01.
A Bit of Botany
a little botanical information on elecampane
description
Elecampane, a member of the Asteraceae family, is a rather rigid herb, the
stem of which attains a height of from 90 cm to 150 cm (3 to 5 feet); the
leaves are large and toothed, the lower ones stalked, the rest embracing the
stem; the flowers are yellow, 5 cm (2 inches) broad, and have many rays,
each three-notched at the extremity. The root is thick, branching and
mucilaginous, and has a warm, bitter taste and a camphor-like odor with
sweet floral undertones.
common names & nomenclature
The species name helenium may be named after Helen of Troy, as it is thought
that she held a sprig of this plant in her hand as she left Sparta. Other
stories say that the plant grew where her tears fell.
Also known as:
horse-heal, horse-elder, marchalan, velvet dock, yellow starwort, scabwort, wild sunflower, alant, elfdock, elfwort