Plant Name
Datisca cannabina L
Botanical Info
Perennial. Height: 180 cm. Semi-shrub, very similar to cannabis as a general form and shape of leaves.
Geography:
Is found from Crete and Turkey all the way to the Himalayas (as far east as Nepal). Grows in banks of streams in rich alluvial soils.
Chemical Content
Roots. Carbohydrates to 11%. Organic acids1-3, 64%. Saponins. Alkaloids. Tannins. Flavonoids 10%: datiscetin, galangin, isalpinin,datiscin,3,6-6%. galanginosid, kannabin, datin, datinosid etc. The above-ground part. Triterpenoids: amirin, erythrodiol, oleanolic acid. Steroids: sitosterol, sitosterol glucoside. Flavonoids.Hydrocarbons: gentriakontan. Alkaloids. Seeds- fat oil.
Traditional Use and Activity
In Italy, the whole plant has medicinal use against intermittentfevers and stomach disorders. The leaves and flowering stems are bitter, diuretic, febrifuge and purgative. The root is used as a sedative in the treatment of rheumatism. It is also applied to carious teeth.