Biology:Agrimonia
| Agrimonia | |
|---|---|
| |
| Agrimonia eupatoria | |
Scientific classification 
| |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Eudicots |
| Clade: | Rosids |
| Order: | Rosales |
| Family: | Rosaceae |
| Subfamily: | Rosoideae |
| Tribe: | Sanguisorbeae |
| Subtribe: | Agrimoniinae |
| Genus: | Agrimonia Tourn. ex L. |
| Species | |
|
About 15 species; see text | |
Agrimonia (from the Greek ἀργεμώνη),[1] commonly known as agrimony, is a genus of 12–15 species of perennial herbaceous flowering plants in the family Rosaceae,[1] native to the temperate regions of the Northern Hemisphere, with one species also in Africa. The species grow to between 0.5–2 m (1.6–6.6 ft) tall, with interrupted pinnate leaves, and tiny yellow flowers borne on a single (usually unbranched) spike.
Agrimonia species are used as food plants by the larvae of some Lepidoptera species including grizzled skipper (recorded on A. eupatoria) and large grizzled skipper.
Species
- Agrimonia eupatoria – Common agrimony (Europe, Asia, Africa)
- Agrimonia gryposepala – Common agrimony, tall hairy agrimony (North America)
- Agrimonia incisa – Incised agrimony (North America)
- Agrimonia coreana – Korean agrimony (eastern Asia)
- Agrimonia microcarpa – Smallfruit agrimony (North America)
- Agrimonia nipponica – Japanese agrimony (eastern Asia)
- Agrimonia parviflora – Harvestlice agrimony (North America)
- Agrimonia pilosa – Hairy agrimony (eastern Europe, Asia)
- Agrimonia procera – Fragrant agrimony (Europe)
- Agrimonia pubescens – Soft or downy agrimony (North America)
- Agrimonia repens – Short agrimony (southwest Asia)
- Agrimonia rostellata – Beaked agrimony (North America)
- Agrimonia striata – Roadside agrimony (North America)
Uses
In ancient times, it was used for foot baths and tired feet.[2] Agrimony has a long history of medicinal use. The English poet Michael Drayton once hailed it as an "all-heal" and through the ages it was considered a panacea.[citation needed] The ancient Greeks used agrimony to treat eye ailments, and it was made into brews for diarrhea and disorders of the gallbladder, liver, and kidneys.[citation needed] The Anglo-Saxons boiled agrimony in milk and used it to improve erectile performance.[3] They also made a solution from the leaves and seeds for healing wounds; this use continued through the Middle Ages and afterward, in a preparation called eau d'arquebusade, or "musket-shot water".[4] It has been added to tea as a spring tonic.[2] According to the German Federal Commission E (Phytotherapy)-Monograph "Agrimony", published 1990, the internal application area is "mild, nonspecific, acute diarrhea" and "inflammation of oral and pharyngeal mucosa" and the external application "mild, superficial inflammation of the skin".[5]
Folklore
Traditional British folklore states that if a sprig of Agrimonia eupatoria was placed under a person's head, they would sleep until it was removed.[6]
See also
- Aremonia agrimonoides (Bastard-agrimony, of the related genus Aremonia)
- Eupatorium cannabinum (Hemp-agrimony)
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Chisholm, Hugh, ed (1911). "Agrimony". Encyclopædia Britannica. 1 (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. p. 424.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 C. F. Leyel (1946). Compassionate Herbs. Faber and Faber Limited. https://archive.org/stream/compassionateher033486mbp#page/n7/mode/2up.
- ↑ Lacey, R. and Danziger, D. (1999) In The Year 1000 London: Little, Brown & Co, p. 126
- ↑ Grieve, Margaret (1931). A Modern Herbal (Hypertext version ed.). Hafner Pub. pp. Agrimony. https://www.botanical.com/botanical/mgmh/a/agrim015.html. Retrieved 14 December 2021.
- ↑ German Federal Commission E Monographs (Phytotherapy): Monograph Agrimony (Agrimoniae herba). Bundesanzeiger. March 13, 1990. – www.heilpflanzen-welt.de.
- ↑ Encyclopedia of Folk Medicine: Old World and New World Traditions by Gabrielle Hatfield, p.310
- Eriksson, Torsten; Hibbs, Malin S.; Yoder, Anne D.; Delwiche, Charles F.; Donoghue, Michael J. (2003). "The Phylogeny of Rosoideae (Rosaceae) Based on Sequences of the Internal Transcribed Spacers (ITS) of Nuclear Ribosomal DNA and the TRNL/F Region of Chloroplast DNA". International Journal of Plant Sciences 164 (2): 197–211. doi:10.1086/346163.
External links
- "Agrimonia L.". Atlas of Living Australia. https://bie.ala.org.au/species/http://id.biodiversity.org.au/node/apni/2891678.
Wikidata ☰ Q264427 entry
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