CROATIAN FLORA 2016 - CURRY PLANT (IMMORTELLE)

Curry plant (immortelle) Helichrysum italicum (Roth) G. Don, family of Asteraceae English: curry plant, immortelle German: italienische Strohblume, italienische Immortelle, Currykraut French: l'immortelle d'Italie Italian: l'elicriso italiano, Curry plant (immortelle) is aromatic and at its base a woody half-bush reaching the height of about half a metre. Young branches are covered with small hair and linear leaves are often silver-white). Gold-yellow flower heads (Latin name of the genus originates from the Greek word helios, sun, and chryson, golden) are 3 mm in diameter, built of tiny tubular flowers and surrounded by bracts. More flower heads are clustered on tops of branches in umbel - an umbrella-like shield of flowers of a diameter up to 10 cm. Immortelle blossoms from April to July in sunny, open areas, mostly on rocky grassland and in shrubs. Immortelle is a genuine Mediterranean plant spread throughout whole South Europe, Northwest Africa and Asia Minor. A number of subspecies of immortelle are known which differ by their height and leaf size.. Although always appreciated as a curative plant, immortelle has only in recent years become exceptionally popular in all parts of the world and thus its natural habitats in Croatia are often exposed to merciless devastation. From flower heads, through their distillation, a light colour oil of pleasant scent and wide application in pharmaceutical and cosmetic industry is obtained. It contains an abundance of bitter chemical compounds (phalides, flavonoids) which are very efficient in curing various skin diseases, injuries and anomalies: from effective compresses against burns and cuts to “miraculous” preparations which remove wrinkles. It is used in alternative ways of curing, from aromatherapy to homeopathy. In industrial production of scents immortelle oil is used as fundamental solution (fixative) to which later various other scents are added. Food producers add it to chewing gums, sweets, ice creams and baker's products. In small quantities immortelle leaves can be added