| Sanguisorba officinalis | |
|---|---|
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| (unranked): | Angiosperms |
| (unranked): | Eudicots |
| Order: | Rosales |
| Family: | Rosaceae |
| 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. It flowers June/July.
Sanguisorba officinalis is an important food plant for the European Large Blue butterflies Maculinea nausithous and M. teleius.[1]
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.
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.