Inula helenium L., Elecampane

Account Summary

Growth form and history of introduction

The thick, succulent, tuberous, branched, aromatic rootstock of this robust, very stout, 2–3 m tall, Sunflower-like garden perennial with large, hairy leaves that clasp the stem, was once widely used in herbal medicine for treating skin and chest ailments and as a veterinary medicine, used especially for horses and mules (Allen & Hatfield 2004). Elecampane was introduced to Europe, probably or possibly from W & C Asia (G. Halliday and K.J. Walker, in: Stroh et al. 2023), or perhaps from C Asia only (Grigson 1955, 1987; Hyam & Pankhurst 1995; Allen & Hatfield 2004). In any event, it was recognised as a valued medicinal physic garden plant and pot-herb or condiment in pre-Christian ancient Greek and Roman times (Grieve 1931). The usefulness of the plant was certainly known in England to the Anglo-Saxons.

The date of introduction to B & I is unknown, possibly going back to the Roman occupation, but it certainly was present before 995 AD (Harvey 1981), making it easy to define today as an archaeophyte species.

Apart from its medicinal applications, I. helenium also had culinary and ornamental garden uses and for all three reasons, it was previously widely and commonly cultivated in gardens and frequently escaped from them into the wild in temperate parts of Europe, including B & I. In addition to seed dispersal, colonies of I. helenium in 'wild' habitats may arise through plants being discarded through their becoming too large for small cultivated plots. Since the species is deep-rooting and clump-forming, the plant is surprisingly enduring if left undisturbed when growing beyond the garden wall. It can become fully naturalised (meaning populations establish, persist and can regularly seed and maintain themselves) in warmer parts of Europe, N America and Japan (Hyam & Pankhurst 1995). Although it is certainly frost hardy, Elecampane appears somewhat less persistent than this in B & I, although it is described as both established and naturalised by Clement & Foster (1994) in their catalogue of alien plants of the British Isles. In fact, in B & I, it sometimes survives longer than the houses and gardens with which it was associated (Grigson 1955, 1987).

Flowering reproduction

Elecampane flowers in July and August. The solitary or few, large, showy yellow flowerheads, 6-10 cm in diameter, if multiple are arranged in a loose corymb. Each flowerhead contains two types of flower, one row of strong-smelling outer ligulate, strap-shaped ray flowers, each up to 30 mm in length, and numerous inner disc florets, 15-18 mm long, tubular and bisexual that are also bright yellow in colour. The flowers are pollinated by visiting bees and hoverflies. The achene fruits are 4-ribbed, 3-5 mm long, glabrous and the attached pappus is 5-7 mm, dirty white, often tinged reddish and is composed of c 30 semi-rigid, simple hairs or setae (Tutin et al. 1976; Garrard & Streeter 1983; Sell & Murrell 2006).

The current author (RSF) has not uncovered any statistics regarding seed production or dispersal distances. A project awaits anyone interested who has a colony nearby! The plant dies down rapidly after flowering and overwinters underground.

Vegetative reproduction

Since the species produces a stout, branched, succulent, tuberous rootstock (sometimes referred to as a rhizome), one would expect it to be capable of some degree of physical increase and lateral spread over a period of years. Anecdotal evidence suggests this often is achieved, although usually it merely leads to clumping of individual plants and very little horizontal distance or measurable species spread is achieved.

Fermanagh occurrence

I. helenium has been recorded over the years in a total of eight scattered Fermanagh tetrads, seven of which have post-1975 records. The plant has reproduced and persisted near ancient abbey ruins on Devenish Island in Lower Lough Erne from at least 1836 until the present, a very typical circumstance elsewhere in these islands. Although we can never know for certain, the suggestion is that it may have been cultivated in the old monastery garden on this site in the long distant past. Since this first record, however, there have only been six additional records on disturbed, rough ground near habitation at four separate sites in the county. The low number of records and their infrequency over the years possibly reflects the fact that Elecampane as a herb has fallen out of use more or less everywhere and its garden cultivation has reduced to rarity in Fermanagh. As a result of this decline, RHN & RSF (the BSBI VC H33 Recorders) now regard it as a rare or very rare casual in the local flora.

