Greater Burnet

Sanguisorba officinalis

COMMON NAMES

• Common Burnet
• Greater Burnet
• Italian Burnet
• Italian Pimpernel

Burnet - a perennial herb 1 - 3 feet tall, forming a basal rosette, about 1 foot across, of pinnately compound leaves. They are 10 - 15 inches long with 7 - 15 oval, toothed leaflets, each 1 - 2 inches long and whitish below. From the middle of the rosette several stems grow upright and bear dense, long-stalked, round to club-shaped clusters of tiny dark red flowers (June-October).

Greater burnet's common name originally meant "brunette," referring to the dark color of its flowers. It is the tannin content that gives greater burnet its astringent and coagulant properties. Herbalists have also used a tea brewed from the leaves and stems to treat diarrhea and dysentery. The fresh peeled root of greater burnet is also said to make a soothing application for mild burns.

Greater burnet leaves have a cucumber like taste and are a popular ingredient in salads. This culinary use overlaps with that of greater burnet's close relative garden burnet (S. minor), which has a long history of use as a seasoning for salads and beverages. Garden burnet is distinguished from greater burnet by its smaller size and its flower heads, which are light to yellowish green with projecting red stigmas on the upper flowers that give the herb a red glimmer when seen at a distance. Both herbs are also known as salad burnet.

PARTS USED

Aerial parts, root.

USES

Greater burnet is still used to slow or arrest blood flow. In both the Chinese and European traditions, greater burnet is taken internally to treat heavy periods and uterine hemorrhage. Externally, a lotion or ointment may be used for hemorrhoids, burns, wounds, and eczema. Greater burnet is also a valuable astringent and is employed for a variety of gastrointestinal problems, including diarrhea, dysentery, and ulcerative colitis, particularly if accompanied by bleeding,

HABITAT AND CULTIVATION

Native to Europe, North Africa, and temperate regions of Asia, greater burnet flourishes in damp pastures, especially in mountainous regions. Greater burnet is cultivated as a fodder crop and as a salad vegetable, and is gathered in summer.

CONSTITUENTS

Greater burnet contains tannins, including sanguisorbic acid, dilactone (a phenolic acid), and gum.

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