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Plants & Fungi
Circaea lutetiana
EOL Text
Canada
Origin: Unknown/Undetermined
Regularity: Regularly occurring
Currently: Unknown/Undetermined
Confidence: Confident
United States
Origin: Native
Regularity: Regularly occurring
Currently: Present
Confidence: Confident
License | http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/3.0/ |
Rights holder/Author | NatureServe |
Source | http://explorer.natureserve.org/servlet/NatureServe?searchName=Circaea+lutetiana |
20-60 cm
License | http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/3.0/ |
Rights holder/Author | Nenya, Nenya |
Source | No source database. |
Wet habitats in shay forests
License | http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/3.0/ |
Rights holder/Author | Nenya, Nenya |
Source | No source database. |
Circaea lutetiana (Enchanter's Nightshade)
(Bees suck nectar or collect pollen; wasps and most flies suck nectar; some flies feed on pollen & are non-pollinating; observations are from Robertson)
Bees (long-tongued)
Apidae (Bombini): Bombus pensylvanica sn; Anthophoridae (Ceratinini): Ceratina dupla dupla sn cp
Bees (short-tongued)
Halictidae (Halictinae): Augochlorella striata sn cp fq, Augochloropsis metallica metallica sn cp, Lasioglossum fuscipennis sn cp fq, Lasioglossum imitatus sn, Lasioglossum macoupinensis sn cp fq, Lasioglossum obscurus sn cp, Lasioglossum pectinatus sn cp, Lasioglossum pectoralis sn, Lasioglossum versatus sn cp fq
Wasps
Chalcididae: Conura debilis
Flies
Syrphidae: Allograpta obliqua sn, Ocyptamus fuscipennis sn, Toxomerus geminatus sn, Toxomerus marginatus sn; Bombyliidae: Anthrax oedipus fp np, Hemipenthes sinuosa fp np
License | http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/3.0/ |
Rights holder/Author | Copyright © 2002-2015 by Dr. John Hilty |
Source | http://www.illinoiswildflowers.info/flower_insects//plants/enchanter_ns.htm |
In Great Britain and/or Ireland:
Foodplant / parasite
cleistothecium of Erysiphe circaeae parasitises live leaf of Circaea lutetiana
Remarks: season: 9-10
Foodplant / sap sucker
adult of Metatropis rufescens ssp. rufescens sucks sap of Circaea lutetiana
Foodplant / spot causer
scattered pycnidium of Phyllosticta coelomycetous anamorph of Phyllosticta lutetiana causes spots on leaf of Circaea lutetiana
Remarks: season: 8
Foodplant / parasite
telium of Puccinia circaeae parasitises live stem of Circaea lutetiana
Other: major host/prey
Foodplant / parasite
hypophyllous telium of Pucciniastrum circaeae parasitises live leaf of Circaea lutetiana
Other: minor host/prey
Foodplant / spot causer
hypophyllous colony of Ramularia anamorph of Ramularia caduca causes spots on live leaf of Circaea lutetiana
Foodplant / open feeder
nocturnal larva of Tenthredo colon grazes on live leaf of Circaea lutetiana
Barcode of Life Data Systems (BOLDS) Stats
Public Records: 7
Specimens with Barcodes: 9
Species With Barcodes: 1
Canada
Rounded National Status Rank: NNR - Unranked
United States
Rounded National Status Rank: N5 - Secure
License | http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/3.0/ |
Rights holder/Author | NatureServe |
Source | http://explorer.natureserve.org/servlet/NatureServe?searchName=Circaea+lutetiana |
Rounded Global Status Rank: G5 - Secure
License | http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/3.0/ |
Rights holder/Author | NatureServe |
Source | http://explorer.natureserve.org/servlet/NatureServe?searchName=Circaea+lutetiana |
Circaea lutetiana, known as enchanter's-nightshade,[1] is a plant in the evening primrose family, Onagraceae.
The genus name comes from the enchantress Circe of Greek mythology and the generic designation is derived from Lutetia, the Latin name for Paris. Paris at one time was known as the "Witch City". Despite its name it is not especially toxic, but contains a lot of the astringent tannin.[2]
Description[edit]
Circaea lutetiana is a perennial herbaceous plant with opposite, simple leaves, on slender, green stems. The flowers are white, borne in summer. It grows 20 cm to 60 cm, rarely up to 75 centimeters high.[3]
The leaves are rounded or slightly notched at the base, they narrow gradually to the pointed tip and are not strongly toothed, but have sinuate edges. The leaf stalks are equally hairy all round.[4]
The flower has 2 notched petals, 2 stamens and a 2-lobed stigma. The open flowers are well spaced along the stalk and there are no bracts at base of individual flower stalks. The fruit consists of 2 equal cells, and usually sets seed. The flower stalks become angled downwards before fruiting.[5]
In winter the aerial parts die off leaving an underground rhizome.
Distribution[edit]
The plant is native to Europe, Middle Asia and Siberia. They grow in woods in deep shade and moist environments on nitrogen-containing clay.
Gardening[edit]
It is only rarely used as a garden plant, one variety is known as 'Caveat Emptor', has leaves that are heavily mottled pink.
Uses[edit]
Circaea lutetiana herb has been used in the traditional Austrian medicine internally as tea, or externally as cold maceration in ethanol, for treatment of rheumatism, gout, infections, and fever.[6]
References[edit]
- ^ "BSBI List 2007" (xls). Botanical Society of Britain and Ireland. Retrieved 2014-10-17.
- ^ Alchemy Works Accessed April 2014
- ^ Natural England. Accessed July 2011
- ^ English Country Garden Accessed July 2011
- ^ Plant Identification UK Accessed July 2011
- ^ Vogl, S; Picker, P; Mihaly-Bison, J; Fakhrudin, N; Atanasov, A. G.; Heiss, E. H.; Wawrosch, C; Reznicek, G; Dirsch, V. M.; Saukel, J; Kopp, B (2013). "Ethnopharmacological in vitro studies on Austria's folk medicine--an unexplored lore in vitro anti-inflammatory activities of 71 Austrian traditional herbal drugs". Journal of Ethnopharmacology 149 (3): 750–71. doi:10.1016/j.jep.2013.06.007. PMC 3791396. PMID 23770053. edit
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License | http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/ |
Rights holder/Author | Wikipedia |
Source | http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Circaea_lutetiana&oldid=636043182 |