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| Practical ecological knowledge for the temperate reader. |
English Daisy - Bellis perennis
- Family: Asteraceae - Aster
Leaves, Flowers Soap Wounds, Sores, Rheumatism
General Hairy, 2-20cm tall.[IFBC-E-flora] Prostrate or spreading growth.[WeedsW]
Lifecycle Perennial.[IFBC-E-flora]
Flowers Heads solitary. White to rose colored. [HNW] Disk flowers yellow. [PCBC2004]
Fruits Achenes. Flattened.[IFBC-E-flora] 2-veined, soft-hairy.[PCBC2004]
Leaves "Basal leaves with short to long stalks".[IFBC-E-flora] "...obovate to
orbicular, minutely toothed..." [HNW] Rounded at tip. All basal.[PCBC2004] Spoon-shaped leaves.[PSW] Nearly smooth or loosely hairy.[WeedsW] 2-4 inches long. [WildPNW]
Stem Flowering stems are leafless.[PCBC2004] Flower stalk to 8 inches long.[WildPNW]
Root Fibrous root.[IFBC-E-flora][WildPNW]
Habitat Dry lawns, roadsides and waste areas.[IFBC-E-flora] Meadows, disturbed areas.[WildPNW]
Range Common in Coastal B.C.; Introduced from Europe.[IFBC-E-flora] Widely distributed.[HNW] Pacific States.[PSW] Fully naturalised in New Zealand [NewZeaNatural]
Status Exotic.[E-flora][WildPNW][WeedsW][PSW]
Food Use
- Flowers; "Flower buds and petals - raw[144, 183]. Eaten in sandwiches, soups and salads[183]." [PFAF] "Flower buds and petals have a mildly bitter taste and can be eaten raw, in salads, sandwiches, soups or as garnish or in tea (Cribb and Cribb 1982; Facciola 1990)." [Lim EMNMP7]
- Leaves; "Raw or cooked[2, 7, 52, 115].." [PFAF][Lim EMNMP7] Occasionally used as a potherb[183]. The flavour is somewhat acrid[4], a pleasant sour flavour [238], mild and agreeable and used in salads[217]."[PFAF] Part of the Pistic blends of Italy.[Paoletti et al.] Leaf boiled in italian pistic blends and added to the local vegetal soup called "minestrella".[ETWP] "...the taste of the leaves is somewhat acid, and, in scarcity of garden-stuff, they have been used in some countries as a pot-herb". [Sturtevant EPW]
"as salad, still occasionally used in 1948, but more common in times of famine".[Luczaj]
Other Uses
- Repellent; "An insect repellent spray can be made from an infusion of the leaves[57]." [PFAF]
Medicinal Uses
- Roots:
- Decoction: "A strong decoction of the roots has been recommended for the treatment of scorbutic complaints and eczema, though it needs to be taken for some time before its effect becomes obvious[244]. A mild decoction may ease complaints of the respiratory tract, rheumatic pains and painful or heavy menstruation[244]." [PFAF]
- Leaves:
- Liver Inflammation: "A distilled water is used internally to treat inflammatory disorders of the liver[4]." [PFAF] Folk use for kidney & liver disorders. [PDR] "...an aqueous extract used internally to treat inflammatory disorders of the liver. " [Lim EMNMP7]
- Mouth Ulcers: "Chewing the fresh leaves is said to be a cure for mouth ulcers[244]." [PFAF]
- Breast Cancer: "Daisies also have a reputation for effectiveness in treating breast cancers[7]." [PFAF]
- Homeopathic: "The plant, harvested when in flower, is used as a homeopathic remedy[232]. Its use is especially indicated in the treatment of bruising etc[232]." [PFAF] and "...for bleeding, muscular pain (after injuries), purulent skin diseases and rheumatism." [PDR] "For bruises, soreness, and to ease pain and speed recovery after an injury." "Bellis for bruising with swelling that is worse from pressure and better from active motion or rest". [Mars NFA]
Further Medicinal Use
"Daisies are a popular domestic remedy with a wide range of applications[7]. They are a traditional wound herb[238] and are also said to be especially useful in treating delicate and listless children[7]. Recent research (1994) has been looking at the possibility of using the plant in HIV therapy[238]. The herb is mildly anodyne, antispasmodic, antitussive, demulcent, digestive, emollient, expectorant, laxative, ophthalmic, purgative and tonic[7, 9, 21]."[PFAF] Traditionally used for rheumatism and as an expectorant.[Avato&Tava,1995] "Expectorant, diarrhea and gastrointestinal complaints,
disorders of the liver and kidneys. Externally, for wounds healing and skin diseases". [Pieroni EBDBalk]
Part Used: "The fresh or dried flowering heads are normally used[9]." [PFAF] the whole flowering
plant. [PDR]
