Anacyclus pyrethrum
Encyclopedia
Anacyclus pyrethrum is a perennial
herb
much like chamomile
in habitat and appearance. It is in a different family (Asteraceae
) from the plants known as pellitory-of-the-wall (Parietaria officinalis
) and spreading pellitory (Parietaria judaica
).
It is found in North Africa
, elsewhere in the Mediterranean region, in the Himalayas
, in North India
, and in Arabian countries.
Medicinally, pellitory root has a pungent efficacy in relieving toothache and promoting a free flow of saliva and making it popular as a food spice. It induces heat, tingling and redness when applied to the skin.
Although one might assume from the pyrethrum suffix that this plant may contain pyrethrins, it does not. The pyrethrum suffix is due to being named prior to the more recent pyrethrum species which do contain pyrenthins, but are not related to Anacyclus pyrethrum.
Ayurveda (the ancient Indian medicine system) and Siddha (the medicine system from Tamil-Nadu, a southern state in the country of India)have more uses for this plant root and it has been used for centuries as a medicine. It is called Akkal-Kara in Hindi, Akkal Kadha in Marathi
, and Akkarakaaram (Tamil
: அக்கரகாரம்). An oil is prepared by a method known as pit extraction (Tamil
: குழி எண்ணெய்.
More recently Anacyclus pyrethrum has been noted for its anabolic activity in mice and suggests to give a testosterone-like effect.
The variety depressus (sometimes considered a separate species, Anacyclus depressus), called mat daisy or Mount Atlas daisy, is grown as a spring-blooming, low-water ornamental.
Sources: GRIN, E+M, AFPD
Perennial plant
A perennial plant or simply perennial is a plant that lives for more than two years. The term is often used to differentiate a plant from shorter lived annuals and biennials. The term is sometimes misused by commercial gardeners or horticulturalists to describe only herbaceous perennials...
herb
Herb
Except in botanical usage, an herb is "any plant with leaves, seeds, or flowers used for flavoring, food, medicine, or perfume" or "a part of such a plant as used in cooking"...
much like chamomile
Chamomile
Chamomile or camomile is a common name for several daisy-like plants of the family Asteraceae. These plants are best known for their ability to be made into an infusion which is commonly used to help with sleep and is often served with either honey or lemon. Because chamomile can cause uterine...
in habitat and appearance. It is in a different family (Asteraceae
Asteraceae
The Asteraceae or Compositae , is an exceedingly large and widespread family of vascular plants. The group has more than 22,750 currently accepted species, spread across 1620 genera and 12 subfamilies...
) from the plants known as pellitory-of-the-wall (Parietaria officinalis
Parietaria officinalis
Parietaria officinalis, the Pellitory-of-the-wall, also known as lichwort, is a plant of the nettle family. Its leaves, however, are non-stinging. The plant grows on rubbish and on walls, hence the name...
) and spreading pellitory (Parietaria judaica
Parietaria judaica
Parietaria judaica, common name Spreading Pellitory or Pellitory of the wall, is a species of herbaceous perennial plant in the family Urticaceae, commonly nicknamed sticky-weed. The plant's pollen is highly allergenic. In Australia it is also known as asthma weed, due to the high incidence of...
).
It is found in North Africa
North Africa
North Africa or Northern Africa is the northernmost region of the African continent, linked by the Sahara to Sub-Saharan Africa. Geopolitically, the United Nations definition of Northern Africa includes eight countries or territories; Algeria, Egypt, Libya, Morocco, South Sudan, Sudan, Tunisia, and...
, elsewhere in the Mediterranean region, in the Himalayas
Himalayas
The Himalaya Range or Himalaya Mountains Sanskrit: Devanagari: हिमालय, literally "abode of snow"), usually called the Himalayas or Himalaya for short, is a mountain range in Asia, separating the Indian subcontinent from the Tibetan Plateau...
, in North India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
, and in Arabian countries.
Medicinally, pellitory root has a pungent efficacy in relieving toothache and promoting a free flow of saliva and making it popular as a food spice. It induces heat, tingling and redness when applied to the skin.
Although one might assume from the pyrethrum suffix that this plant may contain pyrethrins, it does not. The pyrethrum suffix is due to being named prior to the more recent pyrethrum species which do contain pyrenthins, but are not related to Anacyclus pyrethrum.
Ayurveda (the ancient Indian medicine system) and Siddha (the medicine system from Tamil-Nadu, a southern state in the country of India)have more uses for this plant root and it has been used for centuries as a medicine. It is called Akkal-Kara in Hindi, Akkal Kadha in Marathi
Marathi language
Marathi is an Indo-Aryan language spoken by the Marathi people of western and central India. It is the official language of the state of Maharashtra. There are over 68 million fluent speakers worldwide. Marathi has the fourth largest number of native speakers in India and is the fifteenth most...
, and Akkarakaaram (Tamil
Tamil language
Tamil is a Dravidian language spoken predominantly by Tamil people of the Indian subcontinent. It has official status in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu and in the Indian union territory of Pondicherry. Tamil is also an official language of Sri Lanka and Singapore...
: அக்கரகாரம்). An oil is prepared by a method known as pit extraction (Tamil
Tamil language
Tamil is a Dravidian language spoken predominantly by Tamil people of the Indian subcontinent. It has official status in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu and in the Indian union territory of Pondicherry. Tamil is also an official language of Sri Lanka and Singapore...
: குழி எண்ணெய்.
More recently Anacyclus pyrethrum has been noted for its anabolic activity in mice and suggests to give a testosterone-like effect.
The variety depressus (sometimes considered a separate species, Anacyclus depressus), called mat daisy or Mount Atlas daisy, is grown as a spring-blooming, low-water ornamental.
Distribution
Native:-
- PalearcticPalearcticThe Palearctic or Palaearctic is one of the eight ecozones dividing the Earth's surface.Physically, the Palearctic is the largest ecozone...
:
- Northern Africa: AlgeriaAlgeriaAlgeria , officially the People's Democratic Republic of Algeria , also formally referred to as the Democratic and Popular Republic of Algeria, is a country in the Maghreb region of Northwest Africa with Algiers as its capital.In terms of land area, it is the largest country in Africa and the Arab...
, MoroccoMoroccoMorocco , officially the Kingdom of Morocco , is a country located in North Africa. It has a population of more than 32 million and an area of 710,850 km², and also primarily administers the disputed region of the Western Sahara... - Southwestern Europe: SpainSpainSpain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
- Palearctic
Sources: GRIN, E+M, AFPD