Dorema ammoniacum
| Dorema ammoniacum | |
| Light: |   |
| Moisture: |   |
| Soil pH: | 5.6-8.4 |
| Self Pollinated | |
| Height: | 8' |
| Width: | 3' |
| Native to: | |
| Medicinal Rating: | |
| Tea: | Yes |
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Dorema ammoniacum (common name: ammoniacum)
Propagation: Seed - sow in an outdoor seedbed in April[1]. It might be better to sow the seed in the autumn in a cold frame or greenhouse[K]. The seed germinates in 2 - 6 weeks at 15°c[1]. If seed is in short supply we would recommend sowing it in a pot in a cold frame and pricking out the seedlings into individual pots as soon as they are large enough to handle. Plant them out into their permanent positions in late spring of the following year.
Cultivation: Easily grown in an ordinary garden soil[2]. Prefers a well-drained to dry soil in a sunny position[3].
This species is not hardy in all parts of Britain, it tolerates temperatures down to at least -5°c[3].
A monocarpic species, growing for a number of years before it flowers but then dying after flowering[3]. It is said to produce viable seed in this country[3].
Range: W. Asia - Iran to Afghanistan and Pakistan.
Habitat: Loess loams in desert areas[4]. Dry rocky areas[3].
Medicinal: Ammoniacum has been used in Western herbal medicine for thousands of years and is still seen as an effective remedy for various complaints of the chest[5].
A gum resin is found in cavities in the tissues of stems, roots and petioles[6]. It often exudes naturally from holes in the stems caused by beetles[3] though this is not so pure as that obtained from the plant tissues[6]. The resin is antispasmodic, carminative, diaphoretic, mildly diuretic, expectorant, poultice, stimulant and vasodilator[6][7][8][9][3]. It is often used internally in the treatment of chronic bronchitis (especially in the elderly), asthma and catarrh[6][3]. Externally, it is used as a plaster for swellings of the joints and indolent tumours[6][3].
The resin exudes as a milky gum from holes made in the stems. This gum is pressed into blocks and then ground into a powder[5].
Usage: A medicinal gum or resin called 'Ammoniacum' is exuded from insect damaged stems[7][10][8][11]. It is also used in perfumery and in porcelain cement[3] as well as for plasters[7][10][8][11].
Pollinators: Insects
Soil: Can grow in light, medium, and heavy soils.
Flower Type: Hermaphrodite
Also Known As: Diserneston gummiferum
Links
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Bird, Alfred. Focus on Plants Volume 5. Thompson and Morgan, 1991.
- ↑ Chittendon, Fred. RHS Dictionary of Plants. Oxford University Press, 1951.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 3.5 3.6 3.7 3.8 3.9 Bown, Deni. Royal Horticultural Society Encyclopaedia of Herbs and Their Uses. Dorling Kindersley, 1995.
- ↑ Komarov, Vladimir. Flora of the USSR. Gantner Verlag, 1968.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 Chevallier, Andrew. The Encyclopedia of Medicinal Plants. Dorling Kindersley, 1996.
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 6.3 6.4 Grieve, Margaret. A Modern Herbal. Penguin, 1984.
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 Uphof, Johannes. Dictionary of Economic Plants. Weinheim, 1959.
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 8.2 Howes, Frank. Vegetable Gums and Resins. Chronica Botanica, 1949.
- ↑ Mills, Simon. The Dictionary of Modern Herbalism.
- ↑ 10.0 10.1 Usher, George. A Dictionary of Plants Used by Man. Constable, 1974.
- ↑ 11.0 11.1 Kariyone, Tatsuo. Atlas of Medicinal Plants.