Cordyline fruticosa
Cordyline fruticosa
The ti plant or palm lily, cabbage palm, Broadleaf palm-lily (Cordyline fruticosa (L.) A. Chev. (1919) is a shrub species belonging to the Agavaceae family.
Systematic –
From a systematic point of view it belongs to:
Eukaryota domain,
Kingdom Plantae,
Angiosperm Superdivision,
Division Magnoliophyta,
Class Liliopsida,
Order Liliales,
Agavaceae family,
Genus Cordyline,
Species C. fruticosa.
The term is basionym:
– Convallaria fruticosa.
The terms are synonymous:
– Aletris chinensis Lam.;
– Asparagus terminalis L.;
– Calodracon heliconiifolia (Otto & A.Dietr.) Planch.;
– Calodracon jacquinii (Kunth) Planch.;
– Calodracon nobilis Planch.;
– Calodracon sieberi (Kunth) Planch.;
– Calodracon terminalis (L.) Planch.;
– Cordyline albicans (Van Geert) G.Nicholson;
– Cordyline alborosea (W.Bull) G.Nicholson;
– Cordyline amabilis Cogn. & Marchal;
– Cordyline amboynensis G.Nicholson;
– Cordyline angusta (W.Bull) G.Nicholson;
– Cordyline argenteostriata (W.Bull) Mottet;
– Cordyline balmoreana (Van Geert) G.Nicholson;
– Cordyline baptistii Cogn. & Marchal;
– Cordyline bartelii Mottet;
– Cordyline bellula (Linden & André) G.Nicholson;
– Cordyline cheesemanii Kirk;
– Cordyline chelsonii (Veitch) G.Nicholson;
– Cordyline compacta (W.Bull) G.Nicholson;
– Cordyline dennisonii André;
– Cordyline densicoma Linden & André;
– Cordyline duffii (E.G.Hend.) G.Nicholson;
– Cordyline eschscholziana Mart. ex Schult. & Schult.f.;
– Cordyline excellens Mottet;
– Cordyline excelsa G.Nicholson;
– Cordyline ferrea (L.) Endl.;
– Cordyline ferrea (L.) M.R.Almeida, 2009;
– Cordyline fraseri (Anon.) G.Nicholson;
– Cordyline fruticosa subsp. ferrea (Baker) R.R.Fernandez;
– Cordyline fruticosa var. boryi Baker;
– Cordyline fruticosa var. ferrea J.W.Moore;
– Cordyline fruticosa var. sieberi (Kunth) Planch.;
– Cordyline fruticosa var. ti (Schott);
– Cordyline gloriosa Linden & André;
– Cordyline grandis (W.Bull) G.Nicholson;
– Cordyline guilfoylei Linden;
– Cordyline guilfoylei Linden ex Lem.;
– Cordyline hedychioides F.Muell.;
– Cordyline heliconiifolia Otto & A.Dietr.;
– Cordyline hendersonii Cogn. & Marchal;
– Cordyline imperialis (Anon.) G.Nicholson;
– Cordyline inscripta (W.Bull) G.Nicholson;
– Cordyline jacquinii Kunth;
– Cordyline javanica Klotzsch;
– Cordyline javanica Klotzsch ex Kunth;
– Cordyline kewensis Sander;
– Cordyline laingii (Van Geert) Mottet;
– Cordyline lutescens-striata G.Nicholson;
– Cordyline macarthurii G.Nicholson;
– Cordyline madagascariensis Mottet;
– Cordyline magnifica (H.J.Veitch ex É.Morren) G.Nicholson;
– Cordyline metallica Dallière;
– Cordyline mirabilis G.Nicholson;
– Cordyline mooreana (Van Geert) G.Nicholson;
– Cordyline nigrorubra (Linden) G.Nicholson;
– Cordyline nobilis (Planch.) K.Koch;
– Cordyline norwoodiensis Mottet;
– Cordyline ornata (Van Geert) G.Nicholson;
– Cordyline picturata (T.Moore) Mottet;
– Cordyline placida (W.Bull) Mottet;
– Cordyline porphyrophylla (É.Morren) G.Nicholson;
