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| Stellaria
media |
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| Name |
| Chickweed |
| Biological
Name |
|
Stellaria media
|
| Other
Names |
| Addre's mouth, Indian chickweed,
satin flower, starwort, stitchwort, tongue-grass, winterweed,
starweed, star chickweed, tongue grass, Chickweed |
| Parts
Used |
|
herb
|
| Active
Compounds |
| The active constituents are largely
unknown. Chickweed contains relatively high amounts of vitamins
and flavonoids, which may explain some of its effect. Although
some older information suggests a possible benefit for chickweed
in rheumatic conditions, this has not been validated in clinical
practice. |
| History |
| Chickweed was reportedly used at
times for food. Chickweed enjoys a reputation as treating a
wide spectrum of conditions in folk medicine, ranging from asthma
and indigestion to skin diseases. Traditional Chinese herbalists
used a tea made from chickweed to treat nosebleeds.
Chickweed was used in cases of bronchitis, pleurisy, coughs,
colds, hoarseness, rheumatism, inflammation, or weakness of
the bowels and stomach, lungs, bronchial tubes. Chickweed
was said to heals and smoothes anything it comes in contact
with.
Chickweed had been used for external application to inflamed
substances, skin diseases, boils, scalds, burns, inflamed
or sore eyes, erysipelas, tumors, piles, cancer, swollen testes,
ulcerated throat and mouth, and all kinds of wounds.
|
| Remedies
For |
|
Alterative, demulcent, refrigerant, mucilaginous, pectoral,
resolvent, discutient
Useful for:
Eczema
Insect stings and bites
Traditionally used for all cases of bronchitis, pleurisy,
coughs, colds, hoarseness, rheumatism, inflammation, weakness
of the bowels and stomach, lungs, bronchial tubes, and any
other forms of internal inflammation.
Chickweed may be used externally for inflamed surfaces, skin
diseases, boils, scalds, burns, inflamed or sore eyes, erysipelas,
tumors, piles, cancer, swollen testes, ulcerated throat and
mouth, and all kinds of wounds.
|
| Description |
|
Chickweed is an annual or biennial weed found in abundance
all over the world in gardens, fields, lawns, waste places,
and along roadsides. The usually creeping, brittle stems grow
from 4 to 12 inches long and bear opposite, entire, ovate
leaves. The small white flowers can be found blooming all
year long in terminal, leafy cymes or solitary in the leaf
axils.
|
| Dosage |
|
Although formerly used as a tea, chickweed's main use today
is as a cream applied liberally several times each day to
rashes and inflammatory skin conditions (e.g., eczema) to
ease itching and inflammation. As a tincture, 1-5 ml per day
can be taken.
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| Safety |
|
No side effects with chickweed have been reported.
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