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Note - the monographs are provided for informational purposes only, and are not to be used for self-medication.

Hypericum perforatum (St John’s Wort)

Botanic Name

Hypericum perforatum

Common Name

St John’s Wort, Amber touch-and-heal, Goatweed, Rosin rose 1

Family

Hyperiaceae

Parts Used

Herb, Flowering tops

Habitat

Meadows, dry pastures, roadsides. Native to Europe, St John’s Wort is naturalised in temperate regions of the world, including New Zealand and cooler parts of Australia. 1

Constituents

Volatile Oil 2

Resin 2

Tannin 2

Glycoside (Hypericin, stearic acid, palmic acid, myric acid) 3, 2

Flavonoids 3

Alkaloid 2

Actions

Aromatic 2

Astringent 2, 3, 4

Expectorant 2

Gentle calming agent 3, Sedative 4

Nervous system restorative/tonic 3

Analgesic (topical) (flowers steeped in oil) 3

Antiseptic (topical) (flowers steeped in oil) 3

Vulnerary 3, 4

Anti-inflammatory 4

Applications

Neuralgia, anxiety, tension 4, 3

Depression from anxiety and tension over a long period 3

Menopausal irritability and anxiety 4

Fibrositis 4, 3

Sciatica 4

Rheumatic pain 4

Wounds, bruises, varicose veins, mild burns (Topically) 4, 3

Dosage

Medium Dose Herb

Tincture: 1-4 mls tds 4

Combinations

  

C/I Cautions

Not to be used in marked depression 4

Suggested that it may potentiate pharmaceutical MAO inhibitors 5

May cause photosentising in fair skinned individuals 5

BHP S/I

Menopausal neurosis6

References

  1. Reader’s Digest, Magic and Medicine of Plants. Surry Hills: Reader’s Digest, 1994.
  2. Willard, T.W., The Wild Rose Scientific Herbal, Wild Rose College of Natural Healing Ltd, Calgary, Alberta, 1991.
  3. Mills, S., The Complete Guide to Modern Herbalism, Thorsons, Great Britain, 1994.
  4. Hoffmann, D., The New Holistic Herbal, Element, Dorset, 1990.
  5. McGuffin, M., Hobbs, C., Upton, R., Goldberg, A., American Herbal Products Association - Botanical Safety Handbook, CRC Press, 1997.
  6. British Herbal Pharmacopoeia 1983. British Herbal Medical Association. 1989.

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Revised: May 20, 2002 .

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