Aphanes arvensis
| Aphanes arvensis | |
| Light: |   |
| Moisture: |   |
| Soil pH: | 5.6-8.4 |
| Self Pollinated | |
| Height: | 0.2' |
| Width: | 1' |
| Blooms: | Mid Spring-Mid Fall |
| Native to: | |
| Edible Rating: |  |
| Medicinal Rating: |  |
| Tea: | Yes |
 | |
Aphanes arvensis (common name: parsley piert)
Propagation: Seed - sow autumn in situ. The seed is best sown in dry weather[1].
Cultivation: Succeeds in most well-drained soils in full sun or partial shade[1]. The plant tolerates stony or gravelly soils as well as both acid and alkaline conditions[1]. It grows well in a short lawn[2].
This is an aggregate species that contains a number of very closely related species[3].
Range: Most of Europe, including Britain, east to Iran in W. Asia.
Habitat: Arable and dry stony ground and old walls on acid and basic soils.[4][3][5]
Edibility: Leaves - eaten raw in salads or pickled for winter use[6][4][7][8]. The plant is rarely eaten nowadays[1].
Medicinal: Parsley piert has a long history of folk use, being commonly employed to rid the body of stones in the kidney or bladder. It has become a highly respected herb in modern herbalism for the treatment of kidney stones[9].
The whole herb is astringent, demulcent, diuretic and refrigerant[6][2][5]. It is used mainly as an infusion in the treatment of kidney and bladder complaints (including cystitis and recurrent urinary infections), jaundice etc[6][1]. A very valuable remedy, acting violently but safely by promoting the flow of urine[6], it is often used in combination with other herbs[1][10]. The plant is harvested in early summer and can be used fresh or dried[1]. The herb is considered to be most efficacious when it is freshly collected and dried[1].
Pollinators: Self
Soil: Can grow in light, medium, and heavy soils.
Drainage: Prefers well drained soil.
Seed Ripens: Mid Summer-Late Fall
Flower Type: Hermaphrodite
Links
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 1.7 Bown, Deni. Royal Horticultural Society Encyclopaedia of Herbs and Their Uses. Dorling Kindersley, 1995.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 de Bray, Lys. The Wild Garden.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Clapham, Arthur and Tom Tootin, Edmund Warburg. Flora of the British Isles. Cambridge University Press, 1962.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 Mabey, Richard. Food for Free. Collins, 1974.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 Mills, Simon. The Dictionary of Modern Herbalism.
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 6.3 Grieve, Margaret. A Modern Herbal. Penguin, 1984.
- ↑ Larkcom, Joy. Salads all the Year Round. Hamlyn, 1980.
- ↑ Facciola, Stephen. Cornucopia - A Source Book of Edible Plants. Kampong Publications, 1990.
- ↑ Stuart, Malcolm. The Encyclopedia of Herbs and Herbalism. Orbis Publishing, 1979.
- ↑ Chevallier, Andrew. The Encyclopedia of Medicinal Plants. Dorling Kindersley, 1996.