EVENING PRIMROSE
Latin Name: Oenothera biennis
Alternate Names: Evening Star, Night Willow Herb, German Rampion
Family: ONAGRACEAE
Parts Used: Seeds, leaves, oil of seeds, root.
Properties: Astringent, Diuretic, Laxative, Mucilaginous, Sedative, Yin Tonic.
Internal Uses: Alcoholism, Arteriosclerosis, Asthma, Breast Cysts, Colitis, Cough, Eczema, Hangovers, High Cholesterol, Hyperactivity, Hypertension, Migraine, Multiple Sclerosis, Premenstrual Syndrome, Rheumatoid Arthritis, Schizophrenia, Ulcers
Internal Applications: Capsules containing oil from the seeds are most common and most effective.
The gamma linolenic acid is a polyunsaturated fatty acid that helps the body produce energy and forms part of the structural fats that comprise the brain, muscle, bone marrow and cell membranes. Prostaglandins are hormone-like substances produced in most of the body's tissues. A deficiency in them can result in increased blood clotting time, weakened immune response, inflammation and disruption of nerve impulse transmission. The oil from the seeds is helpful for ailments related to essential fatty acid deficiency or the inability to metabolize essential fatty acids.
Topical Uses: Wounds
Topical Applications: Roots have been rubbed on muscles by Native American people to give them strength. The entire plant has been used as a poultice for wounds.
Culinary uses: Young leaves, flowers, ripe seeds and roots are edible. Roots are sometimes pickled.
Energetics: Sweet, Cool.
Chemical Constituents: Seeds contain gamma linolenic acid, essential fatty acids (oleic, palmitic, stearic), calcium, B vitamins.
Contraindications: May be contraindicated for people with epilepsy.
Comments: The plant is called Evening Primrose because its flowers open at night so they can be pollinated by night-time insects such as the nocturnal sphinx moth. The genus name Oenothera is derived from oines, meaning 'wine' and thera, meaning 'hunt', as Evening Primrose has long been used as a relish for wine and to dispel the ill effects from drinking too much. Evening Primrose was known as 'King's Cure-All' for at least 500 years.
The common name Evening Primrose also includes the species Oenothera hookeri, which is used interchangeably with Oenothera biennis.