- Infusion:
- Antitussive: The tea is used internally. Externally, it is directly applied to stop bleeding. [Pieroni EBDBalk] "traditionally used topically or as depurative teas". [BMBBed]
- An infusion is used in the treatment of catarrh, rheumatism, arthritis, liver and kidney disorders, as a blood purifier etc[9].[PFAF]
- Infusion of flower heads used for coughs, colds and eye troubles.[MPFT]
- Wounds: "The daisy once had a great reputation as a cure for fresh wounds[4]. An ointment made from the leaves is applied externally to wounds, bruises etc[4, 232]." [PFAF] An ointment, alone or combined with other herbs, was used for burns. A treatment for boils was made by boiling pieces of the lant with soap and sugar in a tin until the mixture turned black.[MPFT]
- "The flowers and leaves are normally used fresh in decoctions, ointments and poultices[238]." [PFAF]
- Erysipelas; Used during the 15th century for Erysipelas (wildfire, St Anthony's fire). "...take the daisy, crop and root, and bruise it, and lay thereto, and change it often". [DPL Watts]
- Eye Problems: "...the strained juice of ground ivy, greater celandine Chelidonium majus and daisies Bellis perennis, mixed with a little sugar and rose-water and dropped into the eyes with a feather, proves itself to be the ‘best medicine in the world’ for all eye problems, inflmmation, spots, webs, itch or smarting, even when the sufferer is virtually blind from the condition."[TWHT]
- Misc: Used for treating ringworm, whitlows, chilblians, and 'blasts' (facial swellings).[MPFT]
- Cancer: "Yazıcıoğlu and Tuzlacı (1995) reported that B. perennis was used to relieve stomach ache in Trabzon, Turkey and for treating breast cancer (Chiej 1984)."[Lim EMNMP7]
Pharmacology
- Anti-inflammatory[PDR][HMH Duke][Lim EMNMP7 ]
- Antipyretic (1; PH2); [HMH Duke]
- Antispasmodic (f; EFS); [HMH Duke][Lim EMNMP7 ]
- Antitussive [Lim EMNMP7 ]
- Antipyretic [Lim EMNMP7 ]
- Astringent [PDR][HMH Duke]
- Depurative (f; EFS); [HMH Duke]
- Demulcent [Lim EMNMP7 ]
- Digestive [Lim EMNMP7 ]
- Discutient (f; EFS); [HMH Duke]
- Diuretic (f; EFS); [HMH Duke][Lim EMNMP7 ]
- Emollient [Lim EMNMP7 ]
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- Expectorant (f; HHB; PH2); [HMH Duke][Lim EMNMP7] Possibly expectorant. [PDR]
- Febrifuge.[PDR]
- Laxative [Lim EMNMP7 ]
- Hemostat (f; EFS); [HMH Duke]
- Homeostatic [Lim EMNMP7 ]
- Mucolytic (1; PH2); [HMH Duke]
- Ophthalmic [Lim EMNMP7 ]
- Pectoral (f; EFS); [HMH Duke]
- Purgative [Lim EMNMP7 ]
- Resolvent (f; EFS);[HMH Duke]
- Tonic (f; EFS); [HMH Duke][Lim EMNMP7]
- Vulnerary (f; EFS). [HMH Duke][Lim EMNMP7]
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- "Herbalists still use daisies for improving the circulation. They also keep the artery walls soft and flexible (Conway)." [DPL Watts]
- "It was shown that the plant possessed antifungal activity in vitro and in-vivo against Ceratocystis ulmi, pathogen of Dutch elm disease ( Desevedavy et al. 1989)." [Lim EMNMP7 ]
- "Triterpenoid glycosides obtained Bellis perennis inhibit the growth of human-pathogenic yeasts (Candida and Cryptococcus species) (Bader et al.1990)." [Lim EMNMP7]
- "Six acylated triterpenoid saponins, bellisosides A–F, together with a known saponin, bellissaponin BS2 isolated from Bellis perennis roots exhibited cytotoxic activities against HL-60 human promyelocytic leukaemia cells (Li et al. 2005)." [Lim EMNMP7]
Dosages:
- Infusion or cold extract; 2 tsp to 2 cups of water. Draw 20min. 2-4 cups/day.[PDR][HMH Duke]
- Decoction of green leaves. [PDR]
- Homeopathic: 5-10 drops, 1-3 times/day. Ointments 1-2 times/day. [PDR]
Phytochemistry
- Flowering Plant; Key constinuents are triterpene saponins, polyynes and flavonoids. [Capasso PQR]
- Daily dosage; "Infusion: 1 teaspoon drug in 1 cup water; 2-4 cups daily". [Capasso PQR]
- Triterpene saponins (2.7%): bisdemosides of the bayogeninic and polygalic acid (the latter acylated)[PDR] Saponins in roots. [Avato&Tava,1995] bellissaponins and another unnamed saponin were isolated from the dried plants, including roots. The crude saponin esters and saponins were further purified. These showed antimycotic activity vs. a variety of species.[Willigmann et al.] Roots contain three saponins of bayogenin and one of asterogenic acid.[Schopke et al.]
