PDR for Herbal Medicines

HERBAL MONOGRAPHS COMMON STONECROP/215

Flower and Fruit: The many-floreted capitula are in the

upper bract axils. The papilonaceous flowers are almost

sessile and have an upright corolla up to 20 mm long. The

calyx is membranous and up to 17 mm long. It is tubular-

bottle-shaped and shaggy to felt-haired. The color is yellow

'4B to white at the bottom, turning violet toward the top. The

petals are whitish-yellow to yellow or occasionally crimson.

They have a free standard, slightly shorter wings, and an

acute, often red, carina. Ten stamens are fused into a tube.

The ovaries are stemmed with a thickened style and rounded

stigma. The pod-fruit is enclosed in the dried calyx. It is

ovate, reticulate, dark brown, single-seeded, and does not

spring open. The seed is ovate, smooth, shiny and checkered

yellow-green.

Leaves, Stem and Root: Anthyllis vulneraria is a 15 to 30 cm

high half-rosette shrub with a sturdy tap-root and a short,

entire or often branched rhizome. The stem is upright,

unbranched or branched, and tomentose. The leaves are

variously pinnate, depending on where they are on the stem.

All leaves are entire-margined, glabrous or slightly pubes-

cent above, and thickly tomentose beneath. The stipules are

small and generally connected to a clasping sheath.

^ Characteristics: Kidney Vetch has a weak aromatic odor and

dry taste.

Habitat: The plant is found all across Europe to the

Caucasus and the Middle East. It is found in the south to the

Sahara and Ethiopia.

Production: Kidney Vetch are the flowers of Anthyllis

vulneraria wimout their stems.Woundwort is collected in the

wild and then dried quickly in the shade.

ACTIONS AND PHARMACOLOGY

COMPOUNDS

Tannins

Saponins

Flavonoids.

4f Isoflavonoids

Lectins

EFFECTS

Antiviral activity was demonstrated with an ethanol extract

of the plant. The flavonols quercetin and rhamnetin have a

mutagenic effect. The herb's use in the treatment of ulcers

and wounds may be due to the tannins (probably of the

catechin type).

INDICATIONS AND USAGE

Unproven Uses: Kidney Vetch tea is used in the treatment of

ulcers and wounds both internally and externally. The drug is

also used in a tea for coughs that also contains ribwort, as an

ingredient of blood-purifying teas, and for exposure and

vomiting. It is used internally for diseases of the mouth and

throat.

PRECAUTIONS AND ADVERSE REACTIONS

No health hazards or side effects are known in conjunction

with the proper administration of designated therapeutic

dosages.

DOSAGE

Mode of Administration: Preparations are available for

internal uses, often as teas, and external uses including

poultices, washes and rinses.

Preparation: To prepare tea, use 1 dessertspoonful of the

flowers per 250 ml of water.

LITERATURE

Czeczot H, Tudek B, Kusztelak J, Szymczyk T, Dobrowolska

B, Glinkowska G, Malinowski J, Strzelecka H, Isolation and

studies of the mutagenic activity in the Ames test of flavonoids

naturally occurring in medical herbs. Mutat Res. 240:209-16,

1990 Mar.

Sile A, Vanaga A, Nauka-Prakt Farm: 82-85. 1974.

Vetter J, Seregelyes-Csomos A, Magy Allatory Lapja 43(8):479-

482. 
     
     
     
     1988. Further information in:
           Hansel R, Keller K, Rimpler H, Schneider G (Hrsg.), Hagers
           Handbuch der Pharmazeutischen Praxis, 5. Aufl, Bde 4-6
           (Drogen), Springer Verlag Berlin, Heidelberg, New York, 1992-
     
     
     
     


483. 
     

Common Stoneerop

Sedum acre

DESCRIPTION

Medicinal Parts: The medicinal parts are the fresh or dried

aerial parts collected during the flowering season.

Flower and Fruit: The flowers are leafy, twining cymes on

short pedicles. There are 5 ovate sepals and 5 golden yellow

petals that are 7 to 9 mm long, lanceolate and twice as long

as the calyx. The fruit is a follicle, which splits after

flowering to form a 5-rayed star, which is 3 to 5 mm long

and has numerous seeds.

Leaves, Stem and Root: The perennial plant grows 2 to 15

cm high. It has many heavily branched shoots, which often

creep underground and form grass. The leaves are thick,

fleshy, almost round, acute, appressed and knobby-domed.

Other Names: Ladies' Fingers, Lamb's Toes, Kidney Vetch,

Staunchwort, Woundwort