Cynoglossum officinale
| Cynoglossum officinale | |
| Light: |  |
| Moisture: |  |
| Hardiness: | 6 |
| Soil pH: | 6.6-8.4 |
| Self Pollinated | |
| Height: | 3' |
| Width: | 2' |
| Blooms: | Early Summer-Late Summer |
| Native to: | |
| Shelter | |
| Edible Rating: |  |
| Medicinal Rating: |  |
| Tea: | Yes |
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Cynoglossum officinale (common name: hound's tongue)
Propagation: Seed - sow in situ in early summer. The seed can be sown in spring or autumn, a period of cold stratification improves germination.
Cultivation: Prefers sandy, gravelly and basic soils[1]. Grows well in an ordinary well-drained soil[2]. Succeeds in full sun or partial shade[3].
The flowers are an absolute magnet for bees[K].
The plant smells of mice[1].
Range: Europe, including Britain, though absent from the extreme north and rare in south, east to Asia.
Habitat: Dry grassy areas and the edges of woods, often near the sea, on sand, gravel, chalk or limestone soils[4][1][5].
Edibility: Young leaves - raw or cooked[6][7][8][9][10]. A disagreeable odour and taste[11]. Caution is advised, see the notes above on toxicity.
Medicinal: Hound's tongue has a long history of use as a medicinal herb, though it is rarely used in modern herbalism[4][12]. The leaves contain allantoin, a highly effective agent that speeds up the healing process in the body[3][K]. Caution should be applied, however, since narcotic effects result from large doses taken internally[4] and the plant is potentially carcinogenic[13] (though it has also been used in the treatment of cancer[14]). The leaves and roots are analgesic, antihaemorrhoidal, antispasmodic, astringent, digestive, emollient and slightly narcotic[15][4][16][17][6][13].
The plant contains the alkaloids cynoglossine and consolidin, which are used medicinally to relieve pain[11]. They depress the central nervous system and are also potentially carcinogenic[13]. The plant has been used internally in the treatment of coughs and diarrhoea, though it is now mainly used externally as a poultice on piles, wounds, minor injuries, bites and ulcers[13][3].
The root is harvested at the end of spring of the plants second year[4]. Another report says that it is best harvested in the autumn and dried for later use[3].
The leaves and flowering shoots are harvested as the plant comes into flower and are dried for later use[3].
The plant has a wide antitumour reputation for cancers of various types[14].
A homeopathic remedy is made from the roots[4]. It is very effective in the treatment of insomnia[4].
Pollinators: Insects
Soil: Can grow in light and medium soils.
Drainage: Prefers well drained soil.
Wind: Tolerates strong winds
Seed Ripens: Late Summer-Early Fall
Flower Type: Hermaphrodite
Known Hazards: Houndstongue contains alkaloids that can cause cancer when the plant is consumed in large quantities[3].
The plant is also said to be slightly poisonous[17], there are no reported cases of human poisoning but there are some cases of cattle being poison
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References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 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 3.4 3.5 Bown, Deni. Royal Horticultural Society Encyclopaedia of Herbs and Their Uses. Dorling Kindersley, 1995.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 4.5 4.6 Chiej, Roberto. Encyclopaedia of Medicinal Plants. MacDonald, 1984.
- ↑ Phillips, Roger. Herbs. Pan Books, 1990.
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 Uphof, Johannes. Dictionary of Economic Plants. Weinheim, 1959.
- ↑ Usher, George. A Dictionary of Plants Used by Man. Constable, 1974.
- ↑ Tanaka, Tyōzaburō. Tanaka's Cyclopaedia of Edible Plants of the World. Keigaku Publishing, 1976.
- ↑ Kunkel, Günther. Plants for Human Consumption. Koeltz Scientific Books, 1984.
- ↑ Facciola, Stephen. Cornucopia - A Source Book of Edible Plants. Kampong Publications, 1990.
- ↑ 11.0 11.1 Davis, Ray and Frank Craighead. A Field Guide to Rocky Mountain Wildflowers. The Riverside Press, 1963.
- ↑ Stuart, Malcolm. The Encyclopedia of Herbs and Herbalism. Orbis Publishing, 1979.
- ↑ 13.0 13.1 13.2 13.3 Foster, Steven and Billy Tatum. Medicinal Plants of Eastern and Central North America. Houghton Mifflin, 1990.
- ↑ 14.0 14.1 Duke, James and Edward Ayensu. Medicinal Plants of China. Reference Publications, 1985.
- ↑ Grieve, Margaret. A Modern Herbal. Penguin, 1984.
- ↑ Launert, Edmund. Edible and Medicinal Plants. Hamlyn, 1981.
- ↑ 17.0 17.1 Lust, John. The Herb Book. Bantam Books, 1983.