– Cordyline pulchella (W.Bull) G.Nicholson;
– Cordyline reali (Linden & André) G.Nicholson;
– Cordyline regina Veitch;
– Cordyline regina Veitch ex Regel;
– Cordyline rex (W.Bull) G.Nicholson;
– Cordyline robinsoniana (Van Geert) G.Nicholson;
– Cordyline rosacea G.Nicholson;
– Cordyline rubella (W.Bull) G.Nicholson;
– Cordyline sepiaria Seem.;
– Cordyline sieberi Kunth;
– Cordyline splendens (W.Bull ex É.Morren) G.Nicholson;
– Cordyline sulcata (Van Geert) G.Nicholson;
– Cordyline terminalis Kunth;
– Cordyline terminalis subsp. baileyi F.M.Bailey;
– Cordyline terminalis subsp. boryi Benth.;
– Cordyline terminalis subsp. ferrea Baker;
– Cordyline terminalis subsp. hedychioides (F.Muell.) Baker;
– Cordyline terminalis subsp. sepiaria (Seem.) Benth.;
– Cordyline terminalis subsp. sieberi (Kunth) Benth.;
– Cordyline terminalis subsp. ti (Schott) Benth.;
– Cordyline terminalis var. baileyi F.M.Bailey;
– Cordyline terminalis var. boryi Benth.;
– Cordyline terminalis var. ferrea Baker;
– Cordyline terminalis var. hedychioides (F.Muell.) Baker;
– Cordyline terminalis var. sepiaria (Seem.) Baker;
– Cordyline terminalis var. sepiaria (Seem.) Benth.;
– Cordyline terminalis var. sieberi (Kunth) Benth.;
– Cordyline terminalis var. ti (Schott ex K.Koch) Benth.;
– Cordyline terminalis var. ti (Schott) Baker;
– Cordyline thomsonii (Mast. & T.Moore) Mottet;
– Cordyline ti Schott;
– Cordyline ti Schott ex K.Koch;
– Cordyline timorensis Planch.;
– Cordyline triumphans (W.Bull) G.Nicholson;
– Cordyline venosa (W.Bull) Mottet;
– Cordyline williamsii Mottet;
– Cordyline youngii (É.Morren) G.Nicholson;
– Dianella cubensis A.Rich.;
– Dracaena albicans Van Geert;
– Dracaena albicans VanGeert;
– Dracaena albomarginata T.Moore;
– Dracaena alborosea Baker;
– Dracaena alborosea W.Bull;
– Dracaena alexandrae Van Geert;
– Dracaena alexandrae VanGeert;
– Dracaena amabilis H.J.Veitch;
– Dracaena anerleyensis T.Moore;
– Dracaena angusta W.Bull;
– Dracaena argenteostriata W.Bull;
– Dracaena atropurpurea-pendula Van Geert;
– Dracaena atropurpureapendula VanGeert;
– Dracaena aurora Linden & André;
– Dracaena balmoreana Van Geert;
– Dracaena balmoreana VanGeert;
– Dracaena baptistii Anon.;
– Dracaena barronii T.Moore;
– Dracaena bausei T.Moore;
– Dracaena bella T.Moore;
– Dracaena bellula Linden & André;
– Dracaena bergmanii Van Geert;
– Dracaena bergmanii VanGeert;
– Dracaena berkeleyi T.Moore;
– Dracaena brasiliensis Schult. & Schult.f.;
– Dracaena candida W.Bull;
– Dracaena cantrellii T.Moore;
– Dracaena carolettiae T.Moore;
– Dracaena casanovae Linden & André;
– Dracaena chelsonii Veitch;
– Dracaena compacta W.Bull;
– Dracaena concinna W.Bull;
– Dracaena cooperi Regel;
– Dracaena cooperi Van Geert;
– Dracaena cooperi var. striata Van Geert;
– Dracaena cooperi var. striata VanGeert;
– Dracaena coullingii Anon.;
– Dracaena crispata Van Geert;
– Dracaena crispata VanGeert;
– Dracaena cuprea L.Linden & Rodigas;
– Dracaena cuprea T.Moore;
– Dracaena dennisonii Veitch;
