Herb: Lesser Dodder


Latin name: Cuscuta epythymum


Family: Convolvulaceae (Morning-glory Family)



Medicinal use of Lesser Dodder:

Lesser dodder is considered to be a valuable though little used herbal remedy that supports the liver, being used for problems affecting the liver and gallbladder. The whole plant is antibilious, appetizer, carminative, cholagogue, mildly diuretic, hepatic, laxative and antiscorbutic. A decoction of the stems is used in the treatment of urinary complaints, kidney, spleen and liver disorders, jaundice, sciatica and scorbutic complaints. It also has a reputation as an anticancer agent and as a specific for gout. The plant should not be used by anyone suffering from haemorrhoids. A homeopathic remedy is made from the plant.

Description of the plant:



Plant:
Annual


Height:
100 cm
(3 1/4 foot)

Flowering:
June to
October


Scent:
Scented
Annual

Habitat of the herb:

Parasitic on heather and gorse.

Propagation of Lesser Dodder:

Seed - best sown as soon as it is ripe in the autumn, by lodging it among the stems of a host plant.

Cultivation of the herb:

Parasitic on heather and gorse.

Known hazards of Cuscuta epythymum:

None known

Plant information taken from the Plants For A Future.