Herniaria glabra
| Herniaria glabra | |
| Light: |  |
| Moisture: |   |
| Hardiness: | 5 |
| Soil pH: | 5.6-8.4 |
| Self Pollinated | |
| Height: | 0.1' |
| Width: | 1' |
| Blooms: | Mid Summer |
| Native to: | |
| Medicinal Rating: | |
| Tea: | Yes |
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Herniaria glabra (common name: rupture wort)
Propagation: Seed - sow spring in a cold frame. When they are large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots and grow them on in the greenhouse for their first winter. Plant them out into their permanent positions in late spring or early summer, after the last expected frosts.
Cultivation: Grows well in hot dry soils[1]. Dislikes excessive moisture[1]. Succeeds in very poor soils[1].
Useful for covering rocks or as a carpet bedding[1], it makes a good ground cover for spring bulbs since they can grow through it easily[2].
The leaves emit a musky smell when they are handled[3].
Range: Europe, including Britain, from Scandanavia south and east to N. Africa and temperate Asia.
Habitat: A rare and local plant of dry sandy areas in south Devon and eastern England[4][5].
Medicinal: The whole plant, gathered when in flower, is astringent, very actively diuretic and expectorant[6][4][7][8][9]. It appears to have an antispasmodic effect upon the bladder and is used in the treatment of dropsy, catarrh of the bladder, cystitis and kidney stones[8][9]. It has also gained a reputation for treating hernias[6][4][7]. Externally, it has been used as a poultice to speed the healing of ulcers[9].
Usage: A good ground cover plant, allowing spring bulbs to grow through it[2].
An aqueous extract of the plant is a hand cleanser, making the skin soft and supple[8].
Pollinators: Insects, self
Soil: Can grow in light and medium soils.
Drainage: Prefers well drained soil.
Wind: Tolerates strong winds
Seed Ripens: Late Summer
Flower Type: Hermaphrodite
Links
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 Chittendon, Fred. RHS Dictionary of Plants. Oxford University Press, 1951.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Huxley, Anthony. The New Royal Horticultural Society Dictionary of Gardening. MacMillan Press, 1992.
- ↑ Genders, Roy. Scented Flora of the World. Robert Hale, 1994.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 Launert, Edmund. Edible and Medicinal Plants. Hamlyn, 1981.
- ↑ Clapham, Arthur and Tom Tootin, Edmund Warburg. Flora of the British Isles. Cambridge University Press, 1962.
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 Grieve, Margaret. A Modern Herbal. Penguin, 1984.
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 Usher, George. A Dictionary of Plants Used by Man. Constable, 1974.
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 8.2 Chopra, R. Glossary of Indian Medicinal Plants. Council of Scientific and Industrial Research, New Delhi, 1986.
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 9.2 Chevallier, Andrew. The Encyclopedia of Medicinal Plants. Dorling Kindersley, 1996.