Coriandrum sativum
Part Used: Dried leaf
Cilantro (Coriandrum sativum) and Coriander are synonymous in the U.S. It is an annual herb in the family Apiaceae. Cilantro is a small annual plant that has been cultivated for several millenniums and is still grown in North and South America, Europe and the Mediterranean countries. It is a soft, hairless, foetid plant growing to 50 cm tall. The entire plant including the leaves, the seeds and roots are all edible. The leaves are variable in shape, broadly lobed at the base of the plant, and slender and feathery higher on the flowering stems. All parts of the plant are edible, but the fresh leaves and the dried seeds are the most commonly used in cooking. Cilantro has been used as a folk medicine for the relief of anxiety and insomnia in Iranian folk medicine. It is considered an aid to the digestive system. It is an appetite stimulant and aids in the secretion of gastric juices.
Chinese Folk medicine uses Cilantro leaves and seeds to help remove unpleasant odors occurring in the genital areas of men and women, as well as halitosis or bad breath. It is also used for dyspeptic complaints, loss of appetite, and complaints of the upper abdomen. It has been used traditionally for digestive and gastric complaints as well as for coughs, chest pains, bladder complaints, leprosy rash, fever, dysentery, externally for headaches, oral and pharyngeal disorders, halitosis, and post- partal complications. The fruits of Cilantro: alterative, antibilious, antispasmodic, aphrodisiac, appetizer, aromatic, carminative, diaphoretic, diuretic, refrigerant, stimulant, stomachic, and tonic. Chinese herbalists suggest that Cilantro herb can be used to treat influenza in which there is no sweating. It can be applied externally for rheumatism and painful joints. It improves the flavor of other medicinal preparations. At one time it was believed to have aphrodisiac effects.
References:
Holistic Online. http://www.holisticonline.com/Herbal-Med/_Herbs/h142.htm
Wikipedia. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coriander
