Additional notes (click to expand)

Medicinal

Anthyllis vulneraria L. Fababaceae. Kidney vetch, woundwort. 'vulneraria' means 'wound healer'; 'wort' has been used in England since the 9th century to mean root or plant. Parkinson (1640) notes Anthylis prior and Anthyllis lentisimilis (Dodoens); Anthyllis leguminosa (Lobel, Clusius); Lagopodium (Tabermontanus); Arthetica wundkraut Saxonum (Thalius); Vulneraria rustica (Gesner); and several more names from different authors. Small herb. Distribution: Europe to Iran and North Africa. The hairy flowers and leaves would act, like cotton wool, to promote platelet clotting. Parkinson (1640) notes it as Anthyllis leguminosa vulgaris writing ' ... much use among the Germans for their wonds and hurts, inward and outward, so doe both wayes apply them, whence their name: Thalius [said] it was used for the gout' .
Oakeley, Dr. Henry F. (2013) Wellcome Library notes.

Nomenclature

Family name change from Papilionaceae.
Plants of the World online, Kew Science https://powo.science.kew.org/taxon/urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:474795-1 link

Family name change from Leguminosae.
http://www.plantsoftheworldonline.org/

Other use

Anthyllis vulneraria is being used to clear up contaminated mine sites as it can absorb zinc, lead and camium from mine tilings where the metal concentrations are 500 times higher than European standars allow, storing up to 8% by weight in vacuoles in their leaves. It has no modern medical use.
Oakeley, Dr. Henry F. (2013). Wellcome Library notes. link

Geographical distribution

  • Africa, Northeast Tropical Africa, Ethiopia
  • Africa, Northern Africa, Algeria
  • Africa, Northern Africa, Egypt
  • Africa, Northern Africa, Morocco
  • Africa, Northern Africa, Tunisia
  • Asia-Temperate, Caucasus, North Caucasus
  • Asia-Temperate, Caucasus, Transcaucasus
  • Asia-Temperate, Western Asia, Iran
  • Asia-Temperate, Western Asia, Israel
  • Asia-Temperate, Western Asia, Lebanon-Syria
  • Asia-Temperate, Western Asia, Turkey
  • Europe, Eastern Europe
  • Europe, Middle Europe
  • Europe, Northern Europe
  • Europe, Northern Europe, Great Britain
  • Europe, Southeastern Europe
  • Europe, Southwestern Europe

Anthyllis vulneraria L.

Family: FABACEAE
Genus: Anthyllis
Species: vulneraria L.
Common names: Kidney Vetch; Woundwort
Distribution summary: Europe, N Africa, SW Asia
Habit: Short-lived Perennial
Hardiness: H5 - Hardy; cold winter
Habitat: Short grassland on stony soil, from sea level to 2300m
Garden status: Currently grown
Garden location: Classical Europe & Middle East (I)
Flowering months: June, July, August, September
Reason for growing: Medicinal, other use


Back to List