British
Herbs by Florence Ranson:
This
plant has been recognised as the source of a valuable drug since the
time of the ancient Egyptians, for there are records of it on. a
papyrus found between the bones of a mummy at Thebes, and it was also
probably one of the sacrificial herbs which were buried with Egyptians
of high rank. Since those far-off days it has been used by the Romans,
by the monks of our own islands, and throughout the centuries, has been
included continually in the editions of the
British Pharmacopoeia.
Several species of
Gentian are found in the British Isles, all rather rare; the Meadow
Gentian is the one most frequently met with, growing usually on
limestone and often near the sea. It is a small plant, 4 to 10 inches
high, with an erect stem, sharply pointed, deep-green leaves, and
tubular flowers of four petals of a pale purplish-blue, scattered
along the stalks.
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The
old name Gentian was given it in early Grecian times in honour of a
King Gentius, who experimented with herbs. There are many varieties of
garden Gentians, most of them of the marvellous blue of the summer
sky, though Gentiana lutea, a large Alpine variety, is of soft bright
yellow. |
As a rule, unfortunately, Gentians are not
very easy to establish in gardens.
The Gentian is an annual,
and its root (the part required for medicine) is small and short. It
has a very bitter flavour, which at once associates it with tonic
drugs. Flower-lovers will be glad to know that nearly all the supplies
of the drug come from the Yellow Gentian, which grows abundantly in
various mountainous parts of Europe, so there is little fear that
our own sparsely scattered Gentians will be eradicated.
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