The details of the other Fermanagh records are: a colony of about 20 plants at one spot at S end of Devenish Island, 1884, R.M. Barrington; Stranfeley Public Elementary School, SE of Mill Hill, 4 km E of Maguiresbridge, 1948, MCM & D; between Monawilkin Lough and Lough Fadd, 13 August 1985, S.A. Wolfe-Murphy, P.J.T. Brain & A.S. McMullin; beside old cottage, Watsons Lough, September 1988, RHN; 100 m outside Clabby Village on SE side, 7 September 1996, RHN; Coolbuck Td, near Lough Eyes, 11 September 2002, RHN & HJN; 20 stems in nettle patch and grassland to both N & S of ancient monument, Devenish Island, 14 September 2007, RHN & HJN; patch 3 m × 3 m by two hawthorns, 60 m S of fence, S of the abbey site on Devenish Island, 23 May 2009, RHN.

British and Irish occurrence

Elecampane is thinly but widely scattered throughout lowland B & I and it probably is better established and more persistent in milder districts of both islands. In Ireland, I. helenium is described by Reynolds (2002) as, "fairly widespread, but not common; roadsides, field margins and near derelict buildings". The Cen Cat Fl Ir 2 lists 32 VCs out of 40 in which I. helenium has been recorded at least once (Scannell & Synnott 1987). Typical habitats listed in Ireland include rough pastures, roadside banks, waste places and disused quarries. Sites are often near houses and ruins and they are especially frequent around church ruins. It has always regarded as rare in Ireland (Cybele Hibernica 1866). The later 2nd edition of Cybele Hibernica also commented that it, "holds its ground in many places … but shows little tendency to spread" (Colgan & Scully 1898).

In Britain, I. helenium is sparsely scattered throughout lowland ground on roadsides, laneways, waste ground and in old neglected grasslands and old orchards. It is never far from human habitation, or the ruins of houses, gardens and old churches. In Scotland, it is still to be found in and around the ruins of old, long-abandoned crofts (G. Halliday & K.J. Walker, in: Stroh et al. 2023).

Inspection of the BSBI Atlas and New Atlas hectad maps suggests that there is a slight S & W bias in the frequency of occurrence in both B & I (Perring & Walters 1962, 1976; Preston et al. 2002). This is not apparent in the latest hectad map in Atlas 2020. Analysis of records in the BSBI database for Atlas 2020 indicates that I. helenium is better recorded in Ireland now than was previously the case and the degree of species presence here appears stable. While there remain examples of long persistence by some stands, there is evidence that I. helenium is very slowly declining throughout Britain (G. Halliday, in: Preston et al. 2002; G. Halliday & K.J. Walker, in: Stroh et al. 2023). The reduction of Elecampane presence in the wild is very probably an inevitable consequence of a major drop in frequency of its garden cultivation.

Being essentially a garden subject, like most other cultivated plants, at some stage I. helenium fell out of fashion in B & I, being gradually replaced in horticulture by more decorative, better appreciated, or just rarer and, therefore, more prized, related species. As an indication of this, The Royal Horticultural Society index of garden plants lists a total of 21 alternative Inula species that are, or that have been, in cultivation in B & I (Griffiths 1994). Thus, I. helenium is seldom seen in garden cultivation today, perhaps being more or less confined to larger gardens on landed estates, or in public gardens, including botanic gardens, that maintain traditional plantings of medicinal herb species.

European and world occurrence

As mentioned above, I. helenium possibly originated in W & C Asia and perhaps in SE Europe also (Clapham et al. 1987), but it had been widely introduced to W Europe and the Mediterranean by the time of ancient Greek and Roman cultures, and it was cultivated and used both in herbal medicine and as a pot-herb. It is now widely naturalised almost throughout Europe (P.W. Ball & T.G. Tutin, in: Tutin et al. 1976). However, it is much less frequently cultivated than previously was the case, so its modern presence in the European countryside appears to be slowly declining towards local extinction.

