The plant around us. Volume 1 The plant around us. Volume I | Page 17

Arundo donax
Edible parts : Rhizome - raw or cooked. The rhizome Medicinal use: The root is diaphoretic, diuretic,
can be dried and ground into a powder to make bread,
usually in conjunction with cereal flours. It can also be
roasted or boiled. Leaves - cooked as a potherb. They are
very bitter. The young shoots are used. emollient and galactofuge. An infusion is said to
stimulate menstrual discharge and diminish milk flow. A
paste of the root is applied to the forehead to treat
headaches. Isolated alkaloids have been experimentally
shown to raise the blood pressure and contract the
intestine and uterus. The rhizome or rootstock is used in
the treatment of dropsy. Boiled in wine with honey, the
root or rhizome has been used for treating cancer. The
plant contains the alkaloid gramine. This is said to be a
vasopressor, raising the blood pressure in dogs after
small doses, causing a fall in larger doses. The stems
have been used as splints for broken limbs.
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