Black Horehound
Encyclopedia
Ballota nigra is a perennial
herb
of the family Lamiaceae
. It is native to the Mediterranean region and to central Asia
, and it can be found throughout Europe
and the Eastern United States
. It blooms from May to August.
, wooden and branched at bottom, covered by down folded hairs. The plant has a taproot system.
are opposite and decussate, and range from oval-lanceolate to heart-shaped, with crenate or dentate border. Leaves, dark green and usually pubescent, measure 3-8 cm per 2-6 cm, and have 1-3 cm petiole. Upper face is wrinkled, with a net-like vein pattern.
, subspherical to about one-sided, with 15 to 30 flowers. Each verticillaster consist of two condensed dichasial cymes at axils of normal leaves.
Flower
has an actinomorphic calyx (length 9-10 mm, width 7 mm), made up by five sepal
s fused together in a tube with five teeths; and a labiate corolla
of 12-13 mm, ranging from pink to pale purple to withish. The corolla consist of a tube of about 6 mm and two lips; the upper one slightly concave (like a hood) and externally hairy; the lower one glabrous, with two minor lateral lobes and a major central bifid lobe. There are four didynamous stamen
s, running parallel under the upper lip, with glabrous filaments and yellow anthers. Ovary is superior, with a single white style and a 2-parted stigma.
Below the calyx there are five filiform bracts, 8 mm long.
The common name comes from the Old English words har and hune, meaning downy plant. This name refers to the hairs that give the herb its distinctive appearance. It is also suggested that horehound takes its name from Horus, the Egyptian god of sky and light.
.
The plant is an antiemetic
: it's effective against nausea and vomiting especially when the cause resides in the nervous system, like motion sickness
or morning sickness
, but also in case of dyspepsia
. This plant is also believed to be expectorant, vermifuge, a menstrual normalizer, and a remedy for gout
and arthritis
. Again, it's an astringent
for the skin.
Usually, the plant is used dry, harvested when blooming; sometimes syrups are made from fresh plants.
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"...
of the family Lamiaceae
Lamiaceae
The mints, taxonomically known as Lamiaceae or Labiatae, are a family of flowering plants. They have traditionally been considered closely related to Verbenaceae, but in the 1990s, phylogenetic studies suggested that many genera classified in Verbenaceae belong instead in Lamiaceae...
. It is native to the Mediterranean region and to central Asia
Asia
Asia is the world's largest and most populous continent, located primarily in the eastern and northern hemispheres. It covers 8.7% of the Earth's total surface area and with approximately 3.879 billion people, it hosts 60% of the world's current human population...
, and it can be found throughout Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
and the Eastern United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. It blooms from May to August.
Description
Ballota nigra has a very strong smell, and can be recognised by its clusters of hairy, reddish-purple flowers. It can grow up to 3 feet in height.Stem and root
It has herbaceous ascending stemsPlant stem
A stem is one of two main structural axes of a vascular plant. The stem is normally divided into nodes and internodes, the nodes hold buds which grow into one or more leaves, inflorescence , conifer cones, roots, other stems etc. The internodes distance one node from another...
, wooden and branched at bottom, covered by down folded hairs. The plant has a taproot system.
Leaves
LeavesLeaves
-History:Vocalist Arnar Gudjonsson was formerly the guitarist with Mower, and he was joined by Hallur Hallsson , Arnar Ólafsson , Bjarni Grímsson , and Andri Ásgrímsson . Late in 2001 they played with Emiliana Torrini and drew early praise from the New York Times...
are opposite and decussate, and range from oval-lanceolate to heart-shaped, with crenate or dentate border. Leaves, dark green and usually pubescent, measure 3-8 cm per 2-6 cm, and have 1-3 cm petiole. Upper face is wrinkled, with a net-like vein pattern.
Flowers
Flowers are organized in verticillastersInflorescence
An inflorescence is a group or cluster of flowers arranged on a stem that is composed of a main branch or a complicated arrangement of branches. Strictly, it is the part of the shoot of seed plants where flowers are formed and which is accordingly modified...
, subspherical to about one-sided, with 15 to 30 flowers. Each verticillaster consist of two condensed dichasial cymes at axils of normal leaves.
