A biennial flowering plant growing to 1.2 m (3 to 4 ft), with easy germination. The root is biennial, fusiform and fibrous yellowish on the outside and white within. The first year many obtuse leaves are produced which spread flat on the ground. From among these in the second year the more or less hairy stems arise.

Astringent, sedative (bark and leaves); anti-inflammatory, renal-protective.

Plants for a Future

Alanine, alpha-amyrin, alpha-tocopherol, arginine, aspartic acid, beta-amyrin, beta-sitosterol, campesterol, cycloartenol, cystine, gamma-linolenic acid, gamma-tocopherol, glutamic acid, glycine, histidine, isoleucine, leucine, lignin, linoleic acid, lysine, methionine, oleic acid, palmitic acid, phenylalanine, stearic acid, threonine, tryptophan, tyrosine, valine (seed); caffeic acid, delphinidin, digallic acid, ellagic acid, gallic acid, kaempferol, p-coumaric acid (leaf); quercetin (herb, leaf); tannin (herb)

Gastro-intestinal disorders, asthma, whooping cough, rheumatoid arthritis; to reduce the pains of premenstrual stress syndrome and is beneficial to the skin of the face (seed oil); to piles and bruises (poulticed root); in the treatment of obesity and bowel pains (tea from root).