the Genus Euphorbia are poisonous and must be treated with caution.

The sap can cause severe inflammation and blistering if it comes in direct contact with the skin.

If the sap comes in contact with the eyes it can cause serious damage to the cornea and at worst blindness. If exposed, the eyes should be rinsed immediately with water followed by a visit to the nearest hospital emergency room.

If the herb is ingested it can lead to a sharp local irritation of the mucous membranes in the mouth and throat, dizziness, acute gastrointestinal disorders with vomiting, diarrhea, cramping and severe pain.

When the plant’s toxins are absorbed they begin to cause grogginess, affect the circulatory system , inducing cold sweats and dilating the pupils.

Children are especially susceptible to the herb’s toxic effect. Treatments for internal Euphorbia poisoning include; inducing vomiting, drinking lots of water and charcoal.

Supporting References

Allen, David E. & Gabrielle Hatfield: Medicinal Plants in Folk Tradition. An Ethnobotany of Britain & Ireland. Portland / Cambridge, Timber Press 2004.
Barker, Julian: The Medicinal Flora of Britain & Northwestern Europe. Kent, Winter Press 2001.
Turner, Nancy J. and Adam F. Szczawinski: Common Poisonous Plants and Mushrooms of North America. Portland, Timber Press 1997.
Wink, Michael & Ben-Erik van Wyk: Mind-Altering and Poisonous Plants of the World. Portland, Oregon, Timber Press 2008.

Cyclamen Uses as Herbal Medicine

Botanical Name: Cyclamen hederifolium, C. purpurascens.

The plant genus Cyclamen contains 19 plant species commonly found in Europe, Mediterranean, Asia and in East Africa.

Persian cyclamen (C. persicum) is a popular house plant that many people are acquainted with. It often blooms at Christmas time and comes in variety of cultivars.

It is mainly two spices of cyclamen that have been used as herbal medicine, ivy-leaved cyclamen (C. hederifolium) and European or purple cyclamen (C. purpurascens).

Other Common Names: Ivy-leaved cyclamen, sowbread, spring sowbread, stag truffle, alpefiol (Norwegian), cyclamen à feuilles de lierre (French), Neapolitanisches Zyklamen (German), höstcyklamen (Swedish), vedbendbladet alpeviol (Danish).

Habitat: C. purpurascens is widespread in continental Europe, from eastern France, over the Alps to Poland and south to Bosnia and Herzegovina.

The species is also found in mountainous areas of Romania and in western Russia, where it has been introduced.

The plant grows in deciduous and mixed forests in moist, calcareous soils, from 250 to 1300 m.

C. hederifolium is native to the forest and mountain areas in the Mediterranean region from southern France to western Turkey and the Mediterranean islands.

In Northern Europe, the species is cultivated and is now naturalized in many places. The plant grows in forests and thickets, up to 1200 m.

Plant Description: Cyclamen purpurascens is a 10-15 cm tall, perennial plant with an underground, flat tuberous root-stock.

The leaves are evergreen, heart-shaped to oval kidney-shaped, shiny dark green, often with lighter spots on the upper side, and purple hue underneath.

The flowers sit on a separate stalks. The flowers, which are formed in the fall, have curved petal lobes and sit individually on long stems. The fragrant flowers are carmine pink with a darker center.

After flowering the flower stems form a downward spiral shape allowing the seeds to ripen close to the ground. The sweet and sticky seeds are attractive to ants, which help to spread them.

Cyclamen hederifolium has a rather large tuber which can be 20 cm or more. It resembles C. purpurascens, but the leaves are slightly lobed and pointed not unlike the leaves of ivy, hence the species name hederifolium (hedera = ivy and folium = leaf).

The leaves on the upper side have a pattern consisting of green and gray-green. The flowers are pale pink and appear before or simultaneously with the first leaves.

As with C. purpurascens, the seeds capsules form on downward spiral shaped stems.

Of all the cyclamen spices, C. hederifolium is the one that is best suited to grow outdoors in countries with temperate climate and it has become naturalize in many areas.

