Comfrey

Comfrey (Symphytum officinale)

Comfrey (pronounced /ˈkʌmfri/), also known as knitbone, is a perennial herb of the family Boraginaceae. Its scientific name, Symphytum officinale, is derived from the Greek words symphis, meaning "growing together of bones", and phyton, meaning "plant". The term "officinale" indicates that the plant has a long history of medicinal use.

Etymology

The English name "comfrey" is derived from the Latin con firma, meaning "with strength". This refers to the plant's traditional use in bone and wound healing. The genus name Symphytum is derived from the Greek symphis, referring to its traditional use in healing fractures.

Description

Comfrey is a robust plant with broad, hairy, and lance-shaped leaves. It produces small, bell-shaped flowers that can be purple, pink, or white. The plant is native to Europe and grows in damp, grassy places such as riverbanks and ditches.

Medicinal Uses

Historically, comfrey has been used for its healing properties. It was commonly used to treat a wide range of ailments, including broken bones, sprains, arthritis, gastric and varicose ulcers, severe burns, acne and other skin conditions. It contains allantoin, a substance that helps to speed up wound healing by stimulating the growth of new cells.

However, comfrey also contains pyrrolizidine alkaloids, substances that can cause liver damage and are potentially carcinogenic. Because of this, internal use of comfrey is generally discouraged and it is recommended to be used topically only.

Related Terms

• Allantoin
• Pyrrolizidine alkaloids
• Boraginaceae
• Knitbone

External links

• Medical encyclopedia article on Comfrey
• Wikipedia's article - Comfrey

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