Botanical Name: Hackelia uncinatum
Family: Boraginaceae
Order: Lamiales
Genus: Hackelia
Class: Magnoliopsida
Subclass: Magnoliids
Synonyms: Paracaryum glochidiatum (A. DC.) Benth.
Common names: Hooked Stickseed, Forget Me Not
Habitat: Hackelia uncinatum is native to E. Asia – Himalayas from Pakistan to China. It grows on wet slopes, forest understory, between grasslands at elevatins of 2700 – 4500 metres in the Himalayas.
Description:
Hooked Stickseed is a perennial herb which looks quite similar to Forget-Me-Not. Flowers are blue, up to 1.3 cm across, with rounded overlapping petals. The center of the flowers have a yellow ring of blunt scales. The flowers are borne in lax branched clusters. Leaves are broadly elliptic, narrow-pointed, with rounded or shallow heart-shaped base. Leaves are stalked. Forget-Me-Not has narrow lance-shaped leaves, and the flowers are smaller. Stems can grow 1-2 ft tall. Nutlets have long hooked bristles. Hooked Stickseed is found in the Himalayas, from Pakistan to SW China, at altitudes of 2700-4200 m. Flowering: June-August.
Cultivation: Suitable for: light (sandy), medium (loamy) and heavy (clay) soils. Suitable pH: mildly acid, neutral and basic (mildly alkaline) soils. It can grow in semi-shade (light woodland) or no shade. It prefers moist soil.
Propagation: Through seeds.
Medicinal Uses:
The flowers are used in Tibetan medicine, they are said to have a sweet and bitter taste with a neutral potency. Antitussive and expectorant, it heals wounds and destroys tumours]. It is used in the treatment of coughs, tumours in the womb, sores, wounds and swelling of the body.
Disclaimer : The information presented herein is intended for educational purposes only. Individual results may vary, and before using any supplement, it is always advisable to consult with your own health care provider.
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