WHITE GINGER LILY, Hedychium coronarium

Latin name: Hedychium coronarium

Hedychium coronarium is the national flower of Cuba, where it is known as mariposa (literally “butterfly”) because of its shape. Women used to adorn themselves with these fragrant flowers during the Spanish colonial era; due to the complex structure of the inflorescence, women would hide and carry secret messages beneath it that were important to the cause of independence. The plant has naturalized in the cool, rainy mountains of the Sierra del Rosario in the western province of Pinar del Río, in the Escambray Mountains in the center of the island, and in the Sierra Maestra in the far east of the island.

Distilled part: leaves

Origin: Madagascar

Properties: balancing effect on the nervous system (CNS) +++, digestive action, mild cortisone-like effect (mild anti-asthenic), lymphotonic and decongestant effects when applied to the skin, airborne antiseptic when diffused.

Indications: arthritis, osteoarthritis, bronchitis, bursitis, cellulite, constipation, indigestion, gas, flatulence, anal fissures, hemorrhoids, impotence, bronchiolitis, motion sickness, nausea, toothache, sinusitis, tendinitis, ulcers, varicose veins, vomiting.

Contraindications: none at physiological doses.