Parsley

Botanical Name: Petroselinum crispum

Family: Apiaceae (Umbelliferae)

Other Names: Apium petroselinum, Carum petroselinum, common parsley, devil's oatmeal, garden parsley, percelle, percil, perseli, persee, P. hortense, P.Satirum 

Habitat: Dry places

Description:  Biennial, hairless biennial. Maximum 38cm-60cm/15in. Stems: erect, often hollow, yellowish when mature Bright green foliage. Leaves: three- lobed Green/yellow umbels flowers July - September, small brown seeds

Native to: Sardinia, eastern Mediterranean

Introduced to: England 16^{th century}

Cultivated in: USA, France, Belgium, and Hungary

Part used: Seeds, leaves, roots

Cultivation: Full sun or light shade. Seeds sown into ground in April Moist well-drained soil Re-sow every 2 years

Preserving: Dry, freeze

Classification: Aromatic, bitter

Actions: Antimicrobial, antirheumatic, antiseptic, aperient, astringent, carminative, diuretic, depurative, emmenagogue, expectorant, febrifuge, hypotensive, laxative, sedative, spasmolytic, stimulant, stomachic, tonic

Extraction: Steam distillation

Constituents: Volatile oil: Terpenes -apiole, myristicin, beta phellandrene. Myrcene. p-mentha-1, 3, 8 triene, 4 isopropenyl-1-methylbenzene, 2 propane 2 ol, limonene, eugenol, alpha thujene, alpha pinene, beta pinene, camphene, alpha terpinene, osthole, carotol, pyrazines, hex-3-enal.

  Coumarins: oxypeucedatin, bergapten, xanthotoxin, isopimpinellin, psoralen, 8 and 5 methoxypsoralen, imperatorin, isoimperatorin

 Phenols and phenolic glycosides: Flavonoids: apiin, 6’ acetylapiin, luteolin, apigenin-7-glucosides, luteolin-7-glucoside. Furocoumarins –bergapten, xanthotoxin, isopimpinellin

 Phthalides: Z-ligustilide, cnidilide, neocnidilide, senkyunolide

 Petroside, a monoterpene glucoside, polyacetylenes, proteins, fats, vitamins

Carbohydrates: sugars, starch

Nutritional: Vitamins A, B, C

Dosage: 2-4g dried powder 3xs a day

Culinary Uses: Soups, sauces, eggs, salads, vegetables

Circulatory, muscle joint: Arthritis, cellulites, rheumatism, sciatica, ear ache, high blood pressure

Respiratory: Asthma, bronchitis

Digestive: Colic, flatulence, indigestion, haemorrhoids, toothache, jaundice

Genito-urinary: Amenorrhoea, dysmenorrhoea, labour, cystitis, menstruation, and kidney

Other Uses: Green dye

Other Notes: Associated with death and funerals

 Said to weaken glass

As it is slow to germinate there is a belief that the seeds go to the devil nine times before they germinate although at one time this number was only seven

Caution: Do not take if pregnant