Silverweed

the herb of silverweed (Anserinae herba)

Silverweed (Argentina anserina, formerly Potentilla anserina) is a low perennial with runners and pinnate leaves that are silky and silvery on the underside; that is how it is recognised even without flowers. The flowers are yellow and borne singly. It grows beside paths, on trodden ground, on pastures and by water, where the soil is packed down.

The flowering herb is gathered from May to August, without the runners and without soil. It is dried in the shade, in a thin layer, and keeps the silver sheen of the undersides of the leaves after drying.

The name comes from the fact that the plant often grows where geese are kept. In the collection it appears as an ingredient of blends for the digestion and for women's complaints.

Use and evidence

Traditional use for mild cramps during menstruation and for mild diarrhoea is described in secondary sources, but no positive EMA monograph has been confirmed for this preparation and the clinical evidence is limited. Claims about epilepsy, tetanus or severe bleeding are not supported.