Practical
Plants

Aphanes arvensis

Parsley Piert

an annual member of the Aphanes genus in the family Rosaceae.

No photo available

Taxonomy and growth

Family
Rosaceae
Genus
Aphanes
Life cycle
annual
Height
0.05 m
Spread
0.2 m
Fertility
Self fertile, Self
Flower type
hermaphrodite
Pollinators
Self

Uses

Edible uses

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

Leaves - eaten raw in salads or pickled for winter use[7][8][9][3]. The plant is rarely eaten nowadays[4].

Plant part
Leaves

Medicinal uses

Historical medicinal uses. These records describe reported uses. They do not establish safety or effectiveness. Ask a qualified health professional before using any plant medicinally.

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

Parsley piert has a long history of folk use, being commonly employed to rid the body of stones in the kidney or bladder. It has become a highly respected herb in modern herbalism for the treatment of kidney stones[6]. The whole herb is astringent, demulcent, diuretic and refrigerant[7][10][1]. It is used mainly as an infusion in the treatment of kidney and bladder complaints (including cystitis and recurrent urinary infections), jaundice etc[7][4]. A very valuable remedy, acting violently but safely by promoting the flow of urine[7], it is often used in combination with other herbs[4][5]. The plant is harvested in early summer and can be used fresh or dried[4]. The herb is considered to be most efficacious when it is freshly collected and dried[4].

Product or use
Astringent
Product or use
Demulcent
Product or use
Diuretic
Product or use
Refrigerant

Environment

Range
Most of Europe, including Britain, east to Iran in W. Asia.
Habitat
Arable and dry stony ground and old walls on acid and basic soils.[8][2][1]
Light
full sun
Shade tolerance
light shade
Water
moderate
Soil textures
sandy, loamy, clay
Soil pH
very acid, acid, neutral, alkaline, very alkaline
Drainage
well drained
Tolerances
drought
Tolerates Nutritionally Poor Soil
No
Drought
tolerant

Propagation

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

Seed - sow autumn in situ. The seed is best sown in dry weather[4].

Cultivation

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

Succeeds in most well-drained soils in full sun or partial shade[4]. The plant tolerates stony or gravelly soils as well as both acid and alkaline conditions[4]. It grows well in a short lawn[10]. This is an aggregate species that contains a number of very closely related species[2].

References

  1. Mills. S. Y. The Dictionary of Modern Herbalism.

    ↩1↩2

  2. Clapham, Tootin and Warburg. Flora of the British Isles. Cambridge University Press 1962-00-00

    ↩1↩2

  3. Facciola. S. Cornucopia - A Source Book of Edible Plants. Kampong Publications 1990-00-00 ISBN 0-9628087-0-9

    ↩

  4. Bown. D. Encyclopaedia of Herbs and their Uses. Dorling Kindersley, London. 1995-00-00 ISBN 0-7513-020-31

    ↩1↩2↩3↩4↩5↩6↩7↩8

  5. Chevallier. A. The Encyclopedia of Medicinal Plants Dorling Kindersley. London 1996-00-00 ISBN 9-780751-303148

    ↩

  6. Stuart. M. (Editor) The Encyclopedia of Herbs and Herbalism Orbis Publishing. London. 1979-00-00 ISBN 0-85613-067-2

    ↩

  7. Grieve. A Modern Herbal. Penguin 1984-00-00 ISBN 0-14-046-440-9

    ↩1↩2↩3↩4

  8. Mabey. R. Food for Free. Collins 1974-00-00 ISBN 0-00-219060-5

    ↩1↩2

  9. Larkcom. J. Salads all the Year Round. Hamlyn 1980-00-00

    ↩

  10. De. Bray. L. The Wild Garden.

    ↩1↩2

Edit this page