MEDICINAL PLANTS

The cockle is an annual herbaceous plant belonging to the family of carofiláceas. It has an erect stem that in some cases can reach up to 1 meter high. The leaves are opposite, long and narrow, slightly welded at the base, as embracing the stem. The flowers are borne on long sumidad Kabyle in the stem and are characterized by having a very large cup. The fruit is an ovoid capsule filled with large black seeds covered with fine warts. The whole plant is covered with a very fine hair. It breeds from abundant crops, especially upland poorly kept. It is native to East.

FLOWERING

It blooms from March and continues blooming throughout the spring. Collection of interest for medicinal seeds, more specifically, that are very toxic, and should therefore distinguish if occasionally we find them.

APPLICATIONS

The cockle plant is very toxic if consumed orally. In the seeds of this dangerous herb found a substance called gitagina, from which and by certain chemical processes occurring substance in the same family. Apart from this compound are other less interesting. It has always been assumed that the mixture of wheat with the cockle-which is not very difficult, as both are found together in the fields, make the resulting flour is very harmful. Formerly, before the industry uses grain sorting machines, the black seed is often mixed with cereals and, therefore, communicated to the bread tastes very unpleasant, besides toxic properties. To neutralize the effects of cockle seed, we must toast the flour. Symptoms of poisoning after ingestion of flour contaminated with seeds of corn cockle are manifested through: abundant salivation, sore throat, aches, nausea, cramping and diarrhea, then when the poison has gone down in blood, appear in great pain headache, dizziness, fever, agitation and even the patient comes to have delirium, convulsions and alterations in blood flow. Fatal cases occur of suffocation. So is a plant that should not be left to amateurs, because as we can have more than one serious quarrel.

ADMINISTRATION

From the above it follows that the farther we are from this dangerous plant, the more we appreciate what our health. Therefore we will not describe any form of administration as potential therapeutic effects of this herb that it may have been overshadowed by its toxicity.

SUMMARY

FAMILY: Cariofilaceas
HABITAT: Earth ill-kept
FLOWERING: March
PART USED: Seeds
CASTILIAN: Negrilla, negrillón
CATALAN: Clavell de blat
BASQUE: Usagarri
GALICIAN: Nigela bastarda

USES

Toxic Strong.