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Cruciata laevipes - Smooth bedstraw
Crosswort is a species of flowering plant in the Rubiaceae family. It is commonly known as Cruciata laevipes, smooth bedstraw or Luc na croise in Gaelic.[1] The Latin epithet laevipes refers to the smooth stalk.
Description
This perennial sprawling plant can grow to a height of 15–70 cm, spreads by seeds and stolons and has, unusually amongst this group, yellow hermaphrodite flowers. The inner flowers are male and soon fall off, whilst the outer are bisexual and produce the fruit. The flowers smell of honey. Of the whorls of four leaves, only two in each group are real leaves, the other two being stipules. It is associated with arbuscular mycorrhiza that penetrate the cortical cells of the roots.
Uses
- it is considered as a good wound herbs for both inward and outward wounds.
- Cruciata laevipes is little used in herbal medicine today, but it was once recommended as a remedy for rupture, rheumatism and dropsy.[2] Bald's Leechbook recommended crosswort as a cure for headaches.
- The red dye is obtained from the root[3]
