The Snapdragon (Antirrhinum magusis), also called
toad's mouth, dog's mouth and lions mouth, indigenous to Europe and has
been used as a garden plant since the Romans and Greeks thought
snapdragons had the power to protect them
from witchcraft.
Descorides, the Greek physician wrote that protection
would be given to the person that wore snapdragons around their neck. In
the medieval period, snapdragons were thought to be the guardians of
European castles and were planted near the gates. Early German society thought a bunch of snapdragons hung near a baby
would keep the baby from being afraid of evil spirits. Women boiled
snapdragons and applied the resulting infusion to their faces to keep
them beautiful and restore youth. In Russia,
snapdragons were believed to boost the body’s energy. A cream or lotion can be made for rashes and sunburns from its leaves and flowers. A gargle can also be made from its leaves and flowers for mouth ulcers and opera singers once drank a tea brew from the flowers before a concert to heal a aching, strained throat. Muclia pectin and gallic acid give the plant its anti-inflammatory qualities and has also been used for the treatment of hemorrhoids.
In the fifteen century it was cultivated in Russia for oil found in the seeds as is only slightly inferior to olive oil. The snapdragon depends almost entirely on the bumblebees for pollination because the flower's design make honey bees ineffective.
In the fifteen century it was cultivated in Russia for oil found in the seeds as is only slightly inferior to olive oil. The snapdragon depends almost entirely on the bumblebees for pollination because the flower's design make honey bees ineffective.
