Agrimonia (from the Greek ἀργεμώνη),[1] commonly known as agrimony, is a genus of 12–15 species of perennialherbaceousflowering plants in the family Rosaceae,[1] native to the temperate regions of the Northern Hemisphere, with one species also in Africa. The species grow to between 0.5–2 m (1.6–6.6 ft) tall, with interrupted pinnateleaves, and tiny yellow flowers borne on a single (usually unbranched) spike.
In ancient times, it was used for foot baths and tired feet.[2] Agrimony has a long history of medicinal use. The English poet Michael Drayton once hailed it as an "all-heal" and through the ages it was considered a panacea.[citation needed] The ancient Greeks used agrimony to treat eye ailments, and it was made into brews for diarrhea and disorders of the gallbladder, liver, and kidneys.[3] The Anglo-Saxons boiled agrimony in milk and used it to improve erectile performance.[4]
They also made a solution from the leaves and seeds for healing wounds; this use continued through the Middle Ages and afterward, in a preparation called eau d'arquebusade, or "musket-shot water".[5] It has been added to tea as a spring tonic.[2] According to the German Federal Commission E (Phytotherapy)-Monograph "Agrimony", published 1990, the internal application area is "mild, nonspecific, acute diarrhea" and "inflammation of oral and pharyngeal mucosa" and the external application "mild, superficial inflammation of the skin".[6]
Folklore
Traditional British folklore states that if a sprig of Agrimonia eupatoria was placed under a person's head, they would sleep until it was removed.[7]
^Galen (Κλαύδιος Γαληνός), De methodo medendi 13.920K DOI: 10.4159/DLCL.galen-method_medicine.2011
^Lacey, R. and Danziger, D. (1999) In The Year 1000 London: Little, Brown & Co, p. 126
^Grieve, Margaret (1931). A Modern Herbal (Hypertext version ed.). Hafner Pub. pp. Agrimony. Retrieved 14 December 2021.
^German Federal Commission E Monographs (Phytotherapy): Monograph Agrimony (Agrimoniae herba). Bundesanzeiger. March 13, 1990. – www.heilpflanzen-welt.de.
^Encyclopedia of Folk Medicine: Old World and New World Traditions by Gabrielle Hatfield, p.310
Eriksson, Torsten; Hibbs, Malin S.; Yoder, Anne D.; Delwiche, Charles F.; Donoghue, Michael J. (2003). "The Phylogeny of Rosoideae (Rosaceae) Based on Sequences of the Internal Transcribed Spacers (ITS) of Nuclear Ribosomal DNA and the TRNL/F Region of Chloroplast DNA". International Journal of Plant Sciences. 164 (2): 197–211. doi:10.1086/346163. S2CID22378156.
