PARIETARIA JUDAICA: CHARACTERISTICS, HABITAT, CULTIVATION, PROPERTIES - BIOLOGY - 2024

Parietaria judaica is a dicotyledonous plant of the weed type belonging to the Urticaceae family, to which species such as nettle also belong. Parietaria judaica is also commonly known as basil, snail grass, parietaria, and rock grass.

It is a perennial herb that can be about 80 cm tall, with erect, pubescent and reddish stems. The bright green leaves are alternate and ovate-lanceolate. The flowers are reddish-green, and the stamens are yellow. As a fruit they produce an achene.

Parietaria judaica is a plant that causes a lot of allergies in people. Source: No machine-readable author provided. Folini assumed (based on copyright claims).

The parietaria is a species that produces a very significant allergy in Spain, even more important than that caused by nettle. Pollen has a lobulated spheroidal shape and can be easily deformed in the environment.

Flowering occurs practically all year round, although mostly in spring. This plant is one of the most important causes of hay fever in the Mediterranean area.

This plant grows in places where there is rubble or garbage, and in places like gardens or orchards it can behave as a kind of weed. It has diuretic, anti-inflammatory, laxative, expectorant or healing utilities, among others.

characteristics

Appearance

It is a perennial herbaceous plant, whose stem measures between 15 and 80 cm, being decumbent and with much pubescence. It shows a woody part at its base and the stems have a pink or reddish color.

This plant does not have stipules, but it does have bracts that are in the axillary position and that are similar to stipules.

The parietaria has a life form called camephyte, which is a herbaceous and woody form of life whose buds or replacement shoots are located below 50 cm in height.

Replacement buds in cold weather conditions can be found up to 20 cm in height, and in hot weather they can appear after one meter in height.

Leaves

The leaves are 15 to 50 mm long by 10 to 30 mm wide, alternate, with an ovate-lanceolate shape, and like the stems, they present much pubescence.

These leaves are dark green.

flowers

It presents distinctive tepals, arranged ascendingly and enclosing an achene as a fruit, which can be acute or mucronate. The stamens are yellow.

The flowers are reddish-green. The flowering season (March-September), is the time when the symptoms of pollen allergy are also more noticeable.

Parietaria judaica is a species of the Urticaceae family just like the nettle. Source: Krzysztof Ziarnek, Kenraiz

Chemical composition

The parietaria has within its principles calcium, flavonoids, sulfur, tannins, mucilage, potassium nitrate and kaempferol.

The main component is a glycoprotein that causes allergy in patients. This component is macroscopically very similar to that of nettle, however, the allergy it causes is different.

This pollen can persist for a long time in the atmosphere and causes symptoms in various seasons of the year. Pollen from the parietaria causes more cases of rhinoconjunctivitis than asthma.

To avoid being affected by the pollen of this species, it is recommended to keep the car windows closed, take care of your eyes with the use of glasses, wash the vegetables well before consuming them, since they can serve as pollen vectors.

Taxonomy

-Kingdom: Plantae

-Filo: Tracheophyta

-Class: Magnoliopsida

-Order: Rosales

-Family: Urticaceae

-Gender: Parietaria

-Species: Parietaria judaica L.

The parietaria has some subspecies such as Parietaria judaica subsp. afghanica, Parietaria judaica subsp. judaica, Parietaria judaica subsp. persica, Parietaria judaica subsp. speluncarum.

The genus Parietaria is made up of several species that cause allergies such as P itself. judaica and P. officinalis, which in turn are the best known.

Flowers of the parietaria. Source: Stefan.lefnaer

Habitat and distribution

This plant usually grows in walls, crevices and in nitrogen-rich soils. Its pollen is the cause of important allergies in urban populations around it.

Flowering lasts a long time and depends on the weather. It grows in shady places, and invades crops that have a high nitrogen supply. Therefore, in places where manure is abundant or where there are pens, this plant is present.

It is a species of European origin and has spread everywhere since its adaptability is high.

However, it is an uncompetitive plant when it is in the presence of other plants around it. Normally, another plant can absorb nutrients more efficiently and establish itself better in the field. This is the reason why parietaria grows best in shady, nitrogen-rich locations.

Culture

The cultivation of the parietaria can be done by direct sowing from seed. This form of reproduction is very successful as long as it is carried out in seedbed conditions, while if it is sown in the ground directly, care must be taken that other species do not grow around it, since the parietaria would then not thrive.

To propagate it in large quantities, it can be done from cuttings obtained from a healthy mother plant.

The parietaria develops many replacement buds or shoots. Source: Kevin Thiele from Perth, Australia

Properties

The main use of the parietaria is as a medicinal species. For this, all its parts are usable. The harvest time of the plant for medicinal purposes is from spring to autumn.

The medicinal property of this plant is that it works as a diuretic, that is, it serves to dispose of fluids from the body. An infusion of leaves of this species can be useful to reduce or avoid fluid retention as well.

Also, the parietaria serves as a cleanser. It is expectorant and sudorific to reduce fever.

In addition, it is also used as an anti-inflammatory and refreshing. It is also useful as an analgesic and as a laxative for those who suffer from constipation. Likewise, it shows some effects such as astringent, Vulnerary and healing.

For people who do not develop an allergy to the components of the parietaria, they can use it as a companion to omelets and soups, for such use they can be used raw or cooked.

Other properties or uses of this plant is that it is used to wash crystals and copper containers. In the past, hens were given parietaria to obtain eggs with harder shells.

Likewise, the parietaria is used as a poultice to treat burns, hemorrhoids and bruises, since it reduces inflammation within a few hours of its application.

References

1. Brasó Aznar, JV, Jorro, G. 2003. Manual of clinical allergy. Editorial Masson. Taken from: books.google.co.ve
2. Pérez, C. 2019. Allergy to Parietaria. Taken from: sgaic.org
3. Flora of North America. 2019. Urticaceae. Taken from: efloras.org
4. Portillo, G. 2019. Parietaria judaica. Taken from: jardineriaon.com
5. Catalog of life: 2019 Annual Checklist. Species details: Parietaria judaica L. Taken from: catalogueoflife.org
6. Sierra de Baza Project. (1999-2015). Snail herb (Parietaria judaica). Taken from: sierradebaza.org