Sison amomum
Sison amomum
The Stone parsley (Sison amomum L.) is a herbaceous species belonging to the Apiaceae family.
Systematics –
From a systematic point of view it belongs to:
Eukaryota Domain,
Kingdom Plantae,
Magnoliophyta Division,
Magnoliopsida class,
Order Apiales,
Apiaceae family,
Genus Sison,
S. amomum species.
The terms are synonymous:
– Apium amomum (L.) Caruel;
– Apium amomum (L.) Stokes;
– Apium catalaunicum (Costa) Calest.;
– Carum amomum (L.) Koso-Pol.;
– Cicuta amomum (L.) Crantz;
– Pimpinella gracilis subsp. catalaunica (Costa) Malag.;
– Reutera albiflora Costa;
– Reutera gracilis subsp. catalaunica (Costa) Lange;
– Reutera gracilis var. catalaunica Costa;
– Seseli amomum (L.) Scop.;
– Sison amomum var. catalaunicum (Costa) Thell.;
– Sison amomum var. catalaunicum Costa;
– Sison amomus St.-Lag.;
– Sison aromaticum Dulac, 1867;
– Sison erectum Salisb.;
– Sison heterophyllum Moench;
– Sium amomum (L.) Gaterau, 1789;
– Sium amomum (L.) Roth;
– Sium aromaticum Lam..
Etymology –
The term Sison comes from the Greek σίσων sison, the name of a medicinal plant mentioned by Dioscorides.
The specific epithet amomum comes from amomum amomo, the name of an oriental aromatic plant mentioned by Virgil from which a precious balm was extracted (from the Greek ἄμωμος ámomos irreproachable, perfect, derived from the privative prefix α- a- senza and from μῶμος mómos biasimo, criticism): aromatic plants such as amomine.
Geographic Distribution and Habitat –
The Stone parsley is a species with a sub-Mediterranean-sub-Atlantic distribution and present in southern and western Europe from Great Britain and France to the Mediterranean, western Asia and Algeria.
In Italy it can be found in the following regions: Abruzzo, Basilicata, Calabria, Campania, Emilia Romagna, Friuli Venezia Giulia, Lazio, Liguria, Marche, Molise, Piedmont, Sardinia, Sicily, Tuscany, Trentino Alto Adige, Umbria and Veneto.
Its habitat is that of wet uncultivated grounds and in hedges, at the edges of roads, on rather cool clayey soils, from neutral to calcareous, below the mountain belt, generally between 0 and 1000 m. s.l.m ..
Description –
Sison amomum is a biennial herbaceous plant with a height that can reach one meter.
The leaves are without stipules, composed of three finely perforated leaflets.
The flowers are fragrant, hermaphroditic, small, pentamer, with radiated symmetry, collected in small whitish umbels.
The antesis takes place in the period between the months of June and August
Pollination is by insects.
The schizocarpic fruit is a 1.6-2.7 mm polachenary, subglobose-pyriform, laterally compressed, smooth and hairless, whose brown pentagonal section mericarps have 5 prominent primary ribs, without secondary ribs and very marked vices externally .
Cultivation –
Sison amomum is a biennial plant that is harvested and used in some areas for local use as a food and source of medicines.
The plant can be grown on fairly fresh clay soils, preferably with a neutral or slightly alkaline pH on a limestone matrix, below the mountain belt.
Propagation must be carried out by seed, with broadcast sowing, directly in the open field at the end of autumn or in spring.
Customs and Traditions –
In some parts of Europe the cooked root of Sison amomum is considered edible, while the leaves are used as a spice; the fruits have a rather nauseating smell and the whole plant gives off a rather unusual smell of gasoline.
Among the edible uses, therefore, the root is used, which tastes of celery, the leaves and aromatic seeds which are used as a condiment; fresh seeds, however, have a nauseating smell.
In medicinal use it is a carminative, diaphoretic, diuretic plant.
Preparation Method –
The Sison amomum is a plant used, especially once, for both food and medicinal purposes.
For edible use, cooked roots are used as well as leaves and seeds.
For medicinal use, seeds with carminative, diaphoretic and diuretic properties are used.
Guido Bissanti
Sources
– Acta Plantarum – Flora of the Italian Regions.
– Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
– Useful Tropical Plants Database.
– Conti F., Abbate G., Alessandrini A., Blasi C. (ed.), 2005. An annotated checklist of the Italian vascular flora, Palombi Editore.
– Pignatti S., 1982. Flora of Italy, Edagricole, Bologna.
– Treben M., 2000. Health from the Lord’s Pharmacy, Advice and experiences with medicinal herbs, Ennsthaler Editore.
Photo source:
– https://inaturalist-open-data.s3.amazonaws.com/photos/25101423/original.jpg
Warning: Pharmaceutical applications and alimurgical uses are indicated for informational purposes only, they do not represent in any way a medical prescription; therefore no responsibility is taken for their use for curative, aesthetic or food purposes.