Capsella bursa-pastoris (L.) Medik.Family: Brassicaceae
English: Shepherd's Purse
- Arabic: كيس الراعى، مخلة الراعى (مِخْلة الراعى)
- Chinese: 荠
- Dutch: Gewoon herderstasje
- Finnish: Lutukka
- French: Capselle bourse à pasteur
- German: Gemeines Hirtentäschchen
- Icelandic: hjartarfi
- Italian: Borsapastore comune
- Polish: Tasnik
- Swedish: lomme
- Russian: Пастушья сумка обыкновенная
- Japanese: ナズナ
- Korean: 냉이
This plant is usually a winter annual, although sometimes it is a summer annual. It consists of a rosette of basal leaves up to 9" across, from which one or more flowering stalks develop that are little branched and up to 2½' tall (although individual plants can be much smaller than this). The basal leaves are up to 4½" long and ¾" across; they are elliptic, lanceolate, or oblanceolate, and pinnately lobed. The alternate leaves on the flowering stalks are much smaller in size and widely spaced; they are lanceolate, elliptic or linear in shape, and either smooth or slightly dentate along their margins. The bases of the alternate leaves are either sessile or they clasp their stalks with auriculate (ear-like) lobes. Both the basal and alternate leaves are medium to dark green and mostly hairless, although the lower sides of their central veins are often covered with appressed hairs. The terete stalks are light green to dark reddish purple (usually the latter), and they are usually glabrous above and appressed-hairy below.
Human skin may blister from contact with the seeds. Do not take this herb during pregnancy. Whole plant decoction or infusion astringent, analgesic, anti-fertility, antiemetic, antiinflammatory, oxytoxic, emmenagogue, vasodilator, vasoconstrictor, styptic, hemostatic, hypotensive, diuretic, antiscorbutic, vulnerary, stimulant, tonic, uterine-contracting properties, for internal and external bleeding, intestinal and uterine bleeding, heavy uterine bleeding, dysentery, diarrhea, kidney problems, stomachache and cramps, cystitis, a wash for poison ivy and wounds; infusion of seed pods anthelmintic, vermifuge, taken for stomachache and internal worms. Used in the treatment of eye diseases and dysentery; tender parts cooked as a vegetable for constipation; flowers for chronic dysentery. Seeds reported to be toxic to mosquito larvae. [CRC World Dictionary of Medicinal and Poisonous Plants]
Chemical Constituents: Acetyl choline, tyramine.
Applications and uses: It is an astringent it is used in case of chronic or profuse diarrhea. Shepherds purse is a very effective diuretic. It is cleansing to the urinary tract. It can be made into a compress or poul- tice and used for hemorrhoids and external bleeding ulcers. The infusion may be snuffed to halt nose bleeds. [God's Healing Leaves]
Diuretic, stimulant [Herbal Manual]
Shepherd's purse is stated to possess antihaemorrhagic and urinary antiseptic properties. Traditionally, it has been used for menorrhagia, haematemesis, haematuria, diarrhoea and acute catarrhal cystitis. [Herbal Medicines 3rd Ed]
For dysentery and diarrhea, decoct alone and take orally or decoct with Pteris multifida. For chyluria and menorrhagia, decoct the fresh plant and take orally. For tuberculosis of the kidney, cook the dry plant with egg and take orally. For ophthalmia, hypertension and hemorrhages, decoct and take orally. [Herbal Pharmacology in the People’s Republic of China]
The herb or its juice extracts are employed to check menorrhagia and hemorrhages from renal and genitourinary tract. Also used in diarrhea and dysentery and as a diuretic. [Indian Medicinal Plants An Illustrated Dictionary]
Constituents: Flavonoids (luteolin-7-rutinoside, querceti3-rutinoside); plant acids (fumaric and bursic acids)
Actions: Astringent, diuretic, anti-inflammatory Indications: Shepherd's purse may be used whenever a gentle diuretic is indicated—for instance, to alleviate water retention due to kidney problems. As an astringent, the herb proves effective in the treatment of diarrhea, wounds, nosebleeds, and other conditions. It traditionally was used to stimulate the menstrual process, but is also of value in reducing excess menstrual flow. Ellingwood recommended shepherd’s purse for hematuria, passive hemorrhage, chronic menorrhagia, intestinal hemorrhage, gastric hemorrhage, atonic dyspepsia, diarrhea, and dysentery, and externally for bruised or strained muscles, bleeding piles, and rheumatic joints. [Medical Hrebalism - The Science and Practice of Herbal Medicine]
Capsella bursa-pastoris is well-known in Europe and North America for its use to check bleeding, treat dropsy and promote urination. In China, the ashes of the roots and leaves are used to treat flux. A powder of the plant is used to soothe inflammation. The plant is used to improve liver health, stop dysentery, treat fever, promote urination and check bleeding. In Cambodia, Laos, and Vietnam, a decoction of the entire herb (6 g/day–12 g/day) is drunk to stop haemoptysis and uterine bleeding, and to treat pulmonary oedema and fever. [Medicinal Plants: Drugs For The Future? ]
Used in Kyrgyz folk medicine to treat uterine bleeding, malignant ulcers, stomach cancer, dysentery, gastritis, tuberculosis, and venereal diseases. In Chinese medicine the roots are used to treat dysentery and eye diseases, and in Tibet they are used as an antiemetic. [Medicinal Plants of Central Asia Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan]
This herb is mildly relaxing and gently stimulating to the kidneys and urinary tract. It increases the flow of urine and relieves atonic and sluggish conditions. It is quite prompt in the relief of the aching back and of the irritated urethra in cases of scalding urine. It is quite efficient in the relief of renal catarrh. It allays nervous irritability and irritable spermatorrhoa. Directly or indirectly it is beneficial to the whole pelvic viscera, and is one of the best agents to be used for irritable conditions of these parts. It is more stimulating than eupatorium purpureum, but not nearly so stimulating as juniperus communis or barosma crenulata. Concentrated Tincture Shepherd's Purse (from the green) as made by C. T. Bedford, is a strong tincture, of a rich brown colour, made from the green herb, 8 ounces to the pint, and represents all the virtues of this valuable agent for urinary troubles. [Physio-Medical Therapeutics, Materia Medica and Pharmacy]
Hemostatic, anthypertensive; chyluria, nephritis, edema, hematuria [Taiwanese Native Medicinal Plants: Phytopharmacology and Therapeutic Values]
The plant is extremely high in vitamin K, the blood-clotting vitamin. Mash or chew the leaves and hold them on a cut. The juice of the plant on a ball of cotton was used to stop a nosebleed. Shepherd’s purse also contains significant amounts of calcium, potassium, sulfur, and ascorbic acid. Used as a decoction, shepherd’s purse has been used to treat hemorrhoids, diarrhea, and bloody urine. The decoction has a gentle detergent action and is very cleansing to the skin. [Wild Plants of The Sierra Nevada]
Chemical Constituents: Acetyl choline, tyramine.
