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Common agrimony
Agrimonia eupatoria
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
Subkingdom:	Tracheobionta
Division:	Magnoliophyta
Class:	Magnoliopsida
Subclass:	Rosidae
Order:	Rosales
Family:	Rosaceae
Genus:	Agrimonia
Species:	A. eupatoria
Binomial name
Agrimonia eupatoria L., 1753

Agrimonia eupatoria is a species of agrimony that is often referred to as common agrimony, church steeples or sticklewort. The whole plant is dark green with numerous soft hairs. The soft hairs aid in the plant's seed pods sticking to any animal or person coming in contact with the plant. The flower spikes have a spicy odor like apricots.

Identification

• Refer to the monograph of 4th edition of the European Pharmacopoeia [1587].

In folklore

Agrimony has been stated to have medical and magical properties since the time of Pliny the elder. It is ruled astrologically by Cancer, according to Nicholas Culpeper. Common folklore held that it could cure musket wounds, and ward off witchcraft.

Seeds

In herbal medicine

Bald's Leechbook advised the use of Agrimony as a cure for male impotence - saying it should be boiled in milk, and that it could excite a man who was "insufficiently virile;" it also states that when boiled in Welsh beer it would have the opposite effect.^[1]

In traditional herbal medicine it was recommended as a cure for insomnia, often being incorporated in herbal pillows. It was also believed to be able to draw out splinters.

Modern herbalists prescribe it for disorders of the kidneys, liver and bladder, and for irritable bowel syndrome. It is a mild astringent.

References and external link

• Howard, Michael. Traditional Folk remedies (Century, 1987, pp 96–97)
• Agrimony, Agrimonia eupatoria - Information on seed germination, medicinal uses of plant, common names of the plant
• Agrimonia eupatoria at the Encyclopedia of Life

From Wikispecies

Agrimonia eupatoria

Taxonavigation

Classification System: APG II (down to family level)

Main Page
Cladus: Eukaryota
Regnum: Plantae
Cladus: Angiospermae
Cladus: Eudicots
Cladus: core eudicots
Cladus: Rosids
Cladus: Eurosids I
Ordo: Rosales
Familia: Rosaceae
Subfamilia: Rosoideae
Tribus: Sanguisorbeae
Subtribus: Agrimoniinae
Genus: Agrimonia
Species: Agrimonia eupatoria

Name

Agrimonia eupatoria, L.

Vernacular names

References

• Species Plantarum 1:448. 1753
• USDA, ARS, National Genetic Resources Program. Germplasm Resources Information Network - (GRIN) [Online Database]. [1]

For more multimedia, look at Agrimonia eupatoria on Wikimedia Commons.