Alchemilla xanthochlora
Rothm.
Lady’s Mantle, Lion's foot
Jolanda Timmerman
Enidan Fudel
(c) Bart Wursten, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), uploaded by Bart Wursten
What to Eat
Edible parts: Leaves, Vegetable
Young leaves eaten raw or cooked, offering a dry, somewhat astringent flavor. Mixed with leaves of Polygonum bistorta and Polygonum persicaria to prepare 'Easter ledger,' a traditional bitter herb pudding consumed during Lent. Roots cooked for astringent taste. Leaves used in commercial tea blending.
Where to Find It
A temperate plant. It suits hardiness zones 5-9.
Australia, Balkans, Bosnia, Britain, Europe, Greece, Luxembourg, Mediterranean, Switzerland, Tasmania,
How to Identify
A clump forming herb. It grows 30-50 cm high and 40-60 cm wide. The leaves are kidney shaped. They are yellow-green and have teeth along the edge. The leaves have 9 to 11 lobes. They are hairy underneath. The flowers are yellow-green.
How to Grow
Easily grown in ordinary soil in sun or part shade. Prefers a well-drained neutral or basic soil. Grows well in heavy clay soils. Succeeds in dry shade. An aggregate species that includes A. mollis and A. speciosa. This plant is listed as A. xanthochlora. Rothm. in 'Flora Europaea'. Plants seem to be immune to the predations of rabbits.
Propagation: Sow seed in spring in a cold frame; germinates in 3-4 weeks at 16°C. Prick seedlings into individual pots and grow in a cold frame through their first winter, planting out in late spring or early summer. Divide in spring or autumn; plant divisions directly in permanent positions or pot up in a sheltered location until established.
Medicinal Uses
Herb functions as alterative, antirheumatic, astringent, diuretic, emmenagogue, febrifuge, sedative, styptic, tonic, and vulnerary. Long history of external use for cuts and wounds and internal use for diarrhea and women's ailments, particularly menstrual problems. Harvest leaves and flowering stems as plant flowers; dry for later use. Fresh root has similar or stronger properties than leaves but is used less often. High tannin content makes it an effective astringent and styptic for internal and external wound treatment. Reduces vaginal discharge and treats excessive menstruation and post-pregnancy lesions. Extended use eases menopause and excessive menstruation discomfort. Fresh pressed juice heals skin conditions like acne; weak decoction treats conjunctivitis.
Other Uses
Useful ground cover plant, though spreads slowly.
Wikipedia
Source ↗A perennial growing 0.3 m tall and wide. Hardy to UK zone 5 and not frost tender. Flowers June to September with seeds ripening August to October. Adapts to light sandy, medium loamy, or heavy clay soils with good drainage. Tolerates neutral to mildly alkaline pH, semi-shade to full sun, and both dry and moist soil.
Notes
There are about 250-300 Alchemilla species. It is used in medicine.
Names & Synonyms
Porta-rozo
References (10)
- Abbet, C., et al, 2014, Ethnobotanical survey on wild alpine food plants in Lower and Central Valais (Switzerland). Journal of Ethnopharmacology 151 (2014) 624–634
- Bodkin, F., 1991, Encyclopedia Botanica. Cornstalk publishing, p 63
- Bremness, L., 1994, Herbs. Collins Eyewitness Handbooks. Harper Collins. p 140
- Brown, D., 2002, The Royal Horticultural Society encyclopedia of Herbs and their uses. DK Books. p 110
- Cundall, P., (ed.), 2004, Gardening Australia: flora: the gardener's bible. ABC Books. p 123
- Facciola, S., 1998, Cornucopia 2: a Source Book of Edible Plants. Kampong Publications, p 192
- Mabey, R., 1973, Food for Free. A Guide to the edible wild plants of Britain, Collins. p 98
- Repert. Spec. Nov. Regni Veg. 42:167. 1937
- Redzic, S. J., 2006, Wild Edible Plants and their Traditional Use in the Human Nutrition in Bosnia-Herzegovina. Ecology of Food and Nutrition, 45:189-232
- Vermeulen, N, 1998, The Complete Encyclopedia of Herbs. Rebo Publishers. p 33
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