– Dracaena dennisonii Veitch ex É.Morren;
– Dracaena duffii E.G.Hend.;
– Dracaena elizabethae T.Moore;
– Dracaena elizabethiae T.Moore;
– Dracaena ernestii T.Moore;
– Dracaena esculenta Jacob-Makoy;
– Dracaena esculenta Regel;
– Dracaena excelsa W.Bull;
– Dracaena eximia T.Moore;
– Dracaena ferrea L.;
– Dracaena ferrea subsp. variegata Blandy;
– Dracaena ferrea subsp. versicolor E.J.Lowe & W.Howard;
– Dracaena ferrea var. rubens Hassk.;
– Dracaena flemingii Baker;
– Dracaena formosa Baker;
– Dracaena formosa W.Bull;
– Dracaena fraseri Anon.;
– Dracaena fraseri Baker;
– Dracaena fredericii T.Moore;
– Dracaena fulgens T.Moore;
– Dracaena gemma W.Bull;
– Dracaena gibsonii Baker;
– Dracaena gladstonei Van Geert;
– Dracaena gladstonii VanGeert;
– Dracaena glonerea Linden;
– Dracaena glonerea Linden ex Rafarin;
– Dracaena gloneri André;
– Dracaena gloriosa Anon.;
– Dracaena gloriosa Linden;
– Dracaena gloriosa Linden ex É.Morren;
– Dracaena grandis W.Bull;
– Dracaena guilfoylei T.Moore;
– Dracaena guilfoylei T.Moore ex Linden;
– Dracaena guilfoylii Veitch ex Regel;
– Dracaena halseyi Van Geert;
– Dracaena halseyi VanGeert;
– Dracaena harrisii Hovey;
– Dracaena hendersonii J.H.Veitch;
– Dracaena humboldtii Jacob-Makoy;
– Dracaena hybrida W.Bull;
– Dracaena hybrida W.Bull ex R.Hogg;
– Dracaena illustris Baker;
– Dracaena illustris W.Bull;
– Dracaena imperator T.Moore;
– Dracaena imperialis Anon.;
– Dracaena imperialis Baker;
– Dracaena inscripta Baker;
– Dracaena inscripta W.Bull;
– Dracaena insignis W.Bull;
– Dracaena intermedia E.C.Hend.;
– Dracaena jamesii Pynaert;
– Dracaena jucunda T.Moore;
– Dracaena kewensis Sander;
– Dracaena laingii Van Geert;
– Dracaena laingii VanGeert;
– Dracaena latifolia subsp. pendula Jacob-Makoy;
– Dracaena leonardii Van Geert;
– Dracaena leonardii VanGeert;
– Dracaena leonensis Lodd.;
– Dracaena leonensis Lodd. ex G.Don;
– Dracaena leonensis Lodd. ex Loudon;
– Dracaena leopoldii Pynaert;
– Dracaena leucochila T.Moore;
– Dracaena levangeri Van Geert;
– Dracaena levangerii VanGeert;
– Dracaena limbata Van Geert;
– Dracaena limbata VanGeert;
– Dracaena lineata Baker;
– Dracaena lutescens Verschaff.;
– Dracaena lutescens var. striata Linden;
– Dracaena lutescens var. striata Linden ex Rafarin;
– Dracaena mabiliae T.Moore;
– Dracaena mabilii T.Moore;
– Dracaena macleayi Linden;
– Dracaena macleayi Regel;
– Dracaena magnifica Baker;
– Dracaena magnifica H.J.Veitch;
– Dracaena magnifica H.J.Veitch ex É.Morren;
– Dracaena mandaianum Anon.;
– Dracaena martfontanensis Van Geert;
– Dracaena martfontanensis VanGeert;
– Dracaena mastersii T.Moore;
– Dracaena metallica W.Bull;
– Dracaena mooreana Van Geert;
– Dracaena moorei B.S.Williams;
– Dracaena neocaledonica Linden;
– Dracaena nigrescens B.S.Williams;
– Dracaena nigricans Jacob-Makoy;
– Dracaena nigrorubra Linden;
– Dracaena nigrostriata W.Bull;
– Dracaena nitzchneri Van Geert;
– Dracaena nitzchnerii VanGeert;
– Dracaena nobilis Baker;
