description
Figwort, a perennial herbaceous plant of the Scrophulariaceae family, grows
upright, with thick, sharply square, succulent stems up to 150 cm tall from
a horizontal rootstock. Its leaves are opposite, ovate at the base and
lanceolate at the tip, all having toothed margins. The flowers are in loose
cymes in oblong or pyramidal panicles. The individual flowers are globular,
with five green sepals encircling green or purple petals, giving way to an
egg-shaped seed capsule.
common names & nomenclature
During the thirteen months' siege of Rochelle by the army of Richelieu in
1628, the tuberous roots of this Figwort yielded support to the garrison for
a considerable period, from which circumstance the French still call it
Herbe du siège. The taste and smell of the tubers are unpleasant, and they
would never be resorted to for food except in times of famine.
Also known as:
throatwort, rosenoble, kernel wart, heal-all, carpenters square, common figwort, herbe du siege, woodland figwort, knotted figwort, pilewort