Plant Parts Used: The part of the plant used in herbal medicine is the fleshy root-stock, which is used fresh and harvested when the plant is in bloom.

Juice from the fresh root tubers of C. purpurascens is used to make the homeopathic agent “cyclamen”.

Cyclamen purpurascens flowers
European Cyclamen (Cyclamen purpurascens) – Flowers

Therapeutic Benefits and Traditional Uses of Cyclamen

Active Ingredient and Substances: The main active ingredients of cyclamen are triterpene saponins (incl. Cyclamin, deglukocyclamin I and deglukocyclamin II).

Application of Cyclamen as Medicinal Herb in the Past

Cyclamen hederifolium
Ivy-Leaved Cyclamen (C. hederifolium) -Illustration
Although cyclamen is currently not used much as a medicinal herb, it is known that it was used quite extensively in the past.

The root of cyclamen has a very powerful effect, and when it was used it had to be done with great care.

Despite the dangerous side effects, cyclamen was once recommended as a remedy for a variety of ailments, including eye diseases, gout, snakebites, tinnitus, menstrual pains and as a powerful laxative.

The herb has also been used against skin rash.

Pliny the Elder (23-79 AD) stated in his writings that the plant was used as poison applied to arrows in ancient Rome.

Pedanius Dioscorides (1st century AD) suggested that the herb could act as a powerful laxative (purgative), as a remedy for poisoning, as skin cleanser agent and to promote a birth. He also mentioned the use of the herb as an aphrodisiac.

Futhermore, Nicholas Culpeper (1616 – 1654), an English botanist and herbalist, disclosed in his writing that cyclamen could be used to accelerate birth, promote expulsion of the afterbirth and to induce menstruation.

When the herb was used as a laxative, the plant juice from the fresh tubers was applied externally, either over the lower abdomen, bladder or rectal area.

Maud Grieve (1858-1941) wrote that when the herb was used externally as a liniment over the lower abdomen, it provoked an acute diarrhea.

Once, an ointment was made from the fresh rhizomes in order to remove intestinal worms in children. It was also rubbed onto the belly area of adults to induce vomiting, and applied over the lower abdomen to increase the flow of urine.

Current Uses of Cyclamen

Cyclamen seem to have the ability to clear the airways blocked by mucus buildup and is utilized as a nasal spray containing freeze-dried powder of the root.

The spray is intended to help to drain the nose and sinuses and thus help to alleviate common symptoms of sinusitis.

When the herb is used in this way, it seems that the saponins only work locally and are not absorbed in the body. Apart from the application as a nasal spray, the herb is now only used as an ingredient in a homeopathic remedy known as “cyclamen”.

Other Uses

The highly toxic saponin, also named cyclamin, works even in small doses to paralyze fish, and fishermen in Sicily used the root tubers to stun fish making it easy to catch them by hand.

Dosage and Administration

Cyclamen is highly poisonous plant that should not be used internally.

Side Effects and Possible Interactions of Cyclamin

The tubers of all the cyclamen species contain the toxic saponin cyclamin.

Cyclamen purpurascens
Cyclamen purpurascens – Illustration
Symptoms after consuming the root include nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, severe abdominal pain, hemolysis (breakdown of red blood cells), severe perspiration, circulatory disorders, convulsions and finally paralysis of airways resulting in death.

If the plant sap comes in direct contact with skin, it can cause irritation and blistering.

Since the root-stock and tubers taste very bitter and are underground, there have been very few confirmed cases of poisoning in recent years.

As little as 0.2 g of the root-stock (tubers) will cause symptoms of poisoning, while 8 g are considered lethal dose for an healthy adult.

Animals that eat the tubers do usually have blood in their urine, but pigs can eat them without any harm, which is reflected in one of the English names of the plant, “sowbread”

If there is suspicion of cyclamen poisoning it is vital to seek out medicinal attention as soon as possible. Treatment for poisoning may consist of providing medical charcoal and sodium sulfate.

