Agrimonia (from the Greek ἀργεμώνη),[1] commonly known as agrimony, is a genus of 12–15 species of perennialherbaceousflowering plants in the family Rosaceae,[1] native to the temperate regions of the Northern Hemisphere, with one species also in Africa. The species grow to between 0.5–2m (1.6–6.6ft) tall, with interrupted pinnateleaves, and tiny yellow flowers borne on a single (usually unbranched) spike.
In ancient times, it was used for foot baths and tired feet.[2] Agrimony has a long history of medicinal use. The English poet Michael Drayton once hailed it as an "all-heal" and through the ages it was considered a panacea.[citation needed] The ancient Greeks used agrimony to treat eye ailments, and it was made into brews for diarrhea and disorders of the gallbladder, liver, and kidneys.[3] The Anglo-Saxons boiled agrimony in milk and used it to improve erectile performance.[4]
They also made a solution from the leaves and seeds for healing wounds; this use continued through the Middle Ages and afterward, in a preparation called eau d'arquebusade, or "musket-shot water".[5] It has been added to tea as a spring tonic.[2] According to the German Federal Commission E (Phytotherapy)-Monograph "Agrimony", published 1990, the internal application area is "mild, nonspecific, acute diarrhea" and "inflammation of oral and pharyngeal mucosa" and the external application "mild, superficial inflammation of the skin".[6]
Folklore
Traditional British folklore states that if a sprig of Agrimonia eupatoria was placed under a person's head, they would sleep until it was removed.[7]
↑Lacey, R. and Danziger, D. (1999) In The Year 1000 London: Little, Brown & Co, p. 126
↑Grieve, Margaret (1931). A Modern Herbal (Hypertext versioned.). Hafner Pub. pp.Agrimony. Retrieved 14 December 2021.
↑German Federal Commission E Monographs (Phytotherapy): Monograph Agrimony (Agrimoniae herba). Bundesanzeiger. March 13, 1990. – www.heilpflanzen-welt.de.
↑Encyclopedia of Folk Medicine: Old World and New World Traditions by Gabrielle Hatfield, p.310
Eriksson, Torsten; Hibbs, Malin S.; Yoder, Anne D.; Delwiche, Charles F.; Donoghue, Michael J. (2003). "The Phylogeny of Rosoideae (Rosaceae) Based on Sequences of the Internal Transcribed Spacers (ITS) of Nuclear Ribosomal DNA and the TRNL/F Region of Chloroplast DNA". International Journal of Plant Sciences. 164 (2): 197–211. Bibcode:2003IJPlS.164..197E. doi:10.1086/346163. S2CID22378156.