– Dracaena nobilis Van Houtte;
– Dracaena nobilis Van Houtte ex Bosse;
– Dracaena ornata Van Geert;
– Dracaena ornata VanGeert;
– Dracaena pendens T.Moore;
– Dracaena perreyi Van Geert;
– Dracaena perreyi VanGeert;
– Dracaena picta W.Bull;
– Dracaena picturata T.Moore;
– Dracaena placida W.Bull;
– Dracaena porphyrophylla É.Morren;
– Dracaena porteana Baker;
– Dracaena poubellei Anon.;
– Dracaena princeps W.Bull.
The following varieties are recognized within this species:
– Cordyline fruticosa var. ferrea (Baker) R.R.Fernandez, 1999;
– Cordyline fruticosa var. fruticosa.
Etymology –
The term Cordyline comes from the Greek “kordyle”, that is, club, club in reference to the shape of the rhizomatous roots.
The specific epithet fruticosa comes from the Latin “fruticosa”, that is, rich in shoots, in reference to its tufty habit.
Geographic Distribution and Habitat –
Cordyline fruticosa is a plant whose original native distribution is unknown, but is believed to be native to the region from Bangladesh, mainland Southeast Asia, southern China, Taiwan, insular Southeast Asia, New Guinea, and to northern Australia.
In Australia it is present in Queensland, in Papua it is present in the Bismarck Islands, Solomon Islands, Papua New Guinea and in the western Pacific it is found in the Caroline Islands, Marshall Islands, Wallis-Futuna Islands, Fiji, Marianas, Vanuatu.
Its habitat is that of various types of forest (dry, dense, marginal), where it grows abundantly or on wooded ridges, in thickets and sometimes near beaches at altitudes from sea level up to 1,100 meters in Fiji.
Description –
Cordyline fruticosa is an evergreen, shrubby, slightly branched plant, up to about 4 m tall, with erect stems that have tufts of leaves and rhizomatous roots at the tips.
The leaves are lanceolate, 40-60 cm long and 10-15 cm wide, of a shiny intense green colour; there are also numerous variously colored varieties.
The inflorescences are terminal panicles, up to 60 cm long with small flowers of about 12 mm in diameter, white to reddish in colour, slightly scented.
The fruits are globose berries of about 8 mm in diameter, red-purple in color, containing many black seeds.
Cultivation –
Cordyline fruticosa is a plant that has been spread from its native areas throughout Polynesia by farmers.
The plant is commonly used by local people for a wide range of uses. It is also widely cultivated in humid tropical and subtropical areas as an ornamental plant; there are many named cultivars.
The species is widespread in tropical and subtropical gardens in the varieties with colored leaves; the one with entirely green leaves, slightly more resistant to low temperatures, can be cultivated marginally in areas with a warm temperate climate.
It is a plant that is not particularly demanding regarding soil, although it prefers fertile, well-drained soil in a sunny or slightly shaded position.
It can be grown in full sun or light shade, and can resist short periods of drought as an adult.
