Scientific Name: Centaurea Cyanus
Common Names : Bachelor's button, Basket flower, and Boutonniere flower
Part used: Flower petal
Active Compounds: Anthocyanins (anthocyanidin glycosides), sesquiterpene lactone: cnicin, as well as polyacetylenes and flavonoids.
Background: Its Latin name, Cyanus, comes from mythology for a youthful devotee of the goddess Flora (Cyanus), whose favorite flower it was. Tte name of the genus is derived from the Centaur, Chiron, who taught humankind the healing virtue of herbs.
Magical properties:"A decoction of the petals, filtered through three layers of linen and ritually consecrated beneath a full moon with a moonstone, were used as an eye bath for increasing clairvoyance : enabling one to see aspects of the universal creative forces."
Listed in the French Pharmacopoeia since 1884.
It has been used to give eyes a bright sparkling look. A steam-facial of the petals improves look and health of skin.
Description: A small annual flowering plant native to Europe. It grow to 40-90 cm tall, with grey-green branched stems. The leaves are lanceolate, 1-4 cm long. The flowers are most commonly an intense blue color, produced in flower heads (capitula) 1.5-3 cm diameter, with a ring of a few large, spreading ray florets surrounding a central cluster of disc florets. The blue pigment is protocyanin.
In the past it often grew as a weed in crop fields. In its native habitat Cornflower is now endangered due to harmful agricultural practices, including the over-use of herbicides.
In the United Kingdom cornflower has declined from 264 sites to 3 in just the last 50 years.
It is naturalized in other parts of the world, including North America and Australia.
Safety: There are no safety warnings or drug interactions known for this herb.
More Bulk Herbs and Spices Information:
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Copal Oro
Coptis
Coriander seed
Cornflower
Cornsilk
Couchgrass
Cramp Bark
Cranesbill Root
Cream of Tartar
Cubeb Berry
For educational purposes only
This information has not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration.
This information is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease