Wallflower

Medicinal Parts: the dried flowers, the dried ripe seeds, the fresh aerial parts of the erect plant before flowering.

Constituents,

Cardioactive steroid glycosides (cardenolids); in particularly high concentrations in the seeds (0.5%) including cheirotoxin, erysimoside, glucoerysimoside, and cheiroside A

Glucosinolates; glucocheiroline, glucoiberin, which yield the isothiocyanates cheroline and iberin

Fatty oil (in the seeds)

Effects

It has cardiac effects similar to digitaloid drugs, due to the cardenolide glycosides. Its application for constipation is plausible because of the inhibition of Na+ and water absorption and the stimulating effect on the smooth muscles of the gastrointestinal tract.

Uses

Used for cardiac insufficiency, as a laxative and to encourage menstruation.

Homeopathic: used for wisdom tooth pain

Prep & Dose

Used internally as drops and an infusion as well as in some combination preparations.

Flower Infusion: mix 2 to 3 g per 100 mL of water

Daily dose: drink 3 to 4 cups daily

Cautions

Overdose

For possible symptoms of overdose and treatment of poisonings see Purple Digitalis. Despite the strong efficacy of its cardioactive steroid glycosides in parenteral applications, serious poisoning is not expected due to the presumably low resorption rate following oral administration.