ΤΗΛΕΦΙΟΝ
Cerinthe retorta
(Honeywort)
Botanical info:
Honeywort is an annual herb from 30 up to 60 cm tall, with waxy blue green leaves and mid-summer flowering. Its natural habitat includes wet places, disturbed grounds, and roadsides. It is native in Greece and Turkey and was just recently discovered also in Italy.
Hippocratic legacy:
a. In Nature of Women:
a. Honeywort fruit grinded and mixed with honey and wine are used for the treatment of hysteric respiratory problems
b. In Diseases of Women 2:
a. Honeywort leaves minced and mixed with honey and wine are used for the treatment of hysteric respiratory problems and melancholy.
Other uses:
Honeywort is grown as an ornamental plant for its handsome foliage and colorful bracts that long outlast the small flowers. The rounded, partially perfoliate leaves are somewhat fleshy, glaucous, and pale green-gray to blue in color. It is also a very good pollinator host.