Eryngium campestreL. var. virens (Link) Weins Field eryngo

Eryngium campestreL. var. virens (Link) Weins - Field eryngo

Scientific Description:

Rigid perennial (or monocarpic?), with a fibrous collar. Stem usually solitary, 30−60 cm, terete, widely branched from about the middle. Basal leaves persistent, triangular-ovate in outline, 10−25 × 10−18 cm, coriaceous, mostly ternate with spreading bipinnatifid primary segments, the lobes and winged rachis spiny dentate (juvenile leaves simple to trifoliolate). Cauline leaves smaller, the median and upper ones with a broad, subamplexicaul, spiny-margined base, those of the inflorescence mostly tripartite. Inflorescence yellowish-green or sometimes glaucous, forming a widely spreading, corymbose panicle; capitula numerous, ovoid-globose, 7−13 mm diam. Bracts 5−6, Iinear-lanceolate to -subulate, pungent,

straight, entire or with the margin remotely spinulose, 1.5−3 × capitulum. Bracteoles entire, longer than sepals. Mericarps covered with lanceolate, very acute scales.

Flowering time: July−September.

Habitat: Open woodland, stony hillsides, disturbed steppe, fallow fields, dunes, s.l.−1800 m.

Reference:
Davis PH (1972). Eryngium campestre L., In: Davis PH (ed.), Flora of Turkey and the East Aegean Islands, Edinburgh University Press, Edinurgh, 4: 303.

Public Description:

Eryngium campestre, commonly known as “field eryngo”, is native to central and southern Europe and Türkiye. It is a glabrous, rigid perennial plant with yellowish-green or sometimes glaucous flowers and grows up to 60 cm in length and has tough and stiff, whitish-green leaves. It blooms between June and September and is found in open woodland, stony hillsides, disturbed steppe, fallow fields and dunes. It has been used in European herbal medicine as an infusion to treat whooping cough, kidney and urinary tract  inflammations. There are some findings that field eryngo extract may be used as a potent candidate drug for the treatment of Alzheimer's disease or at least ameliorate or delay the bad effects of this disease.

References:

Anonymous 1 (2017). https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eryngium_campestre, Accessed date: 27.05.2017.

Anonymous 2 (2017). http://vanherbaryum.yyu.edu.tr/flora/azortandir/eryngiumca/index.htm,Accessed date: 27.05.2017.

Hawas UW, Abou El-Kassem LT, Awad HM, Taie HAA (2013). Anti-Alzheimer,  Antioxidant  Activities  and  Flavonol  Glycosides  of  Eryngium campestre L.. Current Chemical Biology, 7, 188-195.

Menemen Y (2012). Eryngium L., In: Güner, A., Aslan, S., Ekim, T., Vural, M. & Babaç, M.T. (eds.), Türkiye Bitkileri Listesi (Damarlı Bitkiler). Nezahat Gökyiğit Botanik Bahçesi ve Flora Araştırmaları Derneği Yayını. İstanbul, pp. 59–60.