Yellow-wort
Scientific Name: Blackstonia perfoliata (L.) Huds.
Family: Gentianaceae
MORPHOLOGY
Habit and Dimensions: It is an annual herbaceous plant, growing up to 50 cm tall.
Stems: The stem is robust, glabrous, and glaucous, generally branching in the upper part.
Leaves: The basal leaves are ovate-lanceolate, while those on the stem are more or less triangular, sometimes mucronate, opposite, with entire margins, without stipules, and fused for almost their entire base around the stem, sharing the gray-green color with it.
Flowers: The flowers are gathered in an erect, more or less bifurcate inflorescence, with a funnel-shaped corolla of a yellow-greenish color, rotated with 6-8 divisions and lobes twisted in the bud. It blooms from April to August.
Fruits and Seeds: The fruit is a septicidal capsule, ellipsoid, dehiscent with 2 valves, surrounded by the persistent calyx and the withered corolla. Numerous seeds, reticulate-alveolate, brown-blackish.
DISTRIBUTION AND HABITAT
Widespread throughout Italy, on moist soils or sandy and clayey depressions, pine forests, and roadsides from 0 to 1400 m.
USE
The entire plant contains a bitter glycoside called gentiopicrin, which is also present in Gentiana lutea. In folk medicine, it was used as an infusion for its bitter-tonic properties. Before taking any plant-based product (medicinal or non-medicinal) for therapeutic or similar purposes, it is always advisable to consult a doctor beforehand. In the past, the plant was also used as a dye to color fabrics a particular yellowish hue.
Photo: Used under a free license by Saxifraga and Ed Stikvoort.
