| Meadowsweet | |
|---|---|
 | |
Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Eudicots |
| Clade: | Rosids |
| Order: | Rosales |
| Family: | Rosaceae |
| Genus: | Filipendula |
| Species: | F. ulmaria |
| Binomial name | |
| Filipendula ulmaria | |
Filipendula ulmaria, commonly known asmeadowsweet[3] ormead wort,[4] is a perennialherbaceous plant in the familyRosaceae that grows in dampmeadows. It is native throughout most of Europe and Western Asia (Near East and Middle East). It has been introduced and naturalised in North America.
Meadowsweet has also been referred to asqueen of the meadow,[3]pride of the meadow,meadow-wort,meadow queen,lady of the meadow,dollof,meadsweet, andbridewort.
The stems, growing to 1–2 metres (3+1⁄2–6+1⁄2 ft) tall, erect and furrowed, reddish to sometimes purple. Theleaves are dark-green on the upper side and whitish and downy underneath, much divided, interruptedly pinnate, having a few large serrate leaflets and small intermediate ones. Terminal leaflets are large, 4–8 cm long, and three- to five-lobed.
Meadowsweet has delicate, graceful, creamy-whiteflowers clustered close together in irregularly-branchedcymes, having a very strong, sweet smell redolent of antiseptic.[5] They flower from early summer to early autumn and are visited by various types of insects, in particularMusca flies.[6]
The flowers are small and numerous, they show 5sepals and 5petals with 7 to 20 stamens.[7]
The English common name meadowsweet dates from the 16th century. It did not originally mean 'sweet plant of the meadow', but a plant used for sweetening or flavouring mead. An earlier common name dating from the 15th century was 'meadsweet'.[8]
Meadowsweet is known by many other names. InChaucer'sThe Knight's Tale it is known as meadwort and was one of the ingredients in a drink called "save".[9] It was also known as bridewort, because it was strewn in churches for festivals and weddings, and often made into bridal garlands. In Europe, it took its name "queen of the meadow" for the way it can dominate a low-lying, damp meadow.
Thespecific epithetulmaria means "elmlike", possibly in reference to its individual leaves which resemble those of theelm (Ulmus). The generic name,Filipendula, comes fromfilum, meaning "thread" andpendulus, meaning "hanging". This is said to describe the slender attachment of root tubers, which hang characteristically on the genus, on fibrous roots.[10]
Filipendula denudata(J.Presl & C.Presl) Fritsch[11]
Meadowsweet is common throughout theBritish Isles[7] in damp areas and is dominant in fens and wet woods.[12][13]
Juncus subnodulosus-Cirsium palustre fen-meadow andpurple moor grass and rush pasturesBAP habitatplant associations of Western Europe consistently include this plant.[14]
Many insects and fungi cause disease in meadowsweet.[15]
Meadowsweet leaves are commonly galled by the bright orange-rust fungusTriphragmium ulmariae, which creates swellings and distortions on the stalk and/or midrib.[16]
The fungusRamularia ulmariae causes purple blotches on the leaves.
The fungusPodosphaera filipendulae causes mildew on the leaves and flower heads, coating them with a white powder.[17]
The midgeDasineura ulmaria causes pinkish-white galls on the leaves that can distort the leaf surface.[18]
The whole herb possesses a pleasant taste and flavour, the green parts having a similar aromatic character to the flowers, hence the use of the plant as astrewing herb, strewn on floors to give the rooms a pleasant aroma, and its use to flavour vinegar,wine,[19] andbeer. The flowers can be added to stewed fruit and jams, giving them a subtle almond flavour. Some foragers also use the flowers to flavour desserts such aspanna cotta. It has many medicinal properties. The whole plant is a traditional remedy for an acidic stomach. The dried flowers are used inpotpourri. It is also a frequently used spice in Scandinavian varieties ofmead.
Chemical constituents includesalicin,flavoneglycosides,essential oils, andtannins. In 1838,Raffaele Piria obtainedsalicylic acid from the buds of meadowsweet.[20] Thereafter in 1899, scientists at the firmBayer usedsalicylic acid derived from meadowsweet to synthesiseacetylsalicylic acid (aspirin), which was named after the oldbotanical name for meadowsweet,Spiraea ulmaria. The name then became aspirin.[21]
Anatural black dye can be obtained from the roots by using a coppermordant.
A tea made fromFilipendula ulmaria flowers or leaves has been used in traditional Austrianherbal medicine for the treatment of rheumatism, gout, infections, and fever.[22]
White-flowered meadowsweet has been found with the cremated remains of three people and at least one animal in aBronze Agecairn atFan Foel,Carmarthenshire. Similar finds have also been found inside abeaker fromAshgrove, Fife,[23] and a vessel fromNorth Mains,Strathallan. These could indicatemead or flavoured ale, or might suggest that the plant was placed on the grave as a scented flower.[24]
In Welsh mythology,Gwydion andMath created a woman out ofoak blossom,broom, and meadowsweet and named herBlodeuwedd ("flower face").
In the 16th century, when it was customary to strew floors with rushes and herbs (both to give warmth underfoot and to overcome smells and infections), it was a favorite ofElizabeth I of England. She desired it above all other herbs in her chambers.[9]
Media related toFilipendula ulmaria at Wikimedia Commons
