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Common Name: Centaury

General Information

Centaurium erythraea is a Annual/Biennial up to 0.25 metres tall.
It is harvested from the wild for local use as a food, medicine and source of materials.

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

Range

Europe, including Britain, from Sweden to the Mediterranean and east to S. W. Asia.

Habitat

Open woods, meadows and dry grasslands[, ], often on chalky soils[].

Properties

Edibility Rating
Medicinal Rating
Habit	Annual/Biennial
Height	0.25 m
Pollinators	Bees, Flies, Beetles, Self
Self-fertile	Yes
Cultivation Status	Wild

Cultivation Details

Prefers a well-drained sandy loam with some peat[] and a sunny position[]. It avoids wet or rich soils[].
Plants are not easy to grow in a garden[].
The flowers only open in fine weather and close at midday[].
Although the growing plant is scentless, if the cut stems are immersed in warm water for 24 hours a most penetrating odour will be observed on distillation[].
A very variable plant, some botanists divide it into a number of separate species[].

Edible Uses

The plant is used as a flavouring in bitter herbal liqueurs and is an ingredient of vermouth[].

Medicinal

One of the most useful bitter herbs, centaury strengthens digestive function, especially within the stomach[]. By increasing stomach secretions it hastens the breakdown of food, it also stimulates the appetite and increases bile production[]. The plant needs to be take over a number of weeks and an infusion should be slowly sipped so that the components (their bitterness can be detected at a dilution of 1:3,500) can stimulate reflex activity throughout the upper digestive tract[].
The whole herb is appetizer, aromatic, bitter, cholagogue, diaphoretic, digestive, emetic, weakly febrifuge, hepatic, stomachic and tonic[, , , , ]. It acts on the liver and kidneys, purifies the blood and is an excellent tonic for the digestive system[, ]. Externally, the fresh green herb is said to be a good application to wounds and sores[]. It is often used in combination with other herbs such as camomile (Chamaemelum nobile), meadowsweet (Filipendula ulmaria) and marshmallow (Althaea officinalis)[]. The whole plant is harvested when in flower and can be dried for later use[, ].
The plant is used in Bach flower remedies - the keywords for prescribing it are 'Weak willed', 'Too easily influenced' and 'Willing servitors'[].
A homeopathic remedy is made from the plant[]. It is used in the treatment of liver and gall bladder ailments[].

Other Uses

A long-lasting bright yellowish-green dye is obtained from the flowers[, ].

Propagation

Seed - sow late winter to May in situ or as soon as it is ripe in situ[]. Germination is usually rapid.