Strength, Protection, Peace
Habitat: Not common as a wild plant, except on damp heaths and commons. Frequently seen in cottage gardens. Indigenous to Britain and Europe.
Features ? This member of the mint family grows up to twelve inches high, the stembeing bluntly quadrangular. The one to one and a half inch long, egg-shaped leaves are opposite, on short stalks ; they are slightly serrate and nearly smooth. Purple flowers appear in August. The odour is rather pungent, mint-like but characteristic.Part used ? The whole herb.Action: Carminative, emmenagogue, diaphoretic and stimulant.
An infusion of 1 ounce to 1 pint of boiling water, taken warm in teacupful doses frequently repeated, is helpful in hysteria, flatulence and sickness. For children's ailments such as feverish colds, disordered stomach and measles, Pennyroyal infusion may be given in appropriate doses with confidence. Its diaphoretic and stimulant action recommends it for chills and incipient fevers, and the infusion works as an emmenagogue when such ailments retard and obstruct menstruation. The oil of Pennyroyal is a first-rate protection against the bites of mosquitoes, gnats, and similar winged pests. The herb is used to some extent as a flavouring. Although not so popular as other herbs for this purpose, the mint-like flavour and carminative virtues of Pennyroyal should recommend it to cooks as adding to both palatability and digestibility of various dishes.American or Mock Pennyroyal are the names given to the dried leaves and flowering tops of Hedeoma pulegioides. This plant, although quite different in appearance from the European Pennyroyal, has similar medicinal values.FAMILY: Lamiaceae (Labiatae)
SYNONYMS: Pulegium, European pennyroyal, pudding grass.
GENERAL DESCRIPTION: A perennial herb up to 50 cms tall with smooth roundish stalks, small, pale purple flowers and very aromatic, grey-green, oval leaves. Like other members of the mint family, it has a fibrous creeping root.
DISTRIBUTION: Native to Europe and parts of Asia; it is cultivated mainly in southern Spain, Morocco, Tunisia, Portugal, Italy, Yugoslavia and Turkey.
OTHER SPECIES: There are several different varieties of pennyroyal according to location: in Britain the ‘erecta’ and ‘decumbens’ types are most common. The North American pennyroyal (Hedeoma pulegoides), which is also used to produce an essential oil, belongs to a slightly different species, though it shares similar properties with the European variety.
HERBAL/FOLK TRADITION: A herbal remedy of ancient repute, used for a wide variety of ailments. It was believed to purify the blood and also be able to communicate its purifying qualities to water. ‘Pennyroyal water was distilled from the leaves and given as an antidote to spasmodic, nervous and hysterical affections. It was also used against cold and “affections of the joints”.’.
It is still current in the British Herbal Pharmacopoeia, indicated for flatulent dyspepsia, intestinal colic, the common cold, delayed menstruation, cutaneous eruptions and gout.
ACTIONS: Antiseptic, antispasmodic, diaphoretic, carminative, digestive, emmenagogue, insect repellent, refrigerant, stimulant.
EXTRACTION: Essential oil by steam distillation from the fresh or slightly dried herb.
CHARACTERISTICS: A colourless or pale yellow liquid with a very fresh, minty herbaceous odour. It blends well with geranium, rosemary, lavandin, sage and citronella.
PRINCIPAL CONSTITUENTS: Mainly pulegone, with menthone, iso-menthone, octanol, piperitenone and trans-iso-pulegone. Constituents vary according to source – the Moroccan oil contains up to 96 per cent pulegone.
SAFETY DATA: Oral toxin. Abortifacient (due to pulegone content). Ingestion of large doses has resulted in death.
AROMATHERAPY/HOME: USE None. ‘Should not be used in aromatherapy whether internally or externally.’.
OTHER USES: Used as a fragrance material mainly in detergents or low-cost industrial perfumes. Mainly employed as a source of natural pulegone.
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