Flora Palaestina Ethnobotany

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Family

Lamiaceae (Labiatae)

Synonym(s)

English name(s)

Common Balm
Lemon Balm

Hebrew Name(s)

melisa refu'it

מֵלִיסָה רְפוּאִית

Arabic Name(s)

mellisa مليسا
turunjan ترنجان

Life Form

Annual

Habitat

Humid habitats

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Medicinal Complaints / Uses

Melissa officinalis L.

System/State	Traditional Complaint/Use	Activity / Interpretation	Traditional Preparation/ Administration	Parts Used	Source
Cardiovascular	Heart strengthener	Cardiac	Preparation/ Admin/ Plant Part not specified.	Not specified	Z
Mental Health	Nervousness	Anxiolytic	1. Decoct leaves & drink 1 cup + little tea (Camellia sinensis). 2. Prepare tea from leaves, sweeten & drink x1 cup/day.	Leaf	B
Respiratory	Cold & cough	Anti-Infective, Anti-tussive	Decoct leaves & drink 1 cup x3/day until well.	Leaf	B
Wound Healing	Wound inflammation	Anti-Infective, Vulnerary	Mix equal amounts of leaves + marjoram (Origanum majorana) leaves + "saris", lentisque (Pistacia lentiscus) + watercress (Nasturtium officinale) + carob (Ceratonia siliqua) + pomegrante (Punica granatum); grind well & eat x1 tablespoon daily for 1 mth.	Leaf	B

Notes

Cautions

High doses of Melissa officinalis can cause irritation & benign prostatic hyplasia (BPH). Avoid during pregnancy. Care if sensitive skin. Essential oil can raise ocular pressure therefore avoid in glaucoma.

The authors of FLORAPALE, (Flora Palaestina Ethnobotanical) web site do not take responsibility for any adverse effects from the use of the plants described here. Always seek advice from a health professional before using a plant medicinally or for other purposes. See DISCLAIMER.