Date: Fri, 31 Jan 1997 17:02:55 From: SCHLAUER@chemie.uni-wuerzburg.de To: cp@opus.hpl.hp.com Message-Id: <aabcdefg452$foo@default> Subject: Re: 1) Drosera X Dionaea 2) UK CPS AGM 3) Drosera Homeopath
Dear Nigel,
> 1) I have heard an unsubstantiated rumour that Adrian Slack had a Dionaea X
> Drosera hybrid. Can anyone confirm this? Does anyone know what the Drosera
> parent was? Has anyone recreated it since?
Funny idea but I suppose this is based on a rather speculative
article on Droseraceae evolution published a while ago in CPN. The
"intermediate" between the genera mentioned there was _D. falconeri_.
This is a straightforward _Drosera_, however. It has only very
limited similarity to a _Dionaea_ because of its rather large,
orbicular laminae.
> 3) A local pharmacist currently has a homeopathy display. One of the plastic
> containers is labelled Drosera - does anyone know what Drosera is supposed
> to cure, and what part of the plant is used?
All parts of the plant (except the representants of subgen.
Bryastrum) contain naphthoquinones like plumbagin or 7-methyljuglone.
These were used to cure diseases of the respiratory tract like
whooping cough. However, (if I remember well) the drug was found to be
potentially sensitizing/allergenic. Therefore, "Herba Droserae" is no
longer officinal in Europe. It is still used in Homeopathy (q.v.),
and it has some fungicidal effects.
Kind regards
Jan
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