MEDICINAL PLANTS

The Parnasia is a small perennial plant of the family Saxifragaceae. It has a rhizome which extends almost horizontally along the ground, without going too. At its end has a rosette of leaves with long, heart-shaped corner, the center of this rosette rises a stem that does not reach two feet in height, is hairless-like whole-plant and only brings a leaf clings to him for lack of corners.

FLOWERING

The Parnasia flowers from July onwards, extending this period until well into the fall. Preference is given in low meadows of grass more or less wet, the edges of streams, etc.., For most of the Pyrenees and other mountains of the Iberian Peninsula. Interested to harvesting the whole plant, which is harvested when fully flowered. Is dried and stored in sealed bags.

APPLICATIONS

There is a plant with quite dramatic effect, or at least studied and is not recognized as such. From its composition included the presence of tannic acid and little more, and missing complete analysis of this species. As for his virtues, one of the oldest concerns are attributed to heart tones the property that is suggested possibly by their heart-shaped leaves. This is another example of how it worked once the theory of the sign, according to which structural similarities of a plant or part of it with some organ of the body suggest that the plant had beneficial effects on the organ. But once again, time has shown that this theory is unfounded. The Parnasia is mainly used as an astringent and antidiarrheal, but also has a healing effect that is used externally. But these uses have been inherited from other countries, because here in Spain just has "credit" popular for this reason is not known household names, and the only knowledge comes from ancient Latin name of the plant, but are not widespread. In our Peninsula have many species with recognized astringent effects, so this plant adds nothing to the panorama of Iberian medicinal plants. Anyway, always good to know other varieties, because you never know if we will have to resort to them.

ADMINISTRATION

Not being a plant widely used, there is little information about its form of administration. We detail the following:
cooking. Used at a rate of 30-40 deg. Crushed plant per liter of water. Let it boil for a few minutes, filtering the resulting cold once. They take 2 to 3 cups a day with meals.

SUMMARY

FAMILY: Saxifragaceas
HABITAT: Edge of streams in the Pyrenees
FLOWERING: July
PART USED: Whole plant
CASTILIAN: Hepática blanca
CATALAN: Fetgera blanca

USES

Astringency, Healing Moderate, Antidiarrheal Moderate.