''Arnebia densiflora, ''(also called ''Macrotomia cephalotes'') is a plant species belonging to the family
Boraginaceae
Boraginaceae, the borage or forget-me-not family, includes about 2,000 species of shrubs, trees and herbs in 146, to 156 genera with a worldwide distribution.
The APG IV system from 2016 classifies the Boraginaceae as single family of the order ...
. It is native to Greece and Turkey. ''Arnebia densiflora'' has been investigated for its wound-healing abilities.
Description
Small clump-forming from a robust, somewhat woody rootstock with erect, hispid, unbranched stems 25-40cm high. Basal leaves linear elliptic to narrowly
lanceolate
The following is a list of terms which are used to describe leaf morphology in the description and taxonomy of plants. Leaves may be simple (a single leaf blade or lamina) or compound (with several leaflets). The edge of the leaf may be regular o ...
, 10-15cm long with stalks to 4cm; stem leaves smaller and
sessile
Sessility, or sessile, may refer to:
* Sessility (motility), organisms which are not able to move about
* Sessility (botany), flowers or leaves that grow directly from the stem or peduncle of a plant
* Sessility (medicine), tumors and polyps that ...
, velvety-hairy. Flowers are yellow, 3.5-4.5 cm long by 1.2-1.6 cm across densely planted on the ends of stems and branches. It flowers from early to late summer. All aerial parts are pubescent.
Habitat
''Arnebia densiflora'' prefers mountain areas and places with dry and sunny rocky soils. It is native to
Greece
Greece,, or , romanized: ', officially the Hellenic Republic, is a country in Southeast Europe. It is situated on the southern tip of the Balkans, and is located at the crossroads of Europe, Asia, and Africa. Greece shares land borders with ...
and
Turkey
Turkey ( tr, Türkiye ), officially the Republic of Türkiye ( tr, Türkiye Cumhuriyeti, links=no ), is a list of transcontinental countries, transcontinental country located mainly on the Anatolia, Anatolian Peninsula in Western Asia, with ...
on volcanic or limestone slopes and cliffs at 750-2600m.
Medicinal use
''Arnebia densiflora'' has been investigated for its wound healing abilities.
''Arnebia densiflora'' is one of the five species of Boraginaceae family grown in Turkey.
Several species of Boraginaceous plants are used as folk medicine in Turkey and eastern Mediterranean countries.
The pigmented root of ''Arnebia densiflora'', known locally as ‘Eyilik,’ is added to olive oil and applied on open wounds and cuts in
Anatolia
Anatolia, tr, Anadolu Yarımadası), and the Anatolian plateau, also known as Asia Minor, is a large peninsula in Western Asia and the westernmost protrusion of the Asian continent. It constitutes the major part of modern-day Turkey. The re ...
.
In
Malatya
Malatya ( hy, Մալաթիա, translit=Malat'ya; Syro-Aramaic ܡܠܝܛܝܢܐ Malīṭīná; ku, Meletî; Ancient Greek: Μελιτηνή) is a large city in the Eastern Anatolia region of Turkey and the capital of Malatya Province. The city ha ...
, roots of ''Arnebia densiflora'' are dipped in butter.
After removing the root pieces the butter is mixed with
beeswax
Beeswax (''cera alba'') is a natural wax produced by honey bees of the genus ''Apis''. The wax is formed into scales by eight wax-producing glands in the abdominal segments of worker bees, which discard it in or at the hive. The hive workers ...
to prepare an ointment for open wounds.
Roots of ''Arnebia densiflora'' are also used as a
natural-dye to color Anatolian carpets.
The medicinal effect might have to do with the high
naphthoquinone
Naphthoquinones constitute a class of organic compounds structurally related to naphthalene. Two isomers are common for the parent naphthoquinones:
* 1,2-Naphthoquinone
* 1,4-Naphthoquinone
Natural products
* Alkannin
* Hexahydroxy-1,4-napht ...
content in the roots barks.
Taxonomy
''Arnebia densiflora'' was first described by
.
It was first published in ''Flora Rossica Enumeratio sive Plantarum in Totivs Imperii Rossici Provinciis europaeis, Asiaticis, et americanis Hucusque Observatarum 3 (1.8): 140. 1847''
Etymology
''Arnebia'' : generic name derived from the Arabic name ''shajaret el arneb'' .
''densiflora'' : Latin epithet that means "dense of flowers".
Synonyms
* ''Lithospermum densiflorum'' Ledeb.
* ''Macrotomia cephalotes'' (A. DC.) Boiss.
* ''Macrotomia densiflora'' (Ledeb.) McBride
References
{{Authority control
Boraginoideae