Naming
The name Hartwort, meaning ‘Deer plant’ is a scholarly coinage from the belief, first recorded by Aristotle that female deer sought out the leaves of the plant to eat, after giving birth. If true, this observation might indicate medicinal or nutritive properties in the plant preventative of post-partum haemorrhage.
Habitat
Mediterranean hartwort is found as a weed of cultivation, on waste land, and by waysides. The plant is equally at home in sandy, loamy and clay soils. Hartworts may be found growing on acid, neutral and basic soils, but will not thrive in shade.
Reproduction
The flowers are hermaphrodite and are pollinated by Insects. The plant is self-fertile.Uses
The leaves of the plant are edible and are used as a potherb and salad vegetable in Greece. In Italy it is used as a condiment. The essential oil composition of aerial parts of "Tordylium apulum" L. from Italy was analyzed. Sixty-seven compounds were identified representing 96.5% of the oil. The most abundant compounds were -β-ocimene, α-humulene and octyl octanoate. Essential oil from aerial parts of "T. apulum" from Greece was reported to have α-humulene and octyl hexanoate as the main constituents. There are no known medicinal uses for this plant.References:
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