Supporting References

Barker, Julian: The Medicinal Flora of Britain & Northwestern Europe. Kent, Winter Press 2001.
Breverton, Terry: Brevertons Complete Herbal. A book of remarkable plants and their uses. London, Quercus Publishing Plc 2011.
Gruenwald, Joerg, et al.: PDR for Herbal Medicines. Fourth Edition. Montvale, New Jersey, Thomson Healthcare Inc. 2007.
Hensel, Wolfgang: Medicinal Plants of Britain and Europe. London, A&C Black Publishers Ltd. 2008.
Potterton, David (ed.): Culpeper’s Colour Herbal. Berkshire, Foulsham 2007.
Pullaiah, T.: Encyclopedia of World Medicinal Plants. Vol I-V. New Dehli (India), Regency Publications 2006.
Wink, Michael & Ben-Erik van Wyk: Mind-Altering and Poisonous Plants of the World. Portland, Oregon, Timber Press 2008.

Columbine – Historical Uses as a Medicinal Herb

Botanical Name: Aquilegia vulgaris.

The Latin name for the Genus Aquilegia is thought to have derived from the Latin word “aquila”, meaning eagle, probably because the curved nectar spurs resemble an eagle’s beak or an eagle’s claw.

The name may also come from the Latin words “aquam legere” (to collect water) that refers to the flower’s funnel-like shape where moisture is collected. The species name vulgaris means quite simply “common”.

Other Common Names: European columbine, true columbine, European crowfoot, culverwort, granny’s bonnet. Akelei (German), l’ancolie commune (French), aguileña (Spanish), skógarvatnsberi (Icelandic), akeleje (Danish), akileija (Finnish), akleja (Swedish), akeleie (Norwegian).
.

Habitat: Columbine is originally native to Central and Southern Europe, Asia and North Africa.

The plant has been cultivated both as an ornamental and a medicinal plant since medieval times. It is often found growing wild in meadows, forest edges, beach edges, ditches, parks and around old house ruins. It usually prefers dry and calcareous soils.

Columbine is a very common garden plant, and there are many cultivars of it in existence that come in a variety of flower colors. In parts of North America it has found its way out of the gardens and become naturalized.

The plants are propagated either by seed or by division of the roots in spring.

Plant Description: Columbine is a perennial plant that is normally 30-80 cm high. The stalk is erect, glabrous or sparsely hairy and usually branched at the top.

The plant has two to five large leaves at the base, sitting on long stalks and consisting of terminal group of three leaflets. These leaflets are 2 to 5 cm long, green on the upper side and blue green below. The higher the leaves grow on the stem the smaller they get.

The hanging flowers sit alone or in clusters on erect slender stalks. They are very distinctive and easily recognized in gardens or in the wild.

When found in the wild the flowers are 3-4 cm long, blue, pink or white. Cultivated varieties of columbine are however very variable in color. The flowers have a pleasant smell not unlike that of hay, but a bitter, rather unpleasant and sharp taste.

The plant is in blossom from May to June. After flowering, a round shaped fruit appears, composed of five carples, each containing numerous shiny dark-colored seeds. The seeds are then spread by wind.

Plant Parts Used: The roots, leaves, flowers and seeds have been used in folk medicine. A little known homeopathic remedy called Aqui is produced from the plant.

Columbine Flowers
Columbine Flowers

Health Benefits and Claims of Columbine

Active Ingredients and Substances: The plant contains several alkaloids (magnoflorine, berberine, etc.), triterpenoid saponins, flavonoids (quercetin, apigenin) and small amounts of cyanogenic glycosides (triglochinin etc.).

Traditional Uses

Columbine (Aquilegia vulgaris)
Columbine (Aquilegia vulgaris) – Illustration
Columbine has been regarded as a religious symbol of purity and it is often depicted in paintings together with the Virgin Mary. In traditional herbalism the plant was considered sacred to the goddess Venus.

It is known that the plant has been used as herbal medicine since the Middle Ages and that it was used as a remedy for many ailments, such as high fever due to infectious diseases, chronic rhinitis, haemoptysis (coughing up blood or blood-stained mucus from the bronchi) and enlarged or swollen lymph nodes in neck.

