Sundew
Parts Usually Used
The whole plant
Description of Plant(s) and Culture
Sundew is an insectivorous (insect eating) perennial plant; the root produces a basal rosette of nearly round, reddish, glandular-hairy, tiny, leaves 1/2 inch across, mostly wider than long, which exude a liquid (dewdrops) that traps insects. The leaves fold over the captured insect and digest it. Naked flower stalks, from 2-12 inches high, are topped by one-sided racemes of small, white or pinkish (sometimes red) flowers which bloom from June to August.
Blossoms open one at a time.
Where Found
Grows in wet, acid, and moist places in North America, Europe, and Asia. In the United States, sundew is found in the eastern states, in the Rockies, and in the Sierra Nevada range. Also, Newfoundland to Florida; Illinois, Minnesota.
Medicinal Properties
Antispasmodic, expectorant, demulcent, stimulant
Biochemical Information
Proteolytic enzymes, naphthoquinone derivatives, plumbagin and hydroplumbagin, flavonoids, organic acids and traces of essential oil.
Legends, Myths and Stories
Sundew is a carnivorous plant with ninety species of the Drosera genus throughout the world. Digestive juices, analogous to pepsin, are excreted, and the insect is dissolved and absorbed. Sundew is the smallest of the insect eating plants, it is about the size of a silver dollar. The Venus fly trap is of this family; its leaves are two-hinged blades, with sensitive hairs, that close when touched, thus entrapping the insect.
Uses
Historically, herbalists employed this plant for respiratory and chest complaints, including coughs, asthma, catarrh, and bronchitis. Practitioners also administered it for nausea, upset stomach, and arteriosclerosis. In European folk traditions, the fresh juice was applied to warts and corns, and taken internally as an aphrodisiac, while the plant was additionally utilized in cheese-making to curdle milk.
Within homeopathic practice, it was prescribed for conditions such as headaches, laryngitis, nausea, and sciatica.
Warning
Sundew contains irritant substances and should be used in small quantities only. External applications may cause blisters on the skin. Use under medical supervision.
Bibliography
, Loma Linda, CA 92354, Original copyright 1939, revised edition 1994 Eastern/Central Medicinal Plants , by Steven Foster and James A. , Houghton Mifflin Company, 215 Park Avenue South, New York, NY 10000 The Herb Book , by John Lust, Bantam Books, 666 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY. copyright 1974. Indian Herbalogy of North America , by Alma R. , Horticultural Hall, 300 Massachusetts Avenue, Boston, Massachusetts 02115, 1973 The Nature Doctor: A Manual of Traditional and Complementary Medicine , by Dr.
A. , 27 Pine Street (Box 876) New Canaan, CT. 06840-0876. Copyright Verlag A. , Lotus Press, PO Box 325, Twin Lakes. , 15 Columbus Circle, New York, NY 10023 The Rodale Herb Book: How to Use, Grow, and Buy Nature’s Miracle Plants (An Organic gardening and farming book) , edited by William H. Hylton, Rodale Press, Inc. , 1974