Herb: Darnel


Latin name: Lolium temulentum


Family: Gramineae (Grass Family)



Medicinal use of Darnel:

The seed is anodyne and sedative. It is not actually the seed, but a fungus that is often found on the seed that has the medicinal properties.

Description of the plant:



Plant:
Annual


Height:
100 cm
(3 1/4 foot)

Flowering:
June to
August

Habitat of the herb:

Cultivated fields and waste ground in Britain.

Edible parts of Darnel:

Seed - cooked. Used as a piäole or ground into a flour and used to make bread etc. It is very nutritious, like oats, but it is not advisable to eat the seed due to the risk of fungal infection. This fungal infection, called ergot, causes hallucinations in small doses but can cause severe damage to the nervous system in larger quantities.

Propagation of the herb:

Seed - sow spring in situ.

Cultivation of Darnel:

Cultivated fields and waste ground in Britain.

Known hazards of Lolium temulentum:

The seed is not poisonous but it is often infected by a fungus which is very toxic. It is probably safer not to eat the seed because of the risk involved.

Plant information taken from the Plants For A Future.