Edible Parts: Leaves  Seed
Edible Uses: Tea

Leaves - cooked[2]. The tender leaves are sometimes used as a potherb[183]. Used as a condiment in soups etc[46, 61, 105], it is said to reduce flatulence if eaten with beans[183]. The leaves have a rank taste due to the presence of resinous dots and sticky hairs[85]. The raw leaves should only be eaten in small quantities, see the notes above on toxicity. Seed - cooked[105, 161]. The seed is small and fiddly, it should be soaked in water overnight and thoroughly rinsed before it is used in order to remove any saponins. An infusion of the leaves is a tea substitute[183].

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Analgesic  Antiasthmatic  Antifungal  Carminative  Dysentery  Stomachic  Vermifuge

Wormseed is a Central American herb that has been used for centuries to expel parasitic worms from the body[254]. The whole plant is analgesic, antiasthmatic, carminative, stomachic and vermifuge[1, 4, 21, 57, 145, 147, 171]. An infusion can be used as a digestive remedy, being taken to settle a wide range of problems such colic and stomach pains[254]. Externally, it has been used as a wash for haemorrhoids, as a poultice to detoxify snake bites and other poisons and is thought to have wound-healing properties[254]. Use with caution and preferably under the supervision of a qualified practitioner[21, 238]. This remedy should not be prescribed for pregnant women[238]. See also the notes above on toxicity. Until fairly recently, this was one of the most commonly used vermifuges, though it has now been largely replaced by synthetic drugs[222]. The seed, or an essential oil expressed from the seed, was used[213]. It is very effective against most parasites, including the amoeba that causes dysentery, but is less effective against tapeworm[213, 238]. Fasting should not precede its use and there have occasionally been cases of poisoning caused by this treatment[213]. The oil is used externally to treat athlete's foot and insect bites[238]. One report says that it is an essential oil that is utilised[240]. This is obtained from the seed or the flowering stems, it is at its highest concentration in the flowering stems before seed is set, these contain around 0.7% essential oil of which almost 50% is the active vermifuge ascaridol[240]. The essential oil is of similar quality from plants cultivated in warm climates and those in cool climates[240]. The leaves are added in small quantities as a flavouring for various cooked bean dishes because their carminative activity can reduce flatulence[222].

Dye  Insecticide

The plant is used as a fumigant against mosquitoes and is also added to fertilizers to inhibit insect larvae[238]. Gold/green dyes can be obtained from the whole plant[168].

Special Uses

Scented Plants