Small toadflax (Chaenorhinum minus) is a medicinal plant rarely used today, belonging to the plantain family. As an inconspicuous plant, it is found in Central Europe in fields, roadsides or gravel pits. Mostly it reproduces by self-pollination.
Occurrence and cultivation of the lesser toadflax.
According to recent genetic studies, the small toadflax could be assigned to the plant family Plantaginaceae and the genus Chaenorhinum. For a long time, a relationship to the brownroot family (Scrophulariaceae) was suspected. The small toadflax presents itself as an annual herbaceous plant with a growth height of 5 to 40 centimeters. Usually the plant reaches a height of 10 to 25 centimeters. The herb has sparse stems with opposite leaves in the lower part and alternate leaves further up. The stem leaves are stalked or stalkless. The flowering period of this plant extends from June to September. Its flowers are white-purple with a yellow palate. Until late autumn, the seeds develop from the flowers in capsules. Very often the reproduction takes place by self-pollination. The seeds are spread mainly by the wind. With scientific names, the small toadflax is also called Chaenorhinum minus. Other colloquial names are lesser orant or common flax mouth. Due to self-pollination, many plant clans of lesser toadflax have evolved that have slightly different characteristics from each other. Little toadflax has seven pairs of chromosomes. Its main distribution area is southern and central Europe. But it is also found on the British Isles and in Sweden. It has also spread to North America by dispersal. In Germany its distribution area is mainly in the south. However, individual sites are also discovered in the north. The plant is very undemanding and prefers poor, calcareous soils. The small toadflax is often found along roadsides, in fields as a weed, along gravel pits or railroad embankments. However, it should not be confused with the true toadflax. The latter also belongs to the plantain family, but unlike the lesser toadflax it belongs to the genus of linseed. To the small toadflax the three subspecies are described:
- Chaenorhinum minus subsp. anatolicum
- Chaenorhinum minus subsp. minus
- Chaenorhinum minus subsp. idaeum
Effect and application
As a plantain, the small toadflax contains a variety of secondary ingredients that serve the plant as a feeding protection, especially from insects. These are iridoids and iridoid glycosides. In Chaenorhinum minus such ingredients as antirrhinosides, 0-methylorantin, chaenorpins, ephedradins, chaenorrhinosides, orantin or prunasin are found. The iridoids or iridoid glycosides have a bitter taste and are thought to deter predators from eating the plant. In most cases, the bitter taste is already a deterrent. However, if these substances enter the digestive tract of herbivorous animals, the iridoids have a denaturing effect on the proteins in the food pulp and on the body’s own proteins in the intestine. On the one hand, this reduces the usability of the food, and on the other hand, it causes damage to the intestinal wall, which leads to digestive disorders or, in the case of insect larvae, to death. The iridoid glycosides are also split into the glucose monomer and the iridoid by special digestive enzymes in many animals, so that these compounds also act as antifeedants. In addition, the ingredients also possess antimicrobial activity against bacteria and fungi. The physiological effect of the iridoids also causes the laxative effect of the small toadflax. For this reason, the plant is still used today as a laxative. The flowering herb is used for this purpose. After gathering, it is bundled and dried in an airy and shady place. A tea can be brewed for use. Two teaspoons of dried herb are brewed with boiling water equal to the content of one cup. After ten minutes of brewing, the tea can be strained and drunk in small sips. It has a mild laxative effect. However, Chaenorhinum minus has little importance today as a medicinal plant due to the unclear effects of the various ingredients. An occasionally described performance-enhancing effect of the plant has not yet been proven.Otherwise, the small toadflax is popular for sowing on borders and in rock gardens. It can serve very well as a gap filler between other plants. The seeds can be sown directly on site. Since the plant is very undemanding, no special care measures are necessary. The only thing to note is that the location should be as sunny as possible, sandy or stony, and no waterlogging.
Importance for health, treatment and prevention.
The importance of Chaenorhinum minus in the medical field has not yet been clearly established. However, the laxative effect of the tea of this plant has been proven, and the mode of action is due to the group of substances called iridoids. Overall, however, very little is known about possible side effects and hazards from the ingredients. Clear contraindications are present in liver diseases, pregnancy or during lactation. As a side effect, perceptual disturbances have also been observed in healthy individuals in some cases. Therefore, there are rather recommendations against the use of Chaenorhinum minus as a medicinal plant. In addition to a mild laxative effect, a diaphoretic effect was clearly observed. In the past, the small toadflax was indeed often used for performance enhancement. The often suspected performance-enhancing effect, however, as already mentioned, could also not yet be confirmed. The small linseed contains many ingredients whose effects are still largely unknown today. Overall, therefore, the importance of Chaenorhinum minus as a medicinal plant is very low.
