Łódź, Botanical Garden

Native to Europe, western Asia, and north-west Africa, but cultivated worldwide. Important bees feeding plant. Foraging plant. Edible plant - leaves and young flowering heads raw or cooked; seeds can be sprouted and used in salads; roots cooked. Herbal plant - flowering heads are alterative, antiscrofulous, antispasmodic, aperient, detergent, diuretic, expectorant, sedative and tonic; internally is used in the treatment of skin complaints (especially eczema and psoriasis), cancers of the breast, ovaries and lymphatic system, chronic degenerative diseases, gout, whooping cough and dry coughs. Useful plant - nitrogen fixing; yellow dye is obtained from the flowers.