Flower
Flower
A flower, sometimes known as a bloom or blossom, is the reproductive structure found in flowering plants . The biological function of a flower is to effect reproduction, usually by providing a mechanism for the union of sperm with eggs...
has an actinomorphic calyx (length 9-10 mm, width 7 mm), made up by five sepal
Sepal
A sepal is a part of the flower of angiosperms . Collectively the sepals form the calyx, which is the outermost whorl of parts that form a flower. Usually green, sepals have the typical function of protecting the petals when the flower is in bud...
s fused together in a tube with five teeths; and a labiate corolla
Petal
Petals are modified leaves that surround the reproductive parts of flowers. They often are brightly colored or unusually shaped to attract pollinators. Together, all of the petals of a flower are called a corolla. Petals are usually accompanied by another set of special leaves called sepals lying...
of 12-13 mm, ranging from pink to pale purple to withish. The corolla consist of a tube of about 6 mm and two lips; the upper one slightly concave (like a hood) and externally hairy; the lower one glabrous, with two minor lateral lobes and a major central bifid lobe. There are four didynamous stamen
Stamen
The stamen is the pollen producing reproductive organ of a flower...
s, running parallel under the upper lip, with glabrous filaments and yellow anthers. Ovary is superior, with a single white style and a 2-parted stigma.
Below the calyx there are five filiform bracts, 8 mm long.
Fruit
Each fertilized flower produces a tetrad of black nutlets, cylindrical to ovoid, 2 mm long, partially or fully covered by the calyx. The basal end is flat and attached to the receptacle, while the top end is rounded or pointed.Biochemistry
Ballota nigra contains diterpenoids like marrubiin, ballonigrin, ballotinone, ballotenol and 7-acetoxymarrubiin. Also, it contains phenylpropanoids that have shown to be antioxidants.Taxonomy
The plant was described by Linnaeus in Species Plantarum (may 1753). The name Ballota comes from the greek ballo (to reject), because of the strong offensive odor of the plant; cattle will not eat it. The specific name nigra could refer to the black colour of dried leaves.The common name comes from the Old English words har and hune, meaning downy plant. This name refers to the hairs that give the herb its distinctive appearance. It is also suggested that horehound takes its name from Horus, the Egyptian god of sky and light.
Distribution and habitat
Ballota nigra is a nitrophilous plant; it grows in ruins, fallows and hedges, up to 1300 m. It prefers loose, calcareous (alkaline) soils. It tolerates temperatures as low as -5°/-10° C.Uses
It is a garden plant that has medicinal properties and also acts as a mild sedativeSedative
A sedative or tranquilizer is a substance that induces sedation by reducing irritability or excitement....
.
The plant is an antiemetic
Antiemetic
An antiemetic is a drug that is effective against vomiting and nausea. Antiemetics are typically used to treat motion sickness and the side effects of opioid analgesics, general anaesthetics, and chemotherapy directed against cancer....
: it's effective against nausea and vomiting especially when the cause resides in the nervous system, like motion sickness
Motion sickness
Motion sickness or kinetosis, also known as travel sickness, is a condition in which a disagreement exists between visually perceived movement and the vestibular system's sense of movement...
or morning sickness
Morning sickness
Morning sickness, also called nausea gravidarum, nausea, vomiting of pregnancy , or pregnancy sickness is a condition that affects more than half of all pregnant women. Related to increased oestrogen levels, a similar form of nausea is also seen in some women who use hormonal contraception or...
, but also in case of dyspepsia
Dyspepsia
Dyspepsia , also known as upset stomach or indigestion, refers to a condition of impaired digestion. It is a medical condition characterized by chronic or recurrent pain in the upper abdomen, upper abdominal fullness and feeling full earlier than expected when eating...
. This plant is also believed to be expectorant, vermifuge, a menstrual normalizer, and a remedy for gout
Gout
Gout is a medical condition usually characterized by recurrent attacks of acute inflammatory arthritis—a red, tender, hot, swollen joint. The metatarsal-phalangeal joint at the base of the big toe is the most commonly affected . However, it may also present as tophi, kidney stones, or urate...
and arthritis
Arthritis
Arthritis is a form of joint disorder that involves inflammation of one or more joints....
. Again, it's an astringent
Astringent
An astringent substance is a chemical compound that tends to shrink or constrict body tissues, usually locally after topical medicinal application. The word "astringent" derives from Latin adstringere, meaning "to bind fast"...
for the skin.
Usually, the plant is used dry, harvested when blooming; sometimes syrups are made from fresh plants.