Helichrysum italicum
Encyclopedia
Helichrysum italicum or Helichrysum angustifolium is a flowering plant
of the daisy family Asteraceae
. It is sometimes called the curry plant because of the strong smell of its leaves. It grows on dry, rocky or sandy ground around the Mediterranean. The stems are woody at the base and can reach 60 cm or more in height. The clusters of yellow flowers are produced in Summer, they retain their colour after picking and are used in dried flower arrangements.
The plant produces an oil from its blossoms which is used for medicinal purposes. It is anti-inflammatory, fungicidal, and astringent. It soothes burns and raw chapped skin. It is used as a fixative in perfumes and has an intense fragrance.
It has been claimed on some gardening forums that the curry plant is as effective a cat deterrent as the "scaredy-cat" plant, Plectranthus caninus
(also known as Coleus canina). This may be not so much a recommendation for Helichrysum italicum as a comment on the efficacy of Plectranthus caninus.
Although called "curry plant" it has nothing whatsoever to do with the mixture of spices
used in Indian cooking, nor with the curry tree (Murraya koenigii).
Flowering plant
The flowering plants , also known as Angiospermae or Magnoliophyta, are the most diverse group of land plants. Angiosperms are seed-producing plants like the gymnosperms and can be distinguished from the gymnosperms by a series of synapomorphies...
of the daisy family Asteraceae
Asteraceae
The Asteraceae or Compositae , is an exceedingly large and widespread family of vascular plants. The group has more than 22,750 currently accepted species, spread across 1620 genera and 12 subfamilies...
. It is sometimes called the curry plant because of the strong smell of its leaves. It grows on dry, rocky or sandy ground around the Mediterranean. The stems are woody at the base and can reach 60 cm or more in height. The clusters of yellow flowers are produced in Summer, they retain their colour after picking and are used in dried flower arrangements.
The plant produces an oil from its blossoms which is used for medicinal purposes. It is anti-inflammatory, fungicidal, and astringent. It soothes burns and raw chapped skin. It is used as a fixative in perfumes and has an intense fragrance.
It has been claimed on some gardening forums that the curry plant is as effective a cat deterrent as the "scaredy-cat" plant, Plectranthus caninus
Plectranthus caninus
Plectranthus caninus is an herb in the mint family Lamiaceae, native to east Africa and southern Asia. Under the name"Coleus canina", it is sold and marketed as a natural repellent to cats and dogs , though no research currently exists that supports that usage...
(also known as Coleus canina). This may be not so much a recommendation for Helichrysum italicum as a comment on the efficacy of Plectranthus caninus.
Although called "curry plant" it has nothing whatsoever to do with the mixture of spices
Curry
Curry is a generic description used throughout Western culture to describe a variety of dishes from Indian, Pakistani, Bangladeshi, Sri Lankan, Thai or other Southeast Asian cuisines...
used in Indian cooking, nor with the curry tree (Murraya koenigii).
Sources
- David Burnie (1995) Wild Flowers of the Mediterranean. ISBN 0-7513-2761-1
- T. G. Tutin et al. (1968) Flora Europaea, Volume 2. ISBN 0-521-06662-X
- J. Mastelić, O. Politeo and I. Jerković Contribution to the Analysis of the Essential Oil of Helichrysum italicum (Roth) G. Don. – Determination of Ester Bonded Acids and Phenols Molecules 2008, 13(4), 795-803