Solomon's Seal

Polygonatum multiflorum

COMMON NAMES

• Solomon's Seal

So strongly did medieval herbalists trust in the power of Solomon's seal to heal wounds that they fancied that the deep scars along its rhizome, or rootstock, had been set there by that wise king and legendary magician Solomon as a testimony to its medicinal virtues.

Each year the rhizome produces a new stem that withers in the summer, leaving a scar resembling the wax seals once used to close letters. The plant's age is estimated by counting the scars. These seal like knobs also inspired its botanical name, Polygonatum, meaning "many-jointed," and gave rise to the belief that it was effective in curing water on the knee. A European species, P. officinale, unmistakably resembles the American species; they and other Polygonatum species not only look alike but have had similar medicinal uses.

The 16th-century herbalist John Gerard claimed Solomon's seal rhizome was a panacea for cuts, wounds, and bruises of all kinds, including those "gotten by falls or women's willfulness in stumbling on their hasty husbands' fists." Solomon's seal roots contain a substance called allantoin, which when derived from other plant sources is used in modern medications for the external treatment of wounds and skin ulcers.

PARTS USED

Rhizome.

USES

Like arnica, Solomon's seal is believed to prevent excessive bruising and to stimulate tissue repair. Used mainly in the form of a poultice, the rhizome has astringent and demulcent actions that undoubtedly contribute to its ability to accelerate healing. Solomon's seal has also been recommended as a treatment for tuberculosis, as a remedy for menstrual problems, and as a tonic. In Chinese herbal medicine, it is considered a yin tonic, and is thought to be particularly applicable to problems affecting the respiratory system sore throats, dry and irritable coughs, bronchial congestion, and chest pain.
Other medical uses - Dry Mouth.

HABITAT AND CULTIVATION

Native to Europe and to temperate regions of Asia and North America, Solomon's seal is quite rare in the wild. However, it is a common ornamental garden plant. The rhizome is unearthed in autumn.

CONSTITUENTS

Solomon's seal contains saponins (similar to diosgenin), flavonoids, and vitamin A.

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