The plant was also used internally as a hepatic agent to treat jaundice and gall bladder ailments.

In Spain, there is a tradition of consuming small amounts of the columbine root in the morning for several days by those who are plagued by stones in the urinary tract.

Columbine has astringent, antiseptic and wound cleansing properties and the root has been used topically in the form of a lotion to treat eczema and to accelerate the healing of wounds and cuts.

A lotion made from the leaves has been used as an herbal remedy for sore mouth and throat and a decoition made from the seeds has been used as hair shampoo to get rid of head lice and scabs.

The dried and crushed seeds were used externally to kill body parasites such as tics.

Columbine is thought to have some immune-strengthening properties, probably due the various glycosides found in the plant. The plant was also included in many so called “blood-purifying” herbal mixtures.

Dosage and Administration

Today, columbine is not used much in western herbal medicine and then mostly as an astringent and diuretic. The plant is toxic and is is not suitable for self-medication.

Side Effects and Possible Interactions of Columbine

Columbine is a poisonous plant. The plant contains cardiogenic toxins which can cause gastroenteritis and heart palpitations.

Ingestion of large amounts of the fresh herb (more than 20 gr) can cause convulsions, breathing problems and heart weakness. These effects are, however, short-lived. The toxins are destroyed when the herb is dried or exposed to heat.

There are no reports that the animals have been poisoned by columbine, but it is usually avoided by grazing livestock.

Supporting References

Fern, Ken: Plants for a Future. Edible & Useful Plants for a Healthier World. East Meon, Hampshire, Permanent Publications 2011.
Hensel, Wolfgang: Medicinal Plants of Britain and Europe. London, A&C Black Publishers Ltd. 2008.
Potterton, David (ed.): Culpeper’s Colour Herbal. Berkshire, Foulsham 2007.
Pullaiah, T.: Encyclopedia of World Medicinal Plants. Vol I-V. New Dehli (India), Regency Publications 2006.
Stary, Frantisek & Zdenek Berger: Poisonous Plants. Leicester, Magna Books 1995.
Vermeulen, Frans: Concordant Materia Medica. Haarlem, Emryss bv Publishers 2000.

Herb Paris – Benefits and Applications in Herbal Medicine

Botanical Name of Herb Paris: Paris quadrifolia.

In Chinese herbal medicine, the species Paris Polyphylla and Paris quadrifolia are used in similar fashion.

Other Common Names: One berry, true love, Einbeere (German), parisette à quatre feuilles (French), uva de raposa (Spanish), ferlaufasmári (Icelandic), firblad, (Danish), sudenmarja (Finnish), ormbär (Swedish), zhow sho (Chinese) – refers to both Paris quadrifolia and Paris polyphylla.
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Habitat: Herb paris is native to North and Central Europe, and to some parts of northern Asia. The plant prefers moldy, base-rich soils and grows best in damp shaded areas. It is commonly found in deciduous and coniferous forests.

Plant Description: Herb paris is a perennial plant and a member of Trilliaceae family that includes a small group of flowering plants. It can grow up to 10-40 cm in height and has a long creeping root-stock.

The stalk is erect with normally four egg-shaped leaves that form a circle above the middle (the number of leaves can vary between two and six, four and five leaves are most common).

A single greenish-yellow flower appears from May to June with four lanceolate sepals and four narrow, pointy petals.

The fruit is a large, blue-black berry that resembles a blueberry or bilberry. The plant has an odor not unlike rotting flesh and all parts of it are poisonous.

Pollination is accomplished by wind or carrion flies that are attracted by the smell. Paris herb is easily identified and hard to mistake for other plant species.

Plant Parts Used: The whole plant has been used in herbal medicine, but most conmmonly the rhizomes, leaves and berries.

Herb Paris Flower
Herb Paris Flower

Therapeutic Uses, Health Benefits and Claims of Herb Paris

Active Ingredients and Substances: The plant’s main active substances are saponins. It also contains paristyphnin, alpha paristyphnin, paridin, paradol, L-asparagine, diosgenin glycoside, pectin and citric acid.

