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 | |
|---|---|
| |
| 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 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
edit- 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
editIn 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.[3] The Anglo-Saxons boiled agrimony in milk and used it to improve erectile performance.[4] 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".[5] 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".[6]
Folklore
editTraditional British folklore states that if a sprig of Agrimonia eupatoria was placed under a person's head, they would sleep until it was removed.[7]
See also
edit- Aremonia agrimonoides (Bastard-agrimony, of the related genus Aremonia)
- Eupatorium cannabinum (Hemp-agrimony)
References
edit- ^ a b Chisholm, Hugh, ed. (1911). . Encyclopædia Britannica. Vol. 1 (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. p. 424.
- ^ a b C. F. Leyel (1946). Compassionate Herbs. Faber and Faber Limited.
- ^ Galen (Κλαύδιος Γαληνός), De methodo medendi 13.920K DOI: 10.4159/DLCL.galen-method_medicine.2011
- ^ 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. 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. S2CID 22378156.
External links
edit
Media related to Agrimonia at Wikimedia Commons
Agrimonia at Wikibooks
- "Agrimonia L." Atlas of Living Australia.