Meadowsweet (Filipendula ulmaria)

Biological Name:
Filipendula ulmaria (L.) Maxim.

Family:
Rosaceae

Other Names: 
Queen of the Meadow, Bridewort, Dropwort, Filipendula ulmaria, Lady of the Meadow, Spirea, Spirea ulmaria.

Parts Used:
Roots and Flowers

Active Compounds: 
Filipendula ulmaria contains the following constituents:
Tannins (to 10%); volatile oils comprising, salicylaldehyde (to 10%) also methyl salicylate; vanilin, heliotropin, ethyl benzoate; also flavonoid glycosides including spiraeoside; slicyclic glycosides, comprising gaultherin and spiraein; Vitamin C; Sugars; minerals salts ⁽¹⁾.

Traditional Applications in Herbal Medicine:

Actions:
Bitter tonic, stimulant, nervine tonic, emmenagogue ⁽²⁾.

Root extract:
Primarily used in the treatment of diarrhoea ⁽¹⁾.

Flower extract:
Useful in the treatment of influenza, fluid retention, rheumatism and arthritis⁽¹⁾ and is used to treat the pain associated with bursitis ⁽³⁾. Also considered a herb of choice for the treatment of heartburn, hyperacidity ^(1,2), nausea, gastritis and peptic ulceration ⁽²⁾.

References:

1. Stuart, Malcolm (1979). The Encyclopedia of Herbs and Herbalism. New York: Grosset and Dunlap, 1979.
2. Hoffmann, David (1983). The Holistic Herbal: A herbal celebrating the wholeness of life. Findhorn Press, Scotland.
3. University of Maryland Medical Center (2006) Bursitis. Online Article, accessed June, 2007.