Betony (Stachys officinalis, Bishop’s wort, Hedge nettle). A herbaceous perennial member of the Labiatae family growing up to a metre in open woodland in Europe and Asia, with pungent oval hairy leaves arranged in a basal rosette, surrounding an erect stem terminating in a spike of pale magenta flowers.
The generic name, stachys, means a spike, and the common name, is a corruption of the Latin name, vettonica, which was bestowed on the plant by Pliny the Elder. Modern scholars believe that its origins are to be found in the Celtic form for bew-a head and ton-good, as it was an ancient cure for pains in the head.
Antonius Musas, the Greek physician to the emperor Augustus, claimed that it was certain cure for 47 different diseases and that “… it helps those who loath and cannot digest their meat, those that have weak stomachs and sour belchings”. In the Medicina Brittanica it is claimed that “… I have known that the most obstinate headaches may be cured by a daily breakfasting on betony.”
Gerard tells us that “Betony preserveth the lives and bodies of men from the danger of epidemical diseases.” It was a major constituent of Rowley’s Herbal Snuff which was famous in its day as a cure for headaches.
Parkinson claimed that betony “…would hinder drunkenness being taken beforehand and quickly dispelleth it afterwards”. The plant had a sinister reputation in Anglo-Saxon communities, as a charm against evil spells, and a cure for persistent nightmares.
Betony contains the alkaloids betonicine, trigonelline and stachydrine. It also contains cholines, tannins and saponins. This renders it sedative, bitter and astringent. Early herbalists credited it with being a cure for nervous debility, anxiety, stress, headaches, neuralgia, wounds, bruises, complaints of the liver and gall bladder and cystitis. It was also said to be efficacious as a stimulant to the circulation. Modern practitioners and homeopaths, use betony to treat gastritis, urinary tract diseases, varicose veins, migraine, difficult labour, shingles(Herpes zosta), cystitis, intestinal worms in children and as a cerebral tonic. Recent research suggests that the herb may be useful in the treatment of hypoglaecemia.
There are few contra-indication for betony but it is suggested that one does not consume tea made from the roots as this may cause vomiting.
Betony will make a handsome mid-bed plant and bloom from June till August.
Next week…………..Cassia.
