The plant is common in Europe, North America, and Asia; Alchemilla alpina is native to western, central, and northern Europe. The drug mostly comes from the cultivation of the plant in Eastern and Southern European countries.
The aerial parts of the plant, collected at flowering time, are used as the drug.
Lady’s mantle and its characteristics
Lady’s mantle is a relatively variable in appearance perennial rosette plant. The leaves are palmate and weakly lobed with seven to eleven teeth. Dewdrops often hang from the leaves, trickle down them, and collect in the leaf calyx.
The small flowers are yellow-green and arranged in terminal panicles. Alchemilla vulgaris (formerly Alchemilla xanthoclora) comprises a large species complex; occasionally the alpine species Alchemilla conjuncta and Alchemilla alpina are also used medicinally.
The name “Alchemilla” is said to have originated from the fact that even the alchemists of the Middle Ages believed that gold or the philosopher’s stone could be obtained from the dew drops collected in the leaf calyxes.
What do the leaves look like?
The leaves have a diameter of up to eight centimeters and a kidney-shaped appearance. As a rule, you can see seven to eleven lobes. Due to the strong pubescence, they appear whitish-silvery and shiny. The leaf margin is coarsely toothed and the main vein emerges on the underside.
In addition to the leaves, hairy stem fragments and yellowish-green flower clusters occur in the drug.
Odor and taste of lady’s mantle
Lady’s mantle has no typical aroma and is largely odorless. The plant tastes slightly bitter and astringent (literally, astringent).
