Our planet is home to more than 300,000 different plant species, over 10,000 of which are already known as medicinal plants, though there are huge differences in the resources available to individual countries and in different climatic zones. In our western culture, the herbal remedies used to treat diarrhea, cuts and debility may be completely different from those used in China, India, Africa or among North and South American Indians. Nevertheless, every culture succeeds in healing or alleviating such ailments with its own medicinal plants. and it is estimated that approximately 10% of all plants have a medicinal effect.

CHF 0.70 St John's wort (Hypericum perforatum)

St. John's wort always comes into full bloom just in time for St. John the Baptist's (or Midsummer's) Day on 24 June, covering meadows and roadsides with a mass of yellow. It is an extremely old medicinal plant. As early as the first century AD, the Greek doctor Dioscurides recommended it in his book of medicinal herbs "Materia medica" as an excellent remedy for wounds that were slow to heal and stomach ulcers. On the basis of its mild anti-depressant effect, St. John's wort is currently one of the best researched medicinal plants.

St. John's wort is classed in its own plant family, the Hypericaceae, and is of Euro-Siberian origin. It contains many different constituents, including hypericin, which gives St. John's wort oil its red colour, and the flavonoid glycoside hyperforin. There is keen debate among researchers about which substance is responsible for the plant's anti-depressant effect. In actual fact, however, only extracts with a very broad range of constituents are effective.

CHF 0.90 Lesser periwinkle (Vince minor)

The lesser periwinkle is a creeping plant with leathery, dark-green, entire (unlobed) leaves that is found in undergrowth and woods in virtually the whole of Europe and in western Asia. It is an evergreen - in other words, unlike most other plants, its leaves do not change colour in autumn but remain the same dark green all year round and do not drop off. Its light-blue, tubular flowers with their five petals form a delightful contrast to the dark, glossy foliage, making the lesser periwinkle a popular, easy-care ground covering plant for shady or semishady locations, in gardens too.

Vinca minor contains small quantities of alkaloid vincamin, which helps to improve the circulation, as well as other indole alkaloids. Clinical studies have shown that these can trigger a better supply of oxygen to the brain, as well as better circulation in fingers and legs.

CHF 1.10 Valerian (Valeriana officinalis)

Common valerian grows to a height of 150 cm and is found throughout Europe and in Asia on damp meadows and in woods. It is assigned to its own botanical family, the Valerianaceae. At first glance, it is easy to mistake it for cow parsley (Anthriscus silvestris) and other members of the carrot family (Umbelliferae), because like them, it has pinnate (feathery) leaves and an inflorescence made up of clusters of numerous tiny white to pale-pink flowers. However, unlike the umbelliferae, valeriana officinalis does not form a compact umbel, i.e. not all the flowers are attached to the stem at the same point but are arranged more at random. The leaves are opposite, meaning that there are always two leaves directly opposite each other on the stalk.

The root and the rootstalk (or rhizome) are both used for medicinal purposes. They contain 0.3-0.790 of an essential oil with a characteristic, pungent smell, as well as the valepotriates which are typical of valerian.

CHF 1.20 Arnica (Arnica montana)

Arnica is a European mountain plant that grows to an altitude of 2800 metres. Like the chamomile, it belongs to the Compositae family. When in full bloom, it has a delightful scent, and its flowers create a pleasing colour contrast to the blue gentians or red alpine roses. Further distinguishing characteristics of arnica are is basal rosette with its numerous stemless, longitudinal, nerved leaves and the pairs of sessile leaves on the stalk.

For medicinal purposes, both the root and the flowers are used. These contain various sesquiter penlactones, essential oil, cumarins and tannin-like compounds. The yellow colour of the flowers is determined by flavonoids (from the Latin "flavus", meaning yellow). Arnica was frequently used in popular medicine for external application in the form of salves, creams, tinctures or poultices to help heal wounds and for all kinds of inflammations, bruises, contusions and as a pain-killer. Ingestion of this plant in infusion form is less to be recommended because even low doses of arnica can trigger arrhythmia.

CHF 1.30 Centaury (Centaurium minus)

This inconspicuous medicinal plant grows to a height of just 10 to 40 cm and belongs to the gentian family (Gentianaceae). It is found in meadows and sunny clearings virtually everywhere in Europe and in western Asia, in dry, warm locations. Centaury is a biennial plant. In the first year, it forms a basal rosette with numerous entire, elliptic leaves, and in the second year, it produces a tetragonal, erect stalk with undivided, opposite leaves. Like valerian, centaury has an inflorescence of umbel-like clusters of pinkish, tubular blossoms and a green calyx.

Centaury's active components include the bitter principles typical of the gentian family from the secoiridoid glycoside group (gentiopicroside, swertiamarin, sweroside, etc.). As a stomach bitter, this plant helps to stimulate the appetite and promote digestion.

CHF 1.80 Common mallow (Malva sylvestris)

Malvae silvestris (also known as cheeseflower) is a typical mucilage plant. Its leaves have a mucin content of up to 8%, and help to soothe dry coughs, stomach ulcers and skin irritation. The mucin forms a kind of film over the irritated areas, and at the same time promotes the healing process. Because it is a semi-creeping plant and on account of its reddish-white flowers and the long-stemmed, sturdy, downy leaves, the mallow is often mistaken for a kind of geranium (Pelargonium sp). However, in actual fact, it belongs to a family all of its own, the Malvaceae, and can easily be distinguished from geraniums by the fact that it has no smell. Unlike geraniums, malvae silvestris does not contain essential oil, so has no sweetish, pungent scent. Originally a southern European/Asian plant, it is now commonly found as a weed on waste land by waysides and near houses and barns.

CHF 2.20 Chamomile (Matricaria chamomilla)

Chamomile is a typical representative of the daisy family (Compositae). What looks like the head -yellow inside, with white petals round the outside - is not a single flower but consists of manny tubular yellow flowers surrounded by a fringe of white ray florets that are bunched at the end of the stalk, hence the name "compositae". Matricaria chamomilla originates from south and eastern Europe and the Middle East and is now cultivated in temperate climates worldwide. In contrast to stinking chamomile (anthemis), the receptacle of true chamomile is hollow, so the very similar looking plants can quickly be distinguished by breaking a head open.

Chamomile flowers contain 0.3% to 1.5% of an essential oil that is easily recognizable, not only by its scent but also by its bluish colouring. Like arnica, the plant contains many other compounds such as cumarins, mucilage and flavonoids. Drunk as an infusion in tea, chamomile blossoms are an extremely effective remedy for stomach and intestinal disorders such as gastritis, cramps, nausea, feeling bloated, etc. Chamomile is applied externally in the shape of poultices and washes for skin inflammation and catarrh, as well as being inhaled for respiratory ailments.