In earlier times, when I. helenium was still a valued herb, it was widely introduced to E Asia, including Japan and also to N America and New Zealand where it has become naturalised in cool temperate areas. In eastern N America, for instance, it has become naturalized from Nova Scotia to Minnesota and southwards to North Carolina and Missouri (https://www.missouribotanicalgarden.org/PlantFinder/PlantFinderDetails.aspx?taxonid=277211#:~:text=Inula%20helenium%2C%20commonly%20called%20elecampane%2C%20is%20a%20rhizomatous%2C,to%20Minnesota%20south%20to%20North%20Carolina%20and%20Missouri, accessed 16 March 2020). In New Zealand, by comparison, it is very rarely recorded beyond gardens and was first listed as a discard in 1958 (Webb et al. 1988).

Uses

The active ingredients of I. helenium rootstock and roots that are both involved in herbal medicine include essential oils, inulin, bitter principle, mucilage and resin, the effect of which is described as mildly expectorant, while it is said to prevent or relieve spasms and to stimulate metabolism (Launert 1981). It is also said to be diuretic, tonic, expectorant, antiseptic, astringent and gently stimulant (Grieve 1931).

The medicinal repute of I. helenium roots dates back to Dioscorides and Pliny. It was believed to, "aid digestion and cause mirth" (Pliny the Elder, Natural History, quoted in Grieve 1931, p. 279), and medieval monks are said to have esteemed it as a cordial, while Galen believed it was good for treating sciatica. Other uses included for treating dropsy, coughs, consumption and other lung problems, such as bronchitis and asthma, as well as for skin problems and, indeed, the plant was something of an 'all heal'. This 'cure all' is further evidenced since I. helenium was also used to treat ailments of horses and mules (Grieve 1931; Baumann 1993; Allen & Hatfield 2004). English common names include 'Horseheal' and 'Scabwort' (Grigson 1955, 1987; Allen & Hatfield 2004).

Apart from its medicinal use, Elecampane root was cooked and used as a pot-herb. It was very probably cultivated as a reliable subsistence plant in early Christian times, since in Ireland it was found on some of the small offshore isles and is also associated with ancient, long-abandoned monastic sites. Another of its English common names is 'Wild parsnip' (Allen & Hatfield 2004).

In the past, Elecampane was often candied and eaten as a sweetmeat and it is still used to the present day in France and Switzerland as a mint-like flavouring for the alcoholic beverage, Absinthe (Grieve 1931).

Names

There is a bit of confusion regarding the genus name 'Inula', so that it is either: a. a plant name first used by Pliny as 'Helenium' or 'Elenium', said to be named after the tears of Helen of Troy who is claimed to have been holding this herb when she was violently abducted by Paris and taken into Phrigia, or: b. the 'Helenion' or 'Inula campana' of Dioscorides, the medicinal herb and edible root vegetable, used to treat coughs and the bite of poisonous creatures, especially snakes (Grigson 1955, 1987; Gilbert-Carter 1964). Elecampane was also probably the plant that Anglo-Saxons called by various names 'Elene', 'Ellen', 'Elenan', Eolonan' or 'Hors-eolene' (Grigson 1955, 1987). It is very likely that Pliny's plant was a different species since it was described as spreading over the ground and had leaves like those of Wild Thyme, rather than the very large leaves of Elecampane.

The English common name 'Elecampane' is an adaptation of the medieval apothecaries' Latin name for the plant, 'Enula campana', meaning 'Enula of the fields', from the Latin 'Inula' with which I. helenium was equated (Grigson 1974).

Threats

None, since it occurs only in disturbed or abandoned, derelict sites and does not spread very much, or survive in sites indefinitely, although occasionally it is long persistent.

References

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