The varieties with colored foliage are rather sensitive to the cold, not resisting temperatures close to 0°C, so they should be grown in pots, where such temperatures are predictable, and as such they are used for interior decoration, in a very bright position, using a well-draining soil.
The plants can flower and bear fruit all year round.
Some forms are grown for their large tuberous roots.
The plant is easily propagated by cuttings or by seed, if available.
Customs and Traditions –
Cordyline fruticosa is a plant known by various common names; among these we report: “auti”, “karokaro”, “karo karo”, “ki”, “masawe”, “qai”, “qolo”, “qui”, “rauti”, “ti”, “vasili” (dialects Polynesians); “ti”, “ti tree”, “good luck tree”, “palm lily”, “Polynesian ti plant”, “tree of kings” (English); “keulenlilie” (German); “árbol de la suerte”, “baston de San José”, “caña de indio”, “carey”, “chucho”, “croto”, “cuiza” (Spanish); “coqueiro-de-vênus”, “cordiline” (Portuguese).
In the past, this plant was of great importance to the Polynesian populations, at the center of religious and magical rites and widely used as food and to obtain sugar and an alcoholic drink (from the rhizomatous roots rich in starch), while the leaves, rich in fibre, they were used for multiple uses, from covering huts, to clothing, to transporting and cooking food and, last but not least, for ornamentation.
The plant is still of great cultural importance to the traditional animistic religions of the Austronesian and Papuan peoples of the Pacific Islands, New Zealand, the islands of Southeast Asia, and Papua New Guinea. It is also cultivated for food, traditional medicinal purposes and as an ornamental for its variously colored leaves.
It was transported throughout Oceania by the Austronesians, reaching Hawaii, New Zealand (including the Kermadec Islands), and Easter Island at their greatest extent. A particularly important type of this plant in Eastern Polynesia is a large, green-leafed cultivar grown for its enlarging edible rhizomes. Unlike the populations of Southeast Asia and nearby Oceania, this cultivar is almost completely sterile in the more distant islands of Eastern Polynesia. It can only be propagated by cuttings of the stems or rhizomes. It is hypothesized that this was the result of deliberate artificial selection, probably because they produce larger, less fibrous rhizomes, more suitable for use as food.
It was introduced to Europe as a houseplant in 1771.
The plant, as mentioned, has many uses, but is especially noteworthy as one of the most important plants linked to the indigenous animist religions of the Austronesians. She is widely considered to have mystical or spiritual powers in various Austronesian (as well as Papuan) cultures. Among many Austronesian ethnic groups it is considered sacred. Common features include the belief that they can contain souls and are therefore useful in curing “soul loss” diseases and in exorcism against evil spirits, their use in ritual clothing and ornaments, and their use as boundary markers. Red and green cultivars also commonly represented dualistic aspects of culture and religion and are used differently in rituals. Red-colored plants commonly symbolize blood, war, and bonds between the living and the dead; while green colored plants commonly symbolize peace and healing. They are also widely used in traditional medicine, dyes and ornaments throughout Austronesia and New Guinea. Their ritual uses in the islands of Southeast Asia have been largely obscured by the introduction of Hinduism, Buddhism, Islam and Christianity, but they still persist in some areas or are co-opted for the rituals of new religions.
In Philippine anitism, the plant was commonly used by babaylan (shamans) when conducting mediumship or healing rituals. A common belief in Philippine cultures is that the plant has the innate ability to host spirits. Among the Ifugao of northern Luzon, it is planted around terraces and communities to ward off evil spirits and to delimit the boundaries of cultivated fields. The red leaves are believed to attract spirits and are worn during important rituals as part of headdresses and strung into bracelets. In the past it was also worn during ceremonial dances called bangibang, which were performed by both men and women for warriors who died in battle or by violent means. They are also used to decorate ritual objects. Among the Palaw’an it is planted in cemeteries to prevent the dead from becoming evil spirits. In Indonesia, red varieties are used similarly as in the Philippines. Among the Dayak, Sundanese, Kayan, Kenyah, Berawan, Iban and Mongondow peoples, the red varieties are used as protections against evil spirits and as boundary markers. They are also used in rituals such as healing and funerals and are very commonly planted in sacred groves and around shrines.
