Plant Study
Heather Penny
Damiana
Family Name: Turneraceae
Latin Name: Turnera diffusa var. aphrodisiaca
Common Name: Damiana
Body System Affiliations:
- Reproductive System
- Nervous System
- Digestive System
Botanical Description:
Habit: Aromatic shrubby perennial
Size: To 60cm.
Arrangement: Alternate, obovate, simple, petiolate
Leaves: To 2.5cm long; upper side smooth and pale green, underneath glabrous with a few hairs on ribs
Flowers: Small yellow flowers appear early to late summer, growing in axils of the upper leaves
Ecology:
Habitat: Grows in dry, sandy or rocky soils; needs lots of sun.
Range: Texas, Southern California, Mexico, South America and the West Indies
Native Where: Mexico, South America and the West Indies
Western Uses/ Relationships:
Medicine:
Part Used: Dried leaves and stems (1: 156).
Medicinal Actions: Nerve tonic, anti-depressant, urinary antiseptic, laxative (1:156).
Indications: Anxiety, depression, nervous tension, constipation, dyspepsia (2:2).
Body System Associations:
- Reproductive System
- Nervous System
- Digestive System
Constituents: Essential oil that includes pinene, cineol, cymol, arbutin, cymene, cadinene and copaenen; alkaloids, bitter, flavanoid, cyanogenic glycoside, tannins, resin (1: 156).
Applications: Infusion, tincture (1: 156).
Pharmacy: Infusion: 1 tsp. dried leaves to 1c. boiling water- can be drunk up to 3x a day (1:156).
Tincture: Take 1-2ML 3x a day (1: 156).
Cautions: Damiana is contraindicated in cases of urinary tract diseases or liver disease (3:3), as well as irritable bowel syndrome and overactive nervous system (2:2).
References Cited:
- Hoffman, David. The Complete Illustrated Holistic Herbal. Shaftesbury, Dorset: Element Books Limited, 1996.
- Author unknown. Phytotherapies.org. Online at http://www.phytotherapies.org/monograph. Visited 2-6-2006.
- Author unknown. Flora Health Herb Encyclopedia. Online at http://www.flora/home/usa/healthinformation/encyclopedia. Visited 2-6-2006.
