Cnidium monnieri seed
LATIN NAME: Cnidium monnieri
COMMON NAME: Cnidium
The cnidium stands in the upright, branching clumps with the feathery, finely divided leaves and the small, white flowers in the flat-topped clusters, and the whole plant carries the fine, airy look of the herb garden. The upright, branching, biennial or short-lived perennial herb carries the feathery, finely divided, aromatic leaves and the small, white, five-petalled flowers in the flat-topped, compound umbels on the upright, hollow stalks through the early summer, one of the fine, quiet sights of the herb patch, drawing the bees, to be followed by the small, oval, ribbed, brown fruits. The dried fruits have a very long record in the old practice of the cool lands, and the plant is a fine, historic presence of the herb patch. It is a plant of the open, sunny, deep, moist, well-drained ground.
Scientific Research & Plant Biotechnology
The cnidium is a historic subject of the plant science, and the compound umbels keep showing up in the work on the aromatic herbs. The chemistry of the small, oval, ribbed, brown fruits, which carry the fine, fragrant oils of the old practice, has been studied steadily, and it keeps appearing in the studies of the aromatic herbs, the feathery leaves and the members of the parsley family. The finely divided leaves and the airy habit have also made it a fine study herb, and the cnidium is a regular subject of the work on the compound umbels of the cool world.
Ecological & Economic Value & Wide Applications
The cnidium is a fine, quiet herb of the herb patch and the study collection. The feathery, finely divided, aromatic leaves carry the fine, airy look of the herb garden, one of the fine, quiet sights of the herb patch, drawing the bees, and the dried fruits have a very long record in the old practice of the cool lands, the dried fruits coming to the old teas and the fine, prepared remedies of the old shops, while the small, white, five-petalled flowers in the flat-topped, compound umbels rise on the upright, hollow stalks through the early summer, to be followed by the small, oval, ribbed, brown fruits. It is one of the fine choices for the herb patch, the study bed and the study collection, and it has been written about in the botanical and the scientific papers for the aromatic fruits and the very long history. It is a fine, quiet herb of the open, sunny, deep, moist, well-drained garden.
The cnidium seeds do well in a fine compost on an open shelf, watered lightly until the first true leaves show. The plants enjoy the deep, moist, well-drained ground of the open garden, and they are happy in a border or a pot.
To grow the cnidium from seed, sow the tiny, brown seeds evenly just below the surface of the pot of fine, sandy soil, keep the pot in a bright, open spot and water gently, then set the young plants out in the open ground. The seedlings come through within a couple of weeks and grow on steadily. With the sun and the deep, moist, well-drained ground, the airy heads will rise through the early summer.
Chinese stimulant and aphrodisiac used to treat impotency. Also used as a vaginal wash against trichomoniasis, and to treat scabies and fungal diseases.