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Common Name: Ammoniacum

General Information

Dorema ammoniacum is a perennial plant that can grow up to 2.50 metres tall.
It is harvested from the wild for local use as a medicine and source of materials..

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

, ,

Range

W. Asia - Iran to Afghanistan and Pakistan.

Habitat

Loess loams in desert areas[]. Dry rocky areas[].

Properties

Medicinal Rating
Habit	Perennial
Height	2.50 m
Pollinators	Insects
Self-fertile	Yes
Cultivation Status	Wild

Cultivation Details

Easily grown in an ordinary garden soil[]. Prefers a well-drained to dry soil in a sunny position[].
This species is not hardy in all parts of Britain, it tolerates temperatures down to at least -5°c[].
A monocarpic species, growing for a number of years before it flowers but then dying after flowering[]. It is said to produce viable seed in this country[].

Edible Uses

None known

Medicinal

Ammoniacum has been used in Western herbal medicine for thousands of years and is still seen as an effective remedy for various complaints of the chest[].
A gum resin is found in cavities in the tissues of stems, roots and petioles[]. It often exudes naturally from holes in the stems caused by beetles[] though this is not so pure as that obtained from the plant tissues[]. The resin is antispasmodic, carminative, diaphoretic, mildly diuretic, expectorant, poultice, stimulant and vasodilator[, , , , ]. It is often used internally in the treatment of chronic bronchitis (especially in the elderly), asthma and catarrh[, ]. Externally, it is used as a plaster for swellings of the joints and indolent tumours[, ].
The resin exudes as a milky gum from holes made in the stems. This gum is pressed into blocks and then ground into a powder[].

Other Uses

A medicinal gum or resin called 'Ammoniacum' is exuded from insect damaged stems[, , , ]. It is also used in perfumery and in porcelain cement[] as well as for plasters[, , , ].

Propagation

Seed - sow in an outdoor seedbed in mid spring[]. It might be better to sow the seed in the autumn in a cold frame or greenhouse[]. The seed germinates in 2 - 6 weeks at 15°c[]. If seed is in short supply we would recommend sowing it in a pot in a cold frame and pricking out the seedlings into individual pots as soon as they are large enough to handle. Plant them out into their permanent positions in late spring of the following year.