Additional notes (click to expand)

Medicinal

Culpeper: ‘Stavesager, kills lice in the head, I hold it not fitting to be given inwardly.’
Culpeper, Nicholas. (1650). A Physical Directory . London, Peter Cole.

Extracts were used on skin parasites.
Wink, Michael & Ben-Erik van Wyk (2008). Mind-Altering and Poisonous Plants of the World. Timber Press

Nomenclature

Delphinium staphisagria is a synonym
http://powo.science.kew.org/ https://powo.science.kew.org/taxon/urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:60456584-2

Other use

Notes: Because of its toxicity if ingested, as noted by Culpeper, it can only be sold by registered pharmacies. Dioscorides used it as a purgative and for toothache. Pliny the Elder recommended the crushed seeds for killing head lice, and for curing ‘itch scab’, and advises against eating the seeds, although he wrote that the flowers pounded in wine counteracted snake bite. All Delphinium species are poisonous.
Oakeley, Dr. H. F. . (2013). The Gardens of the Pharmacopoeia Londinensis. link

Phytochemistry

Active principle: all parts especially seeds: delphinine, nudicauline, staphisine, ajacine and other terpenoids alkaloids.
Wink, M. (2009). Mode of Action and toxicology of plant toxins and poisonous plants. Mitt. Julius Kuhn-Inst. 421:93-111. P.98

Toxicity

Extracts were used as a rat and ant poison
Wink, Michael & Ben-Erik van Wyk (2008). Mind-Altering and Poisonous Plants of the World. Timber Press

Geographical distribution

  • Africa, Macaronesia, Canary Is.
  • Africa, Northern Africa, Algeria
  • Africa, Northern Africa, Morocco
  • Africa, Northern Africa, Tunisia
  • Asia-Temperate, Western Asia, Lebanon-Syria
  • Asia-Temperate, Western Asia, Turkey
  • Europe, Southeastern Europe, Albania
  • Europe, Southeastern Europe, Bosnia and Herzegovina
  • Europe, Southeastern Europe, Greece
  • Europe, Southeastern Europe, Italy
  • Europe, Southwestern Europe, France
  • Europe, Southwestern Europe, Portugal
  • Europe, Southwestern Europe, Spain

Staphisagria macrosperma Spach

Family: RANUNCULACEAE
Genus: Staphisagria
Species: macrosperma Spach
Common names: Stavesacre; Lousewort
Pharmacopoeia Londinensis name: Staphisagria
Distribution summary: Mediterranean
Habit: Annual
Hardiness: H5 - Hardy; cold winter
Habitat: Stream banks, scrub and waste or disturbed ground
Garden status: Currently grown
Garden location: Poisons garden (PETO), Pharmacopoeia Londinensis 1618 'Seeds & Grains' (HSE 8), Pharmacopoeia Londinensis 1618 'Seeds & Grains' (HSE 7)
Flowering months: May, June, July, August
Reason for growing: Medicinal, toxic


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