- Polyynes: including trans-lachnophyllum ester [PDR]
- Flavonoids: including cosmosiin.[PDR] "...flavonoid glycosides were isolated such as rutin, isoramentina 3-O-glicopiranosídeo (Yoshikawa et al., 2008), isorhamnetina 3-O-?-D-(6''-acetyl) galactopyranoside and kaempferol-3-O-?-D-glicopyranosideo (Gudej, 2001), including apigenin 7-O-glucopyranoside (1)." [Marques et al.]
Selected Constituents of the Essential Oil from the leaves & flowers (representing a total % of the obtained fraction):
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- Polyacetylenes (18.27% leaves-20.73% flowers). [Avato&Tava,1995]
- Methyl deca-4,6-diynoate (13.87% leaves and 15.04% flowers)
- Monoterpenes (47% leaves and 62% flowers, respectively) [Avato&Tava,1995]
- Beta-myrcene (15.05% leaves; 28.43% flowers) [Avato&Tava,1995]
- geranyl acetate (11.99%leaves; 6.10% flowers) [Avato&Tava,1995]
- Beta-phellandrene (1.30% leaves and 1.16% flowers)[Avato&Tava,1995]
- Cis-pinenehydrate (1.18% leaves and 2.25% flowers)[Avato&Tava,1995]
- Camphor (0.60% leaves and 0.71% flowers)[Avato&Tava,1995]
- Geraniol (1.51% leaves and 0.46% flowers)[Avato&Tava,1995]
- Neryl acetate (1.65% leaves and 7.31% flowers)[Avato&Tava,1995]
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- Alcohols (16.59% leaves and 1.69% flowers) [Avato&Tava,1995]
- cis-3-hexenol (15.08%) in leaves, flowers (0.43%). [Avato&Tava,1995]
- Aldehydes (1.56% leaves and 1.81% flowers)[Avato&Tava,1995]
- Esters (1.01% leaves and 1.08% flowers)[Avato&Tava,1995]
- Sesquiterpenes (3.25% leaves and 1.71% flowers)[Avato&Tava,1995]
- Acids (2.34% leaves and 2.56% flowers)[Avato&Tava,1995]
- Others (2% leaves and 2.15% flowers)[Avato&Tava,1995]
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Polyacetylenes
"The chemical investigation of the essential oils from
the aerial organs of Bellis perennis L., the common daisy, showed
that polyacetylenes..." "...represent one of the major chemical class,
ranging from 18-21 % (9). The two main components of this
fraction have been identified ...as the new natural C10 polyacetylenes, methyl deca-
4,6-diynoate and the deca-4,6-diynoic acid (9)." [Avato,1997]
"Previous studies (11, 12) have shown that extracts from
B. perennis have antifungal effects both in vivo and in vitro and the activity has been attributed to a saponin of the sapogenin polygalacic acid (12). Further investigations (21) have demonstrated that genuine ester saponins obtained from
ethanolic extracts of B. perennis are inactive against the growth of a number of fungal pathogens. Our results suggest that
B. perennis might instead have antimicrobial activity due to the
presence of polyacetylenes." [Avato,1997]
Nutritional
- per 100g fresh weight. greens; 87g water, 3.2g protein.[Turner&Kuhnlein]
Cultivation
"It prefers full sun to
light shade and organically rich, fertile, consistently moist and well-drained soils.... The plant is intolerant of
drought." [Lim EMNMP7]
"The flowers are hermaphrodite (have both male and female organs) and are pollinated by Bees, flies, beetles, self.The plant is self-fertile. [PFAF]
Suitable for: light (sandy), medium (loamy) and heavy (clay) soils and prefers well-drained soil. Suitable pH: acid, neutral and basic (alkaline) soils. It can grow in semi-shade (light woodland) or no shade. It prefers moist soil. [PFAF]
Succeeds in most well-drained soils in sun or semi-shade[188, 200]. The daisy is commonly found growing in many lawns, some varieties have been developed for the flower garden[1]. It is a good plant for the spring meadow[24]. The plants have a very long flowering season, they will even produce a few flowers in the middle of mild winters[K]."[PFAF]
Landscape Uses: Alpine garden, Border, Container, Ground cover, Rock garden. [PFAF]
Propagation
Seed - "sow as soon as the seed is ripe in June. When they are large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots and plant them out in late summer[200]. Division after flowering[200]. Very easy, it can be done at almost any time of the year, though spring and early summer are best[K]. The divisions can be planted straight out into their permanent positions."[PFAF]
Bellis Sp.