The Dayaks also extract a natural green dye from the plant. During the healing rituals of the Mentawai people, life-giving spirits are attracted with songs and offerings to enter the roots of plants which are then reconciled with the sick person.
Among the Sasak people, the green leaves of this plant are used as part of offerings to spirits by Belian shamans. Among the Baduy, green plants represent the body, while red ones represent the soul. Both are used in rice planting rituals. They are also planted in cemeteries.
Among the Balinese and Karo, these plants are planted near village or family shrines in a sacred grove. Among the Toraja, red plants are used in rituals and as decorations of ritual objects. They are believed to occur in both the material and spiritual worlds (a common belief in Austronesian animism). In the spirit world they exist as spirit fins and tails. In the material world they are very useful as guides used to attract the attention of spirits. The red leaves also symbolize blood and therefore life and vitality. Among the Ngaju people, these plants symbolized the sacred groves of the ancestors. They were also important in ritual promises dedicated to the higher gods. They were considered symbolic of the male “Tree of Life”, in a dichotomy with the Ficus species symbolizing the female “Tree of the Dead”.
In New Guinea, this plant is commonly planted to signify ownership of land to be cultivated and is also planted around men’s ceremonial houses. They are also used in various rituals and are commonly associated with blood and war.
Among the Tsembaga Maring people, they are believed to harbor “red spirits” (spirits of men who died in battle). Before a highly ritualized (but lethal) war over land ownership, they are uprooted and pigs are sacrificed to the spirits. After hostilities, they are replanted in new land borders depending on the outcome of the combat. The men involved ritually place their souls in the plants. Ritual warfare was suppressed by the Papua New Guinea government, but parts of the rituals still survive.
Among the Ankave, red-leaved plants are part of the creation myth, which is believed to have arisen from the site of the first murder. Among the Mendi and Sulka peoples they are processed into dyes used as body paint and their leaves are used for body ornaments and purification rituals. Among the Nikgini the leaves have magical abilities to bring good luck and are widely used in divination and in the decoration of ritual objects. Among the Kapauku people, plants are considered magical plants and are believed to be spiritual beings themselves. Unlike other magical plants controlled by other spirits, these plants have their own spirits and are powerful enough to command other spiritual beings. Red plants are used in white magic rituals, while green plants are used in black magic rituals. They are also commonly used in protection and guarding rituals. Among the Baktaman, red plants are used for initiation rites, while green plants are used for healing.
On the island of Melanesia, the plant is considered sacred by various Austronesian-speaking peoples and is used in protection, divination and fertility rituals. Among the Kwaio people, red plants are associated with feuds and revenge, while green ones are associated with ancestor spirits, indicators of sacred groves and protections against evil. The Kwaio grow these varieties around their communities. Among the Maenge of New Britain, Cordyline fruticosa leaves are worn as everyday skirts by women. The color and size of the leaves may vary based on personal preferences and fashion. New cultivars with different colors are marketed regularly and rows of plants are grown near the village. Red leaves can only be worn by women after puberty. C. fruticosa is also the most important plant in the magical and healing rituals of the Maenge. Some cultivars are associated with supernatural spirits and have names and folklore around them. In Vanuatu, Cordyline leaves, known locally as Bislama nanggaria, are worn strung in a belt in traditional dances such as Māʻuluʻulu, with several varieties having particular symbolic meanings. Cordylines are often planted outside nakamal buildings. In Fiji, red-leaved plants are used as skirts for dancers and are used in rituals dedicated to the spirits of the dead. They are also planted around ceremonial buildings used for initiation rituals.
