Herb: Cina


Latin name: Artemisia cina


Synonyms: Seriphidium cinum


Family: Compositae



Medicinal use of Cina:

Cina is one of the safest and most reliable vermifuges, used especially on children. Because of its bitter flavour, it is usually mixed with liquorice or some other pleasantly flavoured herb. The unexpanded floral heads and the seed contain the vermicide "santonin". This is an effective and rapid treatment for round worms, it is also effective for thread worms, though it does not affect tapeworms. The plant is also used as a febrifuge and as an aid to the digestion. Caution is advised in the use of this plant since it is poisonous in large doses. This plant should not be used by pregnant women. The dried flowers are used to make a homeopathic remedy. This is particularly useful for complaints of the nervous system and the digestive tract. A homeopathic remedy made from the plant is used to rid children of worms.

Description of the plant:



Plant:
Deciduous
Shrub

Height:
100 cm
(3 1/4 foot)

Flowering:
August to
October

Habitat of the herb:

Deserts.

Propagation of Cina:

Seed - surface sow from late winter to early summer in a greenhouse. When large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots and plant them out in the summer. Cuttings of half-ripe wood, July/August in a frame. Division in spring or autumn.

Cultivation of the herb:

Deserts.

Known hazards of Artemisia cina:

Poisonous. Skin contact with some members of this genus can cause dermatitis or other allergic reactions in some people.

Plant information taken from the Plants For A Future.