PDR for Herbal Medicines

258 /DUCKWEED PDR FOR HERBAL MEDICINES

Duckweed

Lemna minor

DESCRIPTION

Medicinal Parts: The medicinal part is the whole fresh plant.

Flower and Fruit: The plant flowers infrequently. The tiny

inconspicuous flowers have 2 unevenly sized stamens and 1

pistil. A delicate membranous bract surrounds 3 flowers,

which are located on the edge of the stem. The fruit is

tubular with 1 ovule. The seeds have longitudinal ribs.

Leaves, Stem and Root: Lemna minor is a water plant with

leaf-like organs that are 2 to 6 mm long. They are flat, have 3

to 5 ribs, and are sometimes pigmented with red. Two to six

leaf-like shoots stick together, and each bears a root with a

rounded root cover.

Characteristics: The plant has leaf-like shoots with 1 root

per leaf.

Habitat: The plant is found worldwide in cooler, oceanic

climates. The plant is not found in east Asia and South

Africa.

Production: Duckweed is the fresh plant Lemna minor.

ACTIONS AND PHARMACOLOGY

COMPOUNDS

Flavonoids: in particular C-glucosyl-flavone, including

among others orientin, isoorientin, vitexin, isovitexin, luto-

narin, vicenin-1; also O-glycosides, including among others

apigenin-7-O-glucoside, luteolin-7-O-glycoside

Cyclopentane fatty acids, with structure resembling

prostaglandin

Polysaccharides: apiogalacturonans

Cardiac steroids (cardenolides)

EFFECTS

No information is available.

INDICATIONS AND USAGE

Unproven Uses: Duckweed is used internally for inflamma-

tion of the upper respiratory tract and externally for gout and

rheumatism.

Chinese Medicine: Duckweed is used for measles, edema,

joint pain, dysuria, acne, erysipelas and epilepsy.

Homeopathic Uses: Duckweed is used for chronic colds.
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: The plant is available as fresh or

ground herb and as an extract.

Homeopathic Dosage: 5 drops, 1 tablet or 10 globules every

30 to 60 minutes (acute) or 1 to 3 times daily (chronic);

parenterally: 1 to 2 ml s.c, acute: 3 times daily; chronic:

once a day (HAB1).

LITERATURE

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-

1994.

Madaus G. Lehrbuch der Biologischen Arzneimittel, Bde 1-3,

Nachdruck, Georg Olms Verlag Hildesheim 1979.

Dusty Miller

Senecio bicolor

DESCRIPTION

Medicinal Parts: The medicinal parts are the fresh plant

harvested before flowering, the herb of the flowering plant,

and the whole fresh, flowering plant.

Flower and Fruit: The plant has numerous yellow capitula,

12 to 15 cm in diameter, on short peduncles. The calyx only

has a few sepals. There are 10 to 12 lingual florets. The fruit

is striped.

Leaves, Stem and Root: Senecio cineraria is a semi-shrub

that grows up to 80 cm high. The stem is erect, heavily

branched at the base, and sometimes snow-white tomentose.

The leaves are densely pubescent beneath and more or less

cobwebbed on the upper surface. They may have sparse

greenish hairs. The lower leaves are oval to lanceolate,

pinnatifid, and the outer lobes are usually longer than they

are wide.

Habitat: The plant is indigenous to die Mediterranean

region, naturalized in North America and cultivated as an

ornamental plant in many countries.

Production: Cineraria juice is the juice of the whole Senecio

cinerarian plant.

Other Names: Cineraria Maritima

ACTIONS AND PHARMACOLOGY

COMPOUNDS

Pyrrolizidine alkaloids (0.9% in the blossoming foliage):

including, among others, jaconine, jacobine, otosenine,

retrorsine, senecionine, seneciphylline

Polyynes