In Micronesia, leaves are buried under newly built homes in Pohnpei to protect them from evil witchcraft. In cases of unknown death, shamans in Micronesia communicate with the dead spirit through plants, naming various causes of death until the plant trembles. There is also archaeological evidence that the rhizomes of the plants were once eaten on Guam before the Latte period.
In Polynesia, green-leaved varieties were widely cultivated for food and religious purposes. They are commonly planted around homes, at sacred places (including marae and heiau), and in graves. The leaves are also carried as an amulet when traveling and are used in rituals communicating with the species. As in Southeast Asia, they are believed to protect against evil spirits and bad luck; as well as having the ability to house the spirits of dead people, as well as nature spirits.
In ancient Hawaii the plant was thought to have great spiritual power; only kahuna (shamans) and ali’i (chiefs) could wear leaves around their necks during certain ritual activities. The plant was sacred to the god of fertility and agriculture Lono, and to the goddess of the forest and hula dancing, Laka. The leaves were also used to delineate boundaries between properties and the plant was also planted at the corners of the house to keep evil spirits away. Even today, some Hawaiians plant these species near their homes to bring good luck. The leaves are also used for lava sledding. A number of leaves are tied together and people come down from the hills onto them. The leaves were also used to make clothing, including skirts worn in dance performances. The Hawaiian hula skirt is a dense skirt with an opaque layer of at least fifty green leaves and the bottom (top of the leaves) shaved flat. The Tongan dance dress, the sisi, is an apron of about 20 leaves, worn over a tupenu and decorated with a few yellow or red leaves.
In Aotearoa, some place names derive from the plant’s use and folklore, such as Puketī Forest and Temuka. The plants of Kaingaroa are known as nga tī whakāwe or Kaingaroa (“the ghost trees of Kaingaroa”), based on the legend of two women who were transformed into these plants and apparently follow people traveling through the area.
Furthermore, remember that the plant contains steroidal saponins.
Among other uses, it should be remembered that it is an ornamental plant that is often used in hedges.
Its leaves are used to cover the roofs of houses and to shelter stored food.
Preparation Method –
Cordyline fruticosa is a plant which, in addition to its various religious and ritual uses, has considerable importance for its edible and medicinal uses.
The root contains a high percentage of sugars. When cooked, it tastes not unlike molasses and is eaten that way or used as a sweetener in puddings and other foods.
The root is cooked for up to four days in clay ovens to be consumed as food, sweets, refreshment or confectionery. A tuberous root can weigh 4.5 – 6.5 kilos.
A fermented drink is obtained from the sweet roots.
The young leaves are cooked and eaten as a herb. They have no pronounced flavor and can also be used to wrap other foods during cooking.
In medicinal use, an infusion of the leaves is used as a remedy against swelling, inflammation and dry fevers.
The juice of the leaves is used to treat colds and coughs, stomach ache, eczema and gastritis.
An infusion of three crushed leaves of the purple cultivar is used to treat hypertension.
The leaf shoots are used to treat lower chest pain.
Filariasis is treated with a solution obtained from the new shoots of the plant.
Applied externally, the juice of the leaves is used to treat earaches and eye infections.
An infusion of the leaves in oil is used to heal wounds.
The leaves are crushed with oil and applied to gum abscesses.
The lower part of the leaf is macerated in olive oil and used as a poultice or swab to heal wounds.
The fluid from the stalk is used to treat postpartum illnesses and also to help expel the placenta.
The root is used to treat inflammation, baldness, toothache and laryngitis.
Pieces of the root, macerated in vinegar, are used to obtain a preparation against bleeding.
Guido Bissanti
Sources
– Acta Plantarum – Flora of the Italian Regions.
– Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
– GBIF, the Global Biodiversity Information Facility.
– 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 d’Italia, 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/257390717/original.jpg
Attention: Pharmaceutical applications and food uses are indicated for informational purposes only, they do not represent in any way a medical prescription; we therefore decline any responsibility for their use for healing, aesthetic or food purposes.