Traditional Uses

Herb paris has been used as a medicinal plant as far back as ancient Greece and the Italian physician and botanist Matthiolus (Pietro Andrea Mattioli 1500-1577) referred to it as a good remedy against boils.

As a treatment for neck abscesses the root was either eaten raw or a tincture was made from the berries that was then brushed on the affected area or used as a gargle.

In folk medicine, the leaves were once used as a compress on ulcers and slow healing wounds and the berries were used to expel bedbugs.

In the past, the herb was also used to treat rabies (hydrophobia), and the berries were used as a remedy against the plague. In some places in Russia the leaves were prescribed for insanity. Probably because the plant has some narcotic effect.

Current Medicinal Uses

Today, herb paris is not used much in herbal medicine and then mainly as an homeopathic remedy.

Still, it has been used as an aphrodisiac which could be explain by the narcotic effect of the berries and seeds, the effect is not unlike that of opium.

However, the dose needed to experience any narcotic high will at the same time cause nausea, vomiting, dizziness, cramps, excessive sweating and dry throat.

Herb paris should always be used with great caution, as an overdose can be fatal.

The leaves and berries have been administered as an allopathic medicine, a method of treating ailments by the use of agents that produce effects different from those of the disease treated.

As such it has been used as an antispasmodic remedy for pertussis (whooping cough) and various types of epilepsy. Again, this must be done with great caution because of the plant’s toxicity.

In small doses the leaves of herb paris are though to be useful as an herbal treatment for bronchitis, spasmodic cough, rheumatism, colic and palpitations.

The plant has also been used to treat headaches and neuralgia, and the juice from the fresh berries are said to be helpful for inflammation of the eyes.

A cooling liniment can be made from the seeds or the juice from the leaves and used on fresh wounds, cuts and scrapes and as a topical application for swellings and inflammation.

Dosage and Administration

Scientific information on suitable doses of herb paris is lacking and probably depends on the user’s health, age and several other factors.

This herbs should not be used for self medication and when or if it is intended as herbal medicine it is best to contact a trained herbalist or a professional health care provider knowledgeable on medicinal herbs.

Side Effects and Possible Interactions of Herb Paris

The leaves, berries and root can have toxic effect when consumed, especially in large quantities. The plant sap can cause skin irritation in some people.

Herb Paris (Paris quadrifolia)
Herb Paris (Paris quadrifolia) – Illustration

Herb Paris Poisoning: It is the substances paristyphnin and paridin which are the cause of the herb’s toxicity.

These two substances are found in all parts of the plant with the highest concentration found in the root and berries.

Information on how many of the plant’s berries can be ingested before they become dangerous is somewhat inconsistent. Some sources say four or five while other say 30 to 40.

Cases of poisoning are known to happen and at lease one case of fatality has been confirmed.

It is mostly children that suffer from paris herb poisoning and usually because they confuse the berries with blueberries or bilberries but since each plant produces only one berry the risk of serious poisoning is small.

In addition, the berries do not have very agreeable taste.

Poisoning symptoms start with nausea and retching followed by colic, diarrhea, painful cramps and difficulty in breathing.
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If fewer than five berries are consumed, a treatment is rarely needed as the symptoms gradually disappear by them selves but if in doubt, a hospital or health care provider should be contacted immediately.

A treatment can consist of stomach flushing, enhancing blood circulation, assistance with breathing and ingestion of activated charcoal, anti-convulsants and / or sedatives.

Supporting References

Duke, James A.: Handbook of Medicinal Herbs. Boca Raton, Florida, CRC Press 2002.
Hamilton, Edward: Flora Homøopathica. New Delhi, India, B. Jain Publishers Pvt. Ltd. 1921 / 1995.
Langer, Torben W.: Giftige planter. København, Lademanns Forlagsaktieselskab 1987.
Li, Thomas S. C.: Chinese and Related North American Herbs. Phytopharmacology and Therapeutic Values. Boca Raton, CRC Press 2002.
Stary, Frantisek & Zdenek Berger: Poisonous Plants. Leicester, Magna Books 1995.

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