Description
Roots can be cooked and are sweet and succulent. Young shoots can be eaten raw or cooked. The flowers are sweet and used in salads or as a garnish. Seed pods are also eaten and rich in gamma-linolenic acid.
Bark and the leaves are astringent and sedative, flower syrup has been used for whooping cough. The oil extracted from the seeds are a well-known food supplement taken for the treatment of a variety of ailments including multiple sclerosis, pre-menstrual tension, hyperactivity, eczema, acne, brittle nails, rheumatoid arthritis and alcohol-related liver damage.
Root is used as a poultice for bruises and for a tea to treat bowel pains.
It is also used as a cosmetic herb, a dye herb, and for the production of oil.
