Jean M. Roberts : The Book's Delight

    Eryngo: The Sea Holly of the Medieval Herbalist "Some herbs hide among the hedgerows. Others cling to the edge of the sea, shaped by wind, salt, and stone. Eryngo was one of those plants." With its silvery-green leaves, prickly appearance, and strange blue-green flowers, eryngo looks almost otherworldly. Also known as sea holly , Eryngium maritimum grows along sandy European coasts, where few plants can survive. Its roots were valued in traditional herbal medicine, while its unusual appearance helped give it a reputation as a plant of strength and protection. Medieval herbalists knew eryngo as a useful medicinal plant, particularly the root. It was considered a diuretic , meaning it was used to encourage urination, and was traditionally employed for complaints involving the urinary system. Preparations of the root were also used for digestive and respiratory complaints. But eryngo had another reputation that seems almost tailor-made for a hedgewitch's...