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Botanical: Agrimonia Eupatoria (LINN.)
Family: N.O. Rosaceae
Agrimony has an old reputation as a popular, domestic medicinal herb, being a simple well known to all country-folk. It belongs to the Rose order of plants, and its slender spikes of yellow flowers, which are in bloom from June to early September, and the singularly beautiful form of its much-cut-into leaves, make it one of the most graceful of our smaller herbs.
Agrimony can be found growing extensively throughout Europe, Canada, and the United States. A hardy perennial, its natural habitat is woods and fields, but it takes to cultivation easily. Its one to two foot branchy stems are covered with a fine, silky down and terminate in spikes of yellow flowers. Both the flowers and the notched leaves give off a faint characteristic lemony scent when crushed. After the flowers fade they give place to tiny clinging "burrs" which will quickly adhere to your clothing if you brush by the plant in a hedgerow.
The use of Agrimony dates back to the ancient Egyptians. The name Agrimony comes from the Greek word Argemone (plants healing to eyes). The word Eupatoria comes from Mithridates Eupator (a herbalist king).
Because of the tannins, the medicinal uses of agrimony are extensive. When sipped as a tea, for example, agrimony will help control the loose stools of diarrhea. Once cooled, the tea works as a throat gargle to reduce inflammation and relieve sore throat pain. Interestingly, Germany's prestigious Commission E approves of using the herb for these purposes.
Agrimony is given to help Agrimony people to accept and come to terms with the darker side of life and their own personalities, so that they can become more rounded human beings. They will not lose their sense of humour, but they will laugh at their troubles to dispel them, rather than laughing to hide them. As a mood remedy, Agrimony helps anyone who is trying not to face a trouble and using jokes and witticisms and smiles to avoid a painful reality.
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