Morphological information

A rhizoomatous perennial herb up to 3 ft. high. Stem 2- edged; leaves opposite, sessile, oblong, ovate or linear, 0.3- 1 inch long, black- doded. Flowers yellow 1 inch in diameter, in terminal corymbose cymes; capsule ovoid, 0.3 inch long; seeds many small. The herb has a characteristic balsamic odour and a bitter, resinous, somewhat astringent taste.

Flowering             :

Fruiting                :

History                :

Parts                   : Leaves and Shoot.

Status                 : Low risk

Phytochemistry

The principal constituents of the herb are: volatile oil (yield from flowering herb, 0.06- 0.11% according to season), tannins (stem 3.8; leaves, 12.4; and flowers, 16.2%) a resinous substance and a red fluorescent pigment hypericin [C30H14 018 (decomposes above 330 degree) 0.466%). The herb also contains rutin, glucoside, alkaloids, a fixed oil, vitamin C (0.13%), provitarnin A (upto 13 mg/100g) and the pseudohypericin (C3OH20010) hyperin [C21H20 012; m.p 237- 38 degree (decomp), caratenoids, chlorophyll and a brownish red pigments. Hypericin has been identified as 4, 5, 7, 4" 5', 7-  152 hexahydoxy-2-2’-dimethyl-meso-nephthodianthrone; hyperin is identical with quercitin 3-α-d-galactoside. The fixed oil contains glycerides of stearic, palmittic and myristic acids, ceryl alcohol, phytosterol and two hydrocarbons (C38H68, m.p 630 and C36H74, m.p 680).

The principal constituents of the oil are terpenes and sesquiterpenes, pinene, cineol, myroame, cadionene, guounene, esters of isova; erioanic acid and hypericin are reported to be present.

 

Unani

The leaves have a sharp slightly bitter taste; stomachic, laxative, anthelmintic; good in earache and scorpion sting. Bark diuretic; good for piles and uterine troubles.     

Traditional

Others: The herb is bitter and astringent, and recommended as a detersive, resolutive, anthelmintic, and diuretic and emmenagogue and externally as excitent. It is recommended in Arabian medicine as a vermifuge, also used to cure piles prolapsus uterine. The red juice is esteemed as one of the most popular and most curative application in Europe for excoriations wounds and bruises. An infusion of the herb is given beneficially for chronic catarrhs of the lungs, the bowels or the urinary passages. A salve compounded from the flower is still much used and valued in English villages. The flower tops are official in France and in Portugal. The leaves are not as antidote to scorpion venom.

 

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