Applications and uses: It is an astringent it is used in case of chronic or profuse diarrhea. Shepherds purse is a very effective diuretic. It is cleansing to the urinary tract. It can be made into a compress or poul- tice and used for hemorrhoids and external bleeding ulcers. The infusion may be snuffed to halt nose bleeds. [God's Healing Leaves]
Diuretic, stimulant [Herbal Manual]
Shepherd's purse is stated to possess antihaemorrhagic and urinary antiseptic properties. Traditionally, it has been used for menorrhagia, haematemesis, haematuria, diarrhoea and acute catarrhal cystitis. [Herbal Medicines 3rd Ed]
For dysentery and diarrhea, decoct alone and take orally or decoct with Pteris multifida. For chyluria and menorrhagia, decoct the fresh plant and take orally. For tuberculosis of the kidney, cook the dry plant with egg and take orally. For ophthalmia, hypertension and hemorrhages, decoct and take orally. [Herbal Pharmacology in the People’s Republic of China]
The herb or its juice extracts are employed to check menorrhagia and hemorrhages from renal and genitourinary tract. Also used in diarrhea and dysentery and as a diuretic. [Indian Medicinal Plants An Illustrated Dictionary]
Constituents: Flavonoids (luteolin-7-rutinoside, querceti3-rutinoside); plant acids (fumaric and bursic acids)
Actions: Astringent, diuretic, anti-inflammatory Indications: Shepherd's purse may be used whenever a gentle diuretic is indicated—for instance, to alleviate water retention due to kidney problems. As an astringent, the herb proves effective in the treatment of diarrhea, wounds, nosebleeds, and other conditions. It traditionally was used to stimulate the menstrual process, but is also of value in reducing excess menstrual flow. Ellingwood recommended shepherd’s purse for hematuria, passive hemorrhage, chronic menorrhagia, intestinal hemorrhage, gastric hemorrhage, atonic dyspepsia, diarrhea, and dysentery, and externally for bruised or strained muscles, bleeding piles, and rheumatic joints. [Medical Hrebalism - The Science and Practice of Herbal Medicine]
Capsella bursa-pastoris is well-known in Europe and North America for its use to check bleeding, treat dropsy and promote urination. In China, the ashes of the roots and leaves are used to treat flux. A powder of the plant is used to soothe inflammation. The plant is used to improve liver health, stop dysentery, treat fever, promote urination and check bleeding. In Cambodia, Laos, and Vietnam, a decoction of the entire herb (6 g/day–12 g/day) is drunk to stop haemoptysis and uterine bleeding, and to treat pulmonary oedema and fever. [Medicinal Plants: Drugs For The Future? ]
Used in Kyrgyz folk medicine to treat uterine bleeding, malignant ulcers, stomach cancer, dysentery, gastritis, tuberculosis, and venereal diseases. In Chinese medicine the roots are used to treat dysentery and eye diseases, and in Tibet they are used as an antiemetic. [Medicinal Plants of Central Asia Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan]
This herb is mildly relaxing and gently stimulating to the kidneys and urinary tract. It increases the flow of urine and relieves atonic and sluggish conditions. It is quite prompt in the relief of the aching back and of the irritated urethra in cases of scalding urine. It is quite efficient in the relief of renal catarrh. It allays nervous irritability and irritable spermatorrhoa. Directly or indirectly it is beneficial to the whole pelvic viscera, and is one of the best agents to be used for irritable conditions of these parts. It is more stimulating than eupatorium purpureum, but not nearly so stimulating as juniperus communis or barosma crenulata. Concentrated Tincture Shepherd's Purse (from the green) as made by C. T. Bedford, is a strong tincture, of a rich brown colour, made from the green herb, 8 ounces to the pint, and represents all the virtues of this valuable agent for urinary troubles. [Physio-Medical Therapeutics, Materia Medica and Pharmacy]
Hemostatic, anthypertensive; chyluria, nephritis, edema, hematuria [Taiwanese Native Medicinal Plants: Phytopharmacology and Therapeutic Values]
The plant is extremely high in vitamin K, the blood-clotting vitamin. Mash or chew the leaves and hold them on a cut. The juice of the plant on a ball of cotton was used to stop a nosebleed. Shepherd’s purse also contains significant amounts of calcium, potassium, sulfur, and ascorbic acid. Used as a decoction, shepherd’s purse has been used to treat hemorrhoids, diarrhea, and bloody urine. The decoction has a gentle detergent action and is very cleansing to the skin. [Wild Plants of The Sierra Nevada]
410 Published articles of Capsella bursa-pastoris
