Back to main Search Page

Ammi majus - L.

Bishop's Weed

Author	L.	Botanical references	17
Family	Umbelliferae	Genus	Ammi
Synonyms
Known Hazards	The root contains 8-methoxypsoralen, this stimulates the production of pigmentation in skin exposed to ultra-violet light, but it can cause side-effects. Use with caution[160]. Skin contact with the sap is said to cause photo-sensitivity and/or dermatitis in some people[218].
Range	C. Europe to W. Asia and N. Africa. A casual in Britain[17].
Habitat	Waste places in Britain[17].
Edibility Rating	1 (1-5)	Medicinal Rating	3 (1-5)

Physical Characteristics

Annual growing to 0.75m by 0.4m.

The plant prefers light (sandy), medium (loamy) and heavy (clay) soils. The plant prefers acid, neutral and basic (alkaline) soils. It can grow in semi-shade (light woodland) or no shade. It requires moist soil.

Habitats

Cultivated Beds;

Edible Uses

Edible Uses: Condiment.

Seed - used as a condiment[177, 183].

Medicinal Uses

The seed is contraceptive, diuretic and tonic[238]. An infusion is used to calm the digestive system, whilst it is also used in the treatment of asthma and angina[254]. A decoction of the ground-up seed, eaten after intercourse, appears able to prevent implantation of the fertilized ovum in the uterus[238]. This decoction is also used as a gargle in the treatment of toothache[238]. The seed contains furanocoumarins (including bergapten), which stimulate pigment production in skin that is exposed to bright sunlight[238, 254]. The plant is widely cultivated in India for these furanocoumarins which are used in the treatment of vitiligo (piebald skin) and psoriasis[238, 254].

Other Uses

Weather protection.

The root is chewed to give protection from strong sunlight. It contains 8-methoxypsoralen which stimulates production of pigment in skin exposed to U.V. light. Caution is advised, however, since it can cause side-effects[160]. Other reports suggest that it is the seeds that are used[238, 254].

Scented Plants

Seed: Crushed Dried

The seed is strongly aromatic[254].

Cultivation details

Prefers a well-drained soil in a sunny position[238], succeeding in ordinary garden soil. This species is often cultivated for its attractive flowering stems which are often sold in markets[238]. It is cultivated in India as a medicinal herb[238].

Propagation

Seed - sow spring or autumn in situ[238].

Links

Permaculture.info Details of this plant in the Permaculture.info project, a community plant and permaculture database.

References

[17] Clapham, Tootin and Warburg. Flora of the British Isles. Cambridge University Press 1962
A very comprehensive flora, the standard reference book but it has no pictures.

[160] Natural Food Institute, Wonder Crops. 1987. 0
Fascinating reading, this is an annual publication. Some reports do seem somewhat exaggerated though.

[177] Kunkel. G. Plants for Human Consumption. Koeltz Scientific Books 1984 ISBN 3874292169
An excellent book for the dedicated. A comprehensive listing of latin names with a brief list of edible parts.

[183] Facciola. S. Cornucopia - A Source Book of Edible Plants. Kampong Publications 1990 ISBN 0-9628087-0-9
Excellent. Contains a very wide range of conventional and unconventional food plants (including tropical) and where they can be obtained (mainly N. American nurseries but also research institutes and a lot of other nurseries from around the world.

[218] Duke. J. A. and Ayensu. E. S. Medicinal Plants of China Reference Publications, Inc. 1985 ISBN 0-917256-20-4
Details of over 1,200 medicinal plants of China and brief details of their uses. Often includes an analysis, or at least a list of constituents. Heavy going if you are not into the subject.

[238] Bown. D. Encyclopaedia of Herbs and their Uses. Dorling Kindersley, London. 1995 ISBN 0-7513-020-31
A very well presented and informative book on herbs from around the globe. Plenty in it for both the casual reader and the serious student. Just one main quibble is the silly way of having two separate entries for each plant.

[254] Chevallier. A. The Encyclopedia of Medicinal Plants Dorling Kindersley. London 1996 ISBN 9-780751-303148
An excellent guide to over 500 of the more well known medicinal herbs from around the world.

Readers Comments

Add a comment/link:

Discussion Monitor

To have posts to this page mailed to you enter your email address here:

(Your email address will not appear on the webpage or be passed on to third parties).