Arctium tomentosum seed

LATIN NAME: ARCTIUM TOMENTOSUM

COMMON NAME: Woolly Burdock, Downy Burdock

The Arctium tomentosum, or woolly burdock, is one of the most recognizable and useful of the wayside plants, and its large, woolly, heart-shaped leaves and its round, hooked burrs which cling to the clothing and the fur have made it a plant of the disturbed ground and the waysides across the temperate regions of the Eurasia and the North America. It grows as a large, upright, biennial herb of the daisy family, reaching up to two metres or more, with the thick, fleshy taproot and the large, woolly, heart-shaped, grey-green leaves in the basal rosette in the first year, and bearing, in the second year, the tall, branching flower stems with the clusters of the small, purple, thistle-like flowers surrounded by the hooked bracts which form the round burrs. It is a species of the flowering herb, native to the regions of the Eurasia, while it has been introduced widely and is used as a root vegetable and a traditional material, and it is known as the woolly burdock or the downy burdock.

Scientific Research & Plant Biotechnology

The woolly burdock has a real and distinguished place in research. It has been studied in the chemistry and the natural-products science, since the Arctium tomentosum contains a range of compounds including the inulin and the lignans in its roots, and the researchers have examined the roots, the leaves, their constituents and their composition, while the study of the burdocks and their chemistry has drawn attention in the international natural-products press. The plant has also been studied in the horticulture and the crop science, since the burdock is grown as a root vegetable in some regions, and the researchers have examined its cultivation, its propagation and its yield, while the study of the root vegetables has been of continuing interest. The species has also been studied in the ecology, since it is a plant of the disturbed ground and a food source for the bees and the birds, and its role in the ecosystems has been examined, while the large, woolly leaves and the hooked burrs of the woolly burdock have been of interest to the botanists and the naturalists. For a plant of such recognition, the Arctium tomentosum has a rich and distinguished record of research.

Ecological & Economic Value & Wide Applications

To grow the Woolly Burdock from seed, the woolly burdock is a large, biennial herb of the disturbed ground, bearing the large, woolly, heart-shaped leaves and the clusters of the purple flowers, followed by the round, hooked burrs. Its purple flowers feed the bees and the other pollinators, and its burrs are dispersed by the animals and the humans, while its thick, fleshy root is used as a vegetable and a traditional material in some regions. Its economic value is real: the woolly burdock is prized as a root vegetable and a traditional material in some regions, and its value has drawn attention in the international horticultural and natural-products press, while the large, woolly leaves and the easy cultivation have made it a plant of interest to the gardeners and the foragers, and the plant is a fine addition to the vegetable plot, the wild garden and the foraging patch. To raise the woolly burdock, sow the seeds in pots of moist, open soil in a sunny, cool place, keep them gently watered, and grow the little plants on in the sun.

sow the seeds in pots of moist, open soil in a sunny, cool place, keep the young burdock gently watered, and grow the little plants on in the sun.

Burdock has a long history of use in Europe, where the plant is also known as Beggar’s Buttons and Sticky Willow. Nicholas Culpeper, the noted 17th century English physician and botanist, wrote this of burdock: “…the roots themselves given to drink with old wine, doth wonderfully help the biting of any serpents—the root beaten with a little salt and laid on the place suddenly easeth the pain thereof, and helpeth those that are bit by a mad dog…” An infusion of the root, applied as a poultice to the soles of the feet, is a Medieval remedy for “hysterical disorders.” The root is also traditionally decocted for use as a skin wash, or is macerated in oil to use as a base in shampoos and hair conditioners. Also known as Arctium lappa, gobo, poor mans potatoes, Arctium, Arctium minus, Arctium tomentosum, Bardana, Bardana-minor, Bardanae Radix, Bardane, Beggars Buttons, Burr Seed, Clotbur, Cocklebur, Cockle Buttons, Edible Burdock, Foxs Clote, Great Bur, Great Burdocks, Happy Major, Hardock, Harebur, Lappa, Love Leaves, Orelha-de-gigante, Personata, Philanthropium, Thorny Burr. Introduction Seen by many in North America and Europe as a common weed, burdock is a sturdy biennial plant reaching up to 6 feet (2 m) high, with 18 inch (50 cm) wide leaves forming a rosette at ground level, with smaller versions growing up the thick flowering stem. Burdocks roots grow straight down as much as 3 feet (1M) into the subsoil. In mid-summer, the plant blossoms into a dense array of globular flowers with sticky bracts that cling to passing animals and people. These burs were in fact the inspiration behind the invention of Velcro fasters, when the inventor found them sticking to his dog after an afternoon walk and he realized that objects could be fastened together in the same fashion. The plant grows on roadsides and waste places and around field boundaries throughout Britain, Europe and North America. Constituents Up to 50% inulin, polyacetylenes, volatile acids (acetic, proprionic, butyric, isovaleric), non-hydroxyl acids (lauric, myristic, stearic, palmitic), polyphenolic acids, and tannins. Parts Used The washed and dried root, powdered. Also, sometimes the fruits and leaves. Typical Preparations It is best taken as a tea in a decoction form. May also be taken as a capsule or extract. In Asia it is used as an ingredient in soups, stews, and stir fries, while sometimes eaten raw. Summary Burdock is cultivated for food in Japan where it is called gobo. The root is consumed as an everyday vegetable, similar to a carrot. Native Americans were known to use the whole plant as food, boiling the root in maple syrup (which made it like candy) so that it could be stored for longer periods of time. A mildly bitter herb, it stimulates the release of gastric juices and aids digestion. Burdock is traditionally used to sooth the skin, helping to alleviate the irritation and discomfort associated with various causes. Animal studies have shown that burdock may possess liver protective qualities. Burdock has been shown to have anti-inflammatory properties, as well as contain potent antioxidants. Traditional herbal medicine refers to burdock as a powerful blood purifier.