Stimulating a Frog's Heart. Leonurus cardiaca, Lion's Tail, Tussen de Venen, Muntendam, Groningen, The Netherlands
To the east of Groningen near Muntendam, just in biking range from the City, is the great nature reserve Tussen de Venen, Among the Fens. Formerly a peat digging area, it has now been turned into a natural park with many ponds, wetlands, and sand plates. There's also a pleasant botanical garden (Heemtuin) with many 'local' and medicinal plants.
Today was a nice sunny day just right for a visit although the wind was quite strong for a lone cyclist. No matter for now and then I could take a dip in a canal and later in pretty Borgmeren. Frogs - after all I'm Rana Pipiens - do on and off need wet respite from the hot sun.
The photo is of Leonurus cardiaca, Motherwort or Lion's Tail, or in quaint but telling Dutch: Hertgespan (= Heart-quake). It's a medicinal herb known to many herbalists in Olden Times as Sideritis prima or Sideritis heraclea. They prescribe it for the medical problems of 'mothers' and also for heart conditions; Leonurus is associated with longevity as well.
Your Ob'dt Froggish Photographer was a bit taken aback to learn that modern chemists isolated a chemical from our plant which is called Leonurine. Of course, Frogs - as excellent laboratory animals - were used in experiments with this alkaloid. Injected just under our skin it was seen to cause a paralysis of motor nerves (like the effects of curare, that tip-of-the-arrow poison). But - the laconic author of a scientific article on this writes - a small dosis is stimulating for a Frog's Heart. I didn't try... and I fear that heart was not long in its right place.
Stimulating a Frog's Heart. Leonurus cardiaca, Lion's Tail, Tussen de Venen, Muntendam, Groningen, The Netherlands
To the east of Groningen near Muntendam, just in biking range from the City, is the great nature reserve Tussen de Venen, Among the Fens. Formerly a peat digging area, it has now been turned into a natural park with many ponds, wetlands, and sand plates. There's also a pleasant botanical garden (Heemtuin) with many 'local' and medicinal plants.
Today was a nice sunny day just right for a visit although the wind was quite strong for a lone cyclist. No matter for now and then I could take a dip in a canal and later in pretty Borgmeren. Frogs - after all I'm Rana Pipiens - do on and off need wet respite from the hot sun.
The photo is of Leonurus cardiaca, Motherwort or Lion's Tail, or in quaint but telling Dutch: Hertgespan (= Heart-quake). It's a medicinal herb known to many herbalists in Olden Times as Sideritis prima or Sideritis heraclea. They prescribe it for the medical problems of 'mothers' and also for heart conditions; Leonurus is associated with longevity as well.
Your Ob'dt Froggish Photographer was a bit taken aback to learn that modern chemists isolated a chemical from our plant which is called Leonurine. Of course, Frogs - as excellent laboratory animals - were used in experiments with this alkaloid. Injected just under our skin it was seen to cause a paralysis of motor nerves (like the effects of curare, that tip-of-the-arrow poison). But - the laconic author of a scientific article on this writes - a small dosis is stimulating for a Frog's Heart. I didn't try... and I fear that heart was not long in its right place.