Herb Finder
Add Herb Finder to Your Website!
Update Your Account Information
Hood Weed | | Name : | Hood Weed | | Synonyms : | All-heal
Bluecurls
Brownwort
Carpenter'sherb
Carpenter'sweed
Heal-all
Herculeswoundwort
Hock-heal
Hoodweed
Hook-heal
Hsia-ku-ts'ao(Chinese name)
Panay
Prunel
Selfheal
Sicklewort
| | Parts Used : | The whole plant | | Habitat : | Grows as a very common weed in open woods, lawns, fields, and wasteplaces in the United States, Europe, and Asia. | | Description : | Woundwort is a low perennial plant to 1 foot tall; the slender, creepingrootstock produces ascending or procumbent stems which grow from 1-3feet in height. These slightly hairy, square, grooved stems may besolitary or in clusters. Entire or slightly toothed, the petioled,opposite leaves are ovate to oblong-lanceolate in shape. Tubular andtwo-lipped, the tiny purple flowers grow in dense terminal spikes,blooming from May to October. The fruit is an ovoid, smooth, anglednutlet.
Other varieties: P. grandiflora, also called self-heal, growsto 1-1 1/2 feet tall, has much larger and showier purple or violetflowers; P. laciniata, has creamy white, occasionally violet-tingedflowers, and deeply cut leaves. | | Constituents : | Ursolic acid, essential oil, bitter principle, oleanolic acid, rutin,caffeic acid, hyperoside, vitamins A, C, B1, K and tannin
Antiseptic, antispasmodic, astringent, bitter tonic, cholagogue,diuretic, styptic, vermifuge, vulnerary | | Uses : | The tea of the plant helps heal internal wounds; as a wash or poultice,for external wounds, bruises,ulcers, and sores.Used as a gargle for throatirritations, cold mouthwash for bleedinggums, including pharyngitis, and for stomatitis, cankersores, and thrush. Useful for hemorrhage and diarrhea.Excellent for convulsions and seizures, epilepsy, hepatitis, jaundice,headache, highblood pressure, fluid retention, edema, fevers,and will expel worms.
In China a tea made from the flowering plant is considered cooling,and was used to treat the liver and aid in circulation; used for conjunctivitis,boils, and scrofula; diureticfor kidney ailments.Research suggests the plant possesses antibiotic, hypotensive,and antimutagenic qualities. Contains the antitumor and diuretic compoundursolic acid. | | Dosage : | Harvest the aerial parts before flowering time.
Infusion: 1 oz. of the herb in 1 pint of boiling water, coverand let stand for 10 minutes, strain. Take 1 wineglassful severaltimes a day.
Extract: soak 1 tsp. herb in 1 pint brandy or whiskey fora few days. Take 1 tbsp. a day or as needed. | | Safety : | Always seek medical professional advice for abnormal uterine bleeding,bleeding gums, or blood in the urine.
Avoid use if hypertensive. | | Myths : | An old Italian proverb: 'He that hath self-heal and sanicle needsno other physician.'
The plant yields fiber dyes in shades ranging from soft yellow tobrilliant gold.
Woundwort is a highly regarded European wound herb, widely used tostop bleeding. In the past, the flower spikes were considered to resemblethe throat, and under the Doctrine of Signatures theory, whereby plantscure those parts of the body that they most resemble, self-heal orwoundwort was also used for inflammations of the mouth and throat.
In Chinese medicine, the flower spikes are used, and are known asxia ku cao, literally meaning 'summer dry herb.'
The leaves and young shoots are used by Western herbalists to stopbleeding and applied fresh in poultices as emergency first aid onclean cuts. Culpeper recommended them for 'green' (fresh) wounds,suggesting that they would be ideal to 'close the lips of them' inthe days before stitches.
There are other plants that are called woundwort; Stachys palustris,a cousin of the wood betony; and Stoneroot (Collinsonia canadensis)also called Hardrock, Horse-weed, Heal-all, Rich-weed, Ox-balm, Knob-root,also from the mint family, with greenish-yellow flowers of a peculiarbalsamic fragrance. | | Nutrient : | Vitamins A, B1, C, K |
|
|
