Magpie’s foot – Delphinium Consolida

Description of magpie’s foot:

Delphinium consolida. L. (Old or other familiar names: King’s-wort, Spurge, Wolfsbane, Field-wort) Buttercups – Ranunculaceae 15-40 cm tall annual plant. Stems are broadly branched. Leaves 2-3 lobed, narrow fronds. Flowers dark blue, rarely pink or white. Stems long. Flowers dark blue, spur-shaped; the spur of the pistil is hidden in the spur of the cup, which is also coloured.

Occurrence:

Commonly found in fields and paddocks. In our country, between crops, on stubble and in the fallow fields.

Part to be collected:

Flower, which is traded as flores calcatrippae.

Active ingredient:

Coloured dye, a little tannic acid and traces of essential oil.

Harvesting and drying:

During the months of June-August, the flowers of the flowering plant should preferably be collected with a short stem (peduncle). It is best to dry the collected flowers in an oven under mild heat, as it is very important that the drying is carried out in a short time and out of the sun’s heat.

Processing and sale:

Its use in medicine has been completely eclipsed in recent years. It is a constituent of some tea blends and incense. Source: Dr. Ferenc Darvas and Dr Gyula Magyary-Kossa,Domestic herbs, their production, marketing, effects and medicinal uses