Sanguisorba officinalis

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Sanguisorba officinalis
Flower head of Sanguisorba officinalis
Flower head of Sanguisorba officinalis
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Division: Magnoliophyta
Class: Magnoliopsida
Order: Rosales
Family: Rosaceae
Subfamily: Rosoideae
Tribe: Sanguisorbeae
Subtribe: Sanguisorbinae
Genus: Sanguisorba
Species: S. officinalis
Binomial name
Sanguisorba officinalis
L.

Sanguisorba officinalis (Great Burnet) is a plant in the family Rosaceae, subfamily Rosoideae. It is native throughout the cooler regions of the Northern Hemisphere in Europe, northern Asia, and northern North America.

It is a herbaceous perennial plant growing to 1 m tall, which occurs in grasslands, growing well on grassy banks.

[edit] Commercial Uses

Sanguisorba seeds
Sanguisorba seeds

Use is made of its extensive root system for erosion control, as well as a bioremediator, used to reclaim derelict sites such as landfills.

The leaves are used in salads because they are mildly reminiscent of cucumber. Selective pruning of apical meristems, such as at flower heads, is used to encourage an increase in leaf production. ‎

[edit] Ethnomedical Uses

It has been in use by Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) for thousands of years, probably through the employment of the doctrine of signatures as a treatment for bleeding.

Specifically, the root is used to stop bloody dysentery, nosebleeds, and is applied topically to treat burns and insect bites.

[edit] References