Centaurium erythraea - Rafn.

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Summary

Physical Characteristics

Synonyms

Centaurium minus. Centaurium umbellatum. Erythraea centaurium.

Habitats

Woodland Garden Sunny Edge; Dappled Shade; Shady Edge; Meadow;

Edible Uses

Edible Parts:
Edible Uses: Condiment.

The plant is used as a flavouring in bitter herbal liqueurs and is an ingredient of vermouth[268].

Medicinal Uses

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Appetizer;  Aromatic;  Bach;  Bitter;  Cholagogue;  Diaphoretic;  Digestive;  Emetic;  
Febrifuge;  Hepatic;  Homeopathy;  Poultice;  Stomachic;  Tonic.

One of the most useful bitter herbs, centaury strengthens digestive function, especially within the stomach[254]. By increasing stomach secretions it hastens the breakdown of food, it also stimulates the appetite and increases bile production[254]. The plant needs to be take over a number of weeks and an infusion should be slowly sipped so that the components (their bitterness can be detected at a dilution of 1:3,500) can stimulate reflex activity throughout the upper digestive tract[254]. The whole herb is appetizer, aromatic, bitter, cholagogue, diaphoretic, digestive, emetic, weakly febrifuge, hepatic, stomachic and tonic[9, 13, 21, 165, 268]. It acts on the liver and kidneys, purifies the blood and is an excellent tonic for the digestive system[4, 238]. Externally, the fresh green herb is said to be a good application to wounds and sores[4]. It is often used in combination with other herbs such as camomile (Chamaemelum nobile), meadowsweet (Filipendula ulmaria) and marshmallow (Althaea officinalis)[238]. The whole plant is harvested when in flower and can be dried for later use[4, 238]. The plant is used in Bach flower remedies - the keywords for prescribing it are 'Weak willed', 'Too easily influenced' and 'Willing servitors'[209]. A homeopathic remedy is made from the plant[9]. It is used in the treatment of liver and gall bladder ailments[9]. The German Commission E Monographs, a therapeutic guide to herbal medicine, approve Centaurium erythraea for dyspeptic complaints, loss of appetite (see [302] for critics of commission E).

Other Uses

Dye.

A long-lasting bright yellowish-green dye is obtained from the flowers[13, 100].

Cultivation details

Prefers a well-drained sandy loam with some peat[1] and a sunny position[238]. It avoids wet or rich soils[115]. Plants are not easy to grow in a garden[4]. The flowers only open in fine weather and close at midday[4]. Although the growing plant is scentless, if the cut stems are immersed in warm water for 24 hours a most penetrating odour will be observed on distillation[245]. A very variable plant, some botanists divide it into a number of separate species[4].

Propagation

Seed - sow February to May in situ or as soon as it is ripe in situ[17]. Germination is usually rapid.

Other Names

If available other names are mentioned here

Found In

Countries where the plant has been found are listed here if the information is available

Weed Potential

Right plant wrong place. We are currently updating this section. Please note that a plant may be invasive in one area but may not in your area so it’s worth checking.

Conservation Status

IUCN Red List of Threatened Plants Status :

Related Plants

Latin Name Common Name Edibility Rating Medicinal Rating Centaurium spicatum Spiked centaury 0 1

 

Expert comment

Author

Rafn.

Botanical References

17

Links / References

For a list of references used on this page please go here

Readers comment

mary follin   Tue Sep 1 2009 Hi, I am desperately looking to grow this plant from seeds or plants as I tske the tincture prepared by A. Vogel everyday which is pulling on the purse strings and I have tried other alternatives but find this works best. Do you know who sells these seeds/plants as I do not want to forage for them. thank-you QR Code What's this? This is a QR code (short for Quick Response) which gives fast-track access to our website pages. QR Codes are barcodes that can be read by mobile phone (smartphone) cameras. This QR Code is unique to this page. All plant pages have their own unique code. For more information about QR Codes click here. 1. Copy and print the QR code to a plant label, poster, book, website, magazines, newspaper etc and even t-shirts. 2. Smartphone users scan the QR Code which automatically takes them to the webpage the QR Code came from. 3. Smartphone users quickly have information on a plant directly for the pfaf.org website on their phone.

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