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Ecology & Environment
Mahesh

29/09/22 13:01 PM IST

silphion

In News 
  • A Mediterranean medicinal plant considered a cure-all that mysteriously vanished 2,000 years ago may still be around, a recent study claimed.
About Silphion
  • The resin of the silphion was extensively used as a spice, perfume, aphrodisiac, contraceptive and medicine. It occupied an important place in the export economy of ancient Cyrene, an old Greek and later Roman colony near north-eastern Libya.
  • Silphion was used to treat various health problems, including goitre, sciatica (nerve pain), toothache, intestinal disorders, hormonal disorders, epilepsy, tetanus, polyps (abnormal growth of tissues) and malignant tumours, according to studies.
  • Its stalks were eaten as a vegetable, while the roots were consumed raw. The plant was also used to preserve lentils, historical records showed.
  • Overharvesting may have driven the plant into extinction.
Source- DTE 

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