WHAT IS FUMITORY?

COMMON NAME: Fumitory

LATIN NAME: Fumaria officinalis

ORIGIN: Europe, Iran, North Africa

HABITAT: The greatest diversity of species of the genus Fumaria officinalis can be found in the Mediterranean, in northern Africa. Three species grow in North America. Fumitory is a weed plant that loves wasteland and littered places, gardens and orchards, fields and fallow meadows.

BOTANICAL INFORMATION: Fumitory (lat. Fumaria officinalis) is a type species, representative of dicotyledonous plants of the genus Fumaria, of Fumarioideae family. Often this family is considered as a subfamily of the Papaveraceae family.

Fumaria officinalis is an annual herb up to 30-40 cm tall. The stems are upright or ascending, angular, thin and well-branched. The leaves are pinnate-dissected into narrow lobes, with a bluish wax bloom. The flowers are irregular, small, collected in simple, loose brush-inflorescences. The corollas of white, lilac or pink color. Two stamens are attached to the base of the petals. The fruit of Fumaria officinalis is a brown nut with small seeds. The period of flowering plants is June-July. The fruits ripen until mid-fall.

CHEMICAL COMPOSITION: Fumaria officinalis contains alkaloids, organic acids (fumarinic, glycolic, malic, citric, succinic, caffeic, chlorogenic), tannins, vitamin K and vitamin C. In the group of alkaloids there are sanguinarine, protopin, cryptocavin, 1-tetrahydrokoptizin, auretensin, cryptocarpine.

CONTRAINDICATIONS:

Fumaria officinalis is a poisonous plant, therefore preparations based on this herb should be taken according to the prescribed doses.

It is not recommended to use Fumitory during pregnancy and breast-feeding period.

Individual intolerance to the components of Fumitory is possible.

To protect yourself from potential risk do not use it in case of hypertensive crises and gastritis with hypersensitivity.

HISTORY:

Joseph Pitton de Tournefort first used the scientific name of the genus Fumaria in 1700. Some time later, in 1753, Karl Linney took over the name of this plant in Species plantarum. Latin word “fumus” means “smoke”. According to one theory, the etymology of the name fumus or “smoke” is from the formation of the actual smoke during the process of burning the roots of the plant. Another version of the origin of the name of the plant “Fumitory " is because of the appearance of the representative of the flora. From a distance, the plant looks like in a haze. There is a legend that Fumitory grew not from seeds, but from evaporation that came from the soil.

*Be sure to follow relevant directions on product labels and consult your pharmacist or physician or other healthcare professional before using.