Common Agrimony (Agrimonia eupatoria)

Common Agrimony (Agrimonia eupatoria)


Common Agrimony, church steeples or sticklewort


Description
Common Agrimony is a herbaceous plant, with stems up to 100 cm high, branched at the top, with leaves 8-16 cm long. The leaves consist of 5-9 large leaflets, with small leaflets between them. The whole plant is covered with silky hairs. At the top of the stem and branches is the ear-shaped inflorescence, composed of numerous yellow flowers with five petals. The plant blooms from the bottom towards the top, so we can find on it flowers and fruits at the same time. The fruits are surrounded by a crown of thorns, curved at the top. It blooms beginning in June until August. It grows in bushes, forests, orchards, along roadsides, being common in both field and in the mountains.


Harvest
During the appearance of the first flowers, the whole plant needs to be harvested, without the roots and the woody parts of the main stem.


Drying Mode
The plant is dried in thin layers, in the shade or in hot air drying rooms, at a temperature of 35 degrees Celsius. From 3-4 kg of fresh herb you can get 1 kg of dried product.


Uses
It is used in diseases of the liver, stomach and the respiratory tract. Internally: cholagogue, excites gastrointestinal secretions, antidiarrheic, destroys gallstones.


Observations
Do not overdose because it can cause sudden elimination of gallstones, biliary and renal obstruction and strong spasms.




Source: www.sanatateverde.blogspot.com