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In Europe, apothecaries stocked herbal ingredients as traditional medicines. In the Latin names for plants created by Linnaeus , the word officinalis indicates that a plant was used in this way. For example, the marsh mallow has the classification Althaea officinalis , as it was traditionally used as an emollient to soothe ulcers . [ 2 ]
Medicinal plants, also called medicinal herbs, have been discovered and used in traditional medicine practices since prehistoric times. Plants synthesize hundreds of chemical compounds for various functions, including defense and protection against insects , fungi , diseases , and herbivorous mammals .
Shiso – shiso [17] is the now common name [18] for the Japanese culinary herb, seed, or entire annual plant of Perilla frutescens. Sorrel – or garden sorrel, often simply called sorrel, is a perennial herb that is cultivated as a garden herb or leaf vegetable. Tarragon – perennial herb in the family Asteraceae related to wormwood.
Peperomia pellucida (also known by common names pepper elder, shining bush plant, crab claw herb, and man to man) is an annual, shallow-rooted herb, usually growing to a height of about 15 to 45 cm (6 to 18 inches), it is characterized by succulent stems, shiny, heart-shaped, fleshy leaves and tiny, dot-like seeds attached to several fruiting spikes.
The use of plants for medicinal purposes, and their descriptions, dates back two to three thousand years. [10] [11] The word herbal is derived from the mediaeval Latin liber herbalis ("book of herbs"): [2] it is sometimes used in contrast to the word florilegium, which is a treatise on flowers [12] with emphasis on their beauty and enjoyment rather than the herbal emphasis on their utility. [13]
The fourth edition of the Shorter Oxford English Dictionary defines "herb" as: "A plant whose stem does not become woody and persistent (as in a tree or shrub) but remains soft and succulent, and dies (completely or down to the root) after flowering"; "A (freq. aromatic) plant used for flavouring or scent, in medicine, etc.". (See: Herb)
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It is a popular misconception that herbal medicines are safe and side-effect free. [34] Consumption of herbs may cause adverse effects . [ 35 ] Furthermore, "adulteration, inappropriate formulation, or lack of understanding of plant and drug interactions have led to adverse reactions that are sometimes life threatening or lethal."