Lithospermum officinale
Species of flowering plant in the borage family Boraginaceae
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Lithospermum officinale, or common gromwell or European stoneseed, is a flowering plant species in the family Boraginaceae, native to Eurasia. It is the host plant for caterpillars of the monophagous moth Ethmia dodecea.[1]
| Lithospermum officinale | |
|---|---|
| |
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Eudicots |
| Clade: | Asterids |
| Order: | Boraginales |
| Family: | Boraginaceae |
| Genus: | Lithospermum |
| Species: | L. officinale |
| Binomial name | |
| Lithospermum officinale | |
Description
Common gromwell is an erect, downy perennial plant growing up to 60 – 80 cm tall.[2] The unstalked, lanceolate leaves grow up to 10 cm long and are strongly marked with lateral veins below.
The greenish white, funnel-shaped flowers, appearing June – July, measure 3 – 4 mm across and are borne in short, dense cymose clusters within the leaf axils. When in fruit, the inflorescences form a V-shaped, elongated spray.[3] The fruits comprise 4 shiny white nutlets that measure 3 – 4 mm long and persist well into winter.[2]
Habitat and distribution
In culture and human use
All parts of the plant have been traditionally used as a natural medicinal remedy for various ailments. In India for example, the leaves were once used as a sedative, while the seeds have been administered as a diuretic, lithotritic, febrifuge, anti-gout, anti-ovulary and anti-toxic agent as well as an anti-inflammatory for diseases of the urinary tract and for promoting digestion. A herbal tea made from the root and stem, or a decoction of the roots and twigs was once given in the form of a syrup to remedy smallpox and measles. The tea also served as an antipruritic.[citation needed]
Archaeological findings from a gravesite in Poland unearthed a plaster poultice containing the nutlets of L. officinale. The plant has been found to be a potent natural anti-inflammatory and effective agent for healing burn wounds when applied topically, which explains the presence of this species in the poultice discovered.[4]
L. officinale also appears to have held important cosmetic and ornamental value. For example, the roots were once used for colouring fibres and to produce makeup dye. Elsewhere, the well-preserved, intact fruits were found glued onto two wooden tubs found in the Yanghai Tombs of Xinjiang, China, from about 2,500 years ago.[5] These nutlets probably had decorative worth. Their lustrous, porcelain-like appearance as well as their hardness also made them suitable and popular for use as beads in Bulgaria and central Europe as far back as the Neolithic period.[5]
