File:Hemp agrimony (Eupatorium cannabinum) - geograph.org.uk - 929543.jpg

English: Hemp agrimony (Eupatorium cannabinum) Growing alongside a ditch that runs parallel to a farm track leading to the River Thurne. Hemp agrimony can commonly be found growing on river banks or alongside ditches, at the base of cliffs on the seashore, and in other damp places in most parts of Britain, and throughout Europe. Flowering in late summer and autumn, the flower heads form a crowded mass of a dull lilac colour at the top of the stem or branches. The plant is known for its cathartic, diuretic and anti-scorbutic properties, and was considered to be a good remedy for purifying the blood. It was also used for relieving the syptoms of influenza and catarrh. In the fen districts of Holland it was used by the peasants for treating jaundice and to prevent scurvy. Its leaves were also used to prevent bread from becoming mouldy. A concoction of freshly gathered roots, boiled in ale, is believed to have been used as a cure for dropsy. Hemp agrimony also had the reputation of being a good wound herb, either bruised or made into an ointment with lard.