Epilobium parviflorum
Hoary Willowherb (Epilobium parviflorum )
The Small-flowered willow herb (Epilobium parviflorum ) is a species of the genus of fireweed (Epilobium ). It is known mainly because of its alleged effect on prostate disorder.
Description
The Small-flowered willow herb is a perennial, herbaceous plant that reaches the plant height 18-100 centimeters. The shoot axis is branched in the upper part, the lower part is colored shaggy to gray. In the upper part of the stem axis is short, glandular hairs mix between the villi.
The leaves are stalked and are not alternate. They are weakly serrated, with 15 to 60 teeth per side, and hairy stand-off. More rarely the leaves on the plant base are short-stalked, but the petiole is never more than 3 millimeters. The leaf shape is schmalelliptisch to schmallanzettlich, they are between three and twelve centimeters long and 0.5 to 2.5 inches wide. The base is rounded, sharpened the tip.
The inflorescence and the hermaphrodite, radial symmetry flower stand upright. The perianth is cruciform. The flowers sit at 0.5 to 1.8 centimeters long pedicles. The sepals are between 2.5 and six millimeters long and keeled. The are four to 8.5 millimeters long. The flower color varies from light pink to dark purple. The scar is in four parts. Each flower bears eight stamens. The ovary is inferior and very long and narrow.
After flowering, a three to seven centimeters long fruit capsule forms. She is hairy fluffy, or very rarely bare. After the jump, the fruit ripening on four sides very easily and give free brown to black colored seeds which bear showy seed hairs. The seeds have a diameter of 0.8 to 1.1 millimeters.
The bloom lasts from June to September. The fruits ripen from July to October. The species has 2n = 36 chromosomes.
Dissemination
The Small-flowered willow herb loves damp locations near rivers or swamps. But even damp mountain meadows and slopes are often covered. It rarely reaches deeper than 300 meters up down or higher than 2,500 meters.
The range extends from the Canary Islands, the Azores, Madeira, Morocco, Algeria over all Europe, Western Asia, the temperate zone of Asia to China. In Japan and Korea, there are natural occurrences. In New Zealand and North America exist neophyte stocks.
Ingredients
The Small-flowered willow herb is rich in flavonoids; most of which are glycosides and their content in the plant varies by 1.5%. Not bound to sugar aglycones are myricetin, quercetin and kaempferol. The plant contains between four and 14% tannins, especially tannins, which can be derived from the ellagic acid ( ellagitannins macrocyclic ), but in addition also simpler gallotannins.
The type contains about 0.55 % β -sitosterol, a phytosterol. In addition, there are still caprylic acid, capric acid, palmitic acid and stearic acid.
Use as a medicinal herb
In folk medicine to write the small-flowered willow herb to a beneficial effect on prostate disorder. Rare is also reported that it helps with bladder and kidney diseases. Scientific tests have shown that an extract of the plant has an antibacterial effect and inhibits the growth of Escherichia coli.