Perennial herb [annual]. Leaf: basal and proximal cauline, simple, petioled. Inflorescence: heads radiate, 1 on slender, ± naked peduncles; involucre hemispheric; phyllaries in 2 equal series; receptacle conic, epaleate. Ray flower: many; ray white to pink or purple. Disk flower: many; corolla yellow, tube very short, throat ± cylindric; anther tips acute; style tips flat, triangular. Fruit: compressed; pappus 0.
15 species: Europe, Mediterranean. (Latin: pretty) [Brouillet 2006 FNANM 20:22–23]
[Jepson]
Local Species
- Bellis perennis - English Daisy [E-flora]
Uses of Related Sp.
Bellis annua - Manzanilla; Flower heads contain essential oil, flavonoids and saponins. The infusion is used as a laxative. [Rai EthPlants]
References
- Avato,1997 -Antimicrobial Activity of Polyacetylenes from Bellis perennis and their Synthetic Derivatives, Pinarosa Avato, Cesare Vitali, Piernatale Mongelli, and Aldo Tava, Planta Med. 63 (1997)
- Avato&Tava,1995 ACETYLENES AND TERPENOIDS OF BELLIS PERENNIS, PINAROSA AVATO and ALDO TAVA, Phytochemistry, Vol. 40, No. 1, pp. 141 147, 1995
- E-flora - http://linnet.geog.ubc.ca/Atlas/Atlas.aspx?sciname=Bellis%20perennis, In Klinkenberg, Brian. (Editor) 2013. E-Flora BC: Electronic Atlas of the Plants of British Columbia . Lab for Advanced Spatial Analysis, Department of Geography, University of British Columbia, Vancouver. Accessed: Sept 30, 2015
- [Jepson]2013. Bellis, in Jepson Flora Project (eds.) Jepson eFlora, http://ucjeps.berkeley.edu/cgi-bin/get_IJM.pl?tid=337, accessed on Jan 20 2015
- Marques et al. Phytochemical Profile and Qualification of Biological Activity of an Isolated Fraction of Bellis perennis, Thiago H. Costa Marques, Cassio H. Santos De Melo, Rusbene B. Fonseca De Carvalho, Luciana M. Costa1, Alexandre A. De Souza, Jorge M. David, Juceni P. De Lima David, Rivelilson M. De Freitas, Biol. Res. vol.46 no.3 Santiago 2013
- PFAF - Bellis perennis Plants for a future, Accessed September 15, 2014
- Luczaj Archival data on wild food plants used in Poland in 1948, Lukasz Luczaj, Journal of Ethnobiology and Ethnomedicine 2008
- Paoletti et al. PISTIC, TRADITIONAL FOOD FROM WESTERN FRIULI, N. E. ITALY, Maurizio G. Paoletti, A.L. Dredon, and G.G. Lorenzoni, Economic Botany 49(1):26-30. 1995
- Schopke et al. BAYOGENIN AND ASTEROGENIC ACID GLYCOSIDES FROM BELLIS PERENNIS, THOMAS SCHOPKE, VICTOR WRAY, A. KUNATH, KARL HILLER, Phytochemistry. Vol. 31. No. 7, pp. 2555 2557. 1992
- Willigmann et al. Antimycotic Compounds from Different Bellis perennis Varieties, I. Willigmann, G. Schnelle, C. Bodinet, and N. Beuscher, lanta Med. 58. Supplement Issue 1 1992
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