Centaurium erythraea
| Centaurium erythraea | |
| Light: |   |
| Moisture: |   |
| Soil pH: | 5.6-8.4 |
| Self Pollinated | |
| Height: | 1' |
| Width: | 0.5' |
| Blooms: | Early Summer-Mid Fall |
| Meadows Open Woods Forest | |
| Native to: | |
| Edible Rating: |  |
| Medicinal Rating: |  |
| Tea: | Yes |
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Centaurium erythraea (common name: centaury)
Propagation: Seed - sow February to May in situ or as soon as it is ripe in situ[1]. Germination is usually rapid.
Cultivation: Prefers a well-drained sandy loam with some peat[2] and a sunny position[3]. It avoids wet or rich soils[4].
Plants are not easy to grow in a garden[5].
The flowers only open in fine weather and close at midday[5].
Although the growing plant is scentless, if the cut stems are immersed in warm water for 24 hours a most penetrating odour will be observed on distillation[6].
A very variable plant, some botanists divide it into a number of separate species[5].
Range: Europe, including Britain, from Sweden to the Mediterranean and east to S. W. Asia.
Habitat: Open woods, meadows and dry grasslands[7][8], often on chalky soils[5].
Edibility: The plant is used as a flavouring in bitter herbal liqueurs and is an ingredient of vermouth[9].
Medicinal: One of the most useful bitter herbs, centaury strengthens digestive function, especially within the stomach[10]. By increasing stomach secretions it hastens the breakdown of food, it also stimulates the appetite and increases bile production[10]. The plant needs to be take over a number of weeks and an infusion should be slowly sipped so that the components (their bitterness can be detected at a dilution of 1:3,500) can stimulate reflex activity throughout the upper digestive tract[10].
The whole herb is appetizer, aromatic, bitter, cholagogue, diaphoretic, digestive, emetic, weakly febrifuge, hepatic, stomachic and tonic[7][8][11][12][9]. It acts on the liver and kidneys, purifies the blood and is an excellent tonic for the digestive system[5][3]. Externally, the fresh green herb is said to be a good application to wounds and sores[5]. It is often used in combination with other herbs such as camomile (Chamaemelum nobile), meadowsweet (Filipendula ulmaria) and marshmallow (Althaea officinalis)[3]. The whole plant is harvested when in flower and can be dried for later use[5][3].
The plant is used in Bach flower remedies - the keywords for prescribing it are 'Weak willed', 'Too easily influenced' and 'Willing servitors'[13].
A homeopathic remedy is made from the plant[7]. It is used in the treatment of liver and gall bladder ailments[7].
Usage: A long-lasting bright yellowish-green dye is obtained from the flowers[8][14].
Pollinators: Bees, flies, beetles, self
Soil: Can grow in light and medium soils.
Drainage: Prefers well drained soil.
Seed Ripens: Late Summer-Mid Fall
Flower Type: Hermaphrodite
Also Known As: C. minus. C. umbellatum. Erythraea centaurium.
Links
References
- ↑ Clapham, Arthur and Tom Tootin, Edmund Warburg. Flora of the British Isles. Cambridge University Press, 1962.
- ↑ Chittendon, Fred. RHS Dictionary of Plants. Oxford University Press, 1951.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 Bown, Deni. Royal Horticultural Society Encyclopaedia of Herbs and Their Uses. Dorling Kindersley, 1995.
- ↑ Sowerby, John. The Useful Plants of Great Britain. 1862.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 5.4 5.5 5.6 Grieve, Margaret. A Modern Herbal. Penguin, 1984.
- ↑ Genders, Roy. Scented Flora of the World. Robert Hale, 1994.
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 7.3 Launert, Edmund. Edible and Medicinal Plants. Hamlyn, 1981.
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 8.2 Triska, Jan. Encyclopaedia of Plants. Hamlyn, 1975.
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 Stuart, Malcolm. The Encyclopedia of Herbs and Herbalism. Orbis Publishing, 1979.
- ↑ 10.0 10.1 10.2 Chevallier, Andrew. The Encyclopedia of Medicinal Plants. Dorling Kindersley, 1996.
- ↑ Lust, John. The Herb Book. Bantam Books, 1983.
- ↑ Mills, Simon. The Dictionary of Modern Herbalism.
- ↑ Chancellor, Philip. Illustrated Handbook of the Bach Flower Remedies. C W Daniel, 1985.
- ↑ Polunin, Oleg. Flowers of Europe. Oxford University Press, 1969.