Delphinium staphisagria

Stephan herb ( Delphinium staphisagria )

The toxic Stephan herb ( Delphinium staphisagria ), also Mediterranean larkspur, Stephan grain, Toxic Larkspur, lice pepper, lice tooth, lice seeds, Kräusesamen (English: Stavesacre, French: Dauphinelle ) called, belongs to the genus Delphinium ( Delphinium ), in the family of Ranunculaceae ( Ranunculaceae ). The botanical name Staphysagria derives from the Greek words staphis, " dried grape " and agrios, "wild" here.

Occurrence and Description of the plant

This plant species grows in shady, dry, rocky slopes, on limestone rocks and in maquis in southern Europe, North Africa, the Canary Islands and in Western Asia at altitudes up to 800 meters.

The Stephan herb is a biennial herbaceous plant that reaches the plant height of 30 to 100 centimeters. The stalk is shaggy - haired. The leaves are long-petiolate, palmately five to siebenlappig and on both sides with very short and longer hair thickly. In the summer, gray-blue or deep purple flowers appear with green tip. The individual bracts are 13 to 20 mm long. The species flowers from the beginning of spring until late summer.

Key Ingredients and effect

The plant produces many alkaloids. The seeds contain mainly delphinine ( the aconitine similar) and lesser amounts Staphisin, and fatty oil. Aboveground plant parts still contain the diterpene alkaloids and derivatives of Isoatizin Atisins and Azitin, Neolin and Chasmanin and derivatives.

Lethal doses of delphinine have respiratory paralysis and cardiac arrest resulted after clonic convulsions and paralysis. Animal poisoning of this kind are not uncommon.

Cultural History

Even the ancient Greeks (5th century BC) as Hippocrates used the plant as an emetic. In the old herbals the toxic substances of the seed to kill head lice and other parasites were used. Furthermore, the ingredients have been used to cure toothache, skin itching and warts.

Parts used in the homeopathy

The homeopathic remedy is made from the dried, ripe seeds. The " Stephan grains " are poisonous, smell and taste unpleasant burning, sharp and bitter. The homeopathic medicines Delphinium staphisagria has been reviewed by Samuel Hahnemann in 1819 as the first and appear in the fourth volume of his " Materia Medica Pura " and is administered both in acute injury (eg, cutting oneself ) as well as chronic diseases (suppression of feelings ).

Swell

Rolf Giebelmann and Ludwig von Meyer: Cultural History to Ranunculaceae. Toxichem Krimtech 70/1/2003. S. 61 online version (PDF file, 794 kB)