Edible Parts:
Edible Uses: Condiment

The root can be dried, ground into a powder and used as a food flavouring[105]. The root may take several years of drying to develop its full fragrance[168].

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Diuretic  Purgative  Stomachic

The dried root is diuretic, expectorant and stomachic[21, 238]. It is taken internally in the treatment of coughs, catarrh and diarrhoea[238]. Externally it is applied to deep wounds[238]. The root is harvested in late summer and early autumn and dried for later use[238]. The juice of the fresh root is a strong purge of great efficiency in the treatment of dropsy[4].

Beads  Cosmetic  Dye  Essential  Incense

The root is a source of Orris powder which has the scent of violets[238]. It is obtained by grinding up the dried root[4, 7, 46]. It is much used as a fixative in perfumery and pot-pourri, as an ingredient of toothpastes, breath fresheners etc and as a food flavouring. The root can take several years of drying to fully develop its violet-like fragrance, when fresh it has an acrid flavour and almost no smell[4, 168]. An essential oil is obtained from the fresh root, this has the same uses as the root[57, 61]. The root has been burnt in open fires in order to sweeten the smell of a room[245]. The juice of the root is sometimes used as a cosmetic and also for the removal of freckles from the skin[4]. A black dye is obtained from the root[168]. A blue dye is obtained from the flowers[168]. The seeds are used as rosary beads[61]. Plants can be grown for ground cover, the dense mat of roots excluding all weeds[208].

Special Uses

Ground cover  Scented Plants