Perennial shrub, hoary-stellate tomentose, 1-1.5m. high. Leaves alternate, cordate, toothed, long-petioled. Flowers yellow, solitary in the axil of the leaves; pedicel long, jointed near the top. Carpels numerous, hairy, dark brown. Seeds reniform, glabrous, dull black.
Flowering period:
February - April.
Distribution:
Wild and cultivated species.
Parts used:
The whole plant is collected in summer and autumn and used fresh or dried.
Chemical composition:
The whole plant contains mucilaginous substances and asparagine. The seeds yield raffinose and a semi-drying oil consisting of linoleic, oleic, palmitic and stearic acids.
Therapeutic uses:
The roots and leaves are employed in the treatment of coryza, hyperthermia, headache, dysuria and metrorrhoea, in a daily dose of 4 to 8g of dried plant material in the form of a decoction. The juice of pounded fresh leaves and seeds internally applied is active on furunculosis, dysentery and snake-bite; the residue is used for poultices. The dose of seeds is 8 to 12g per day. A combination with some other plants is prescribed for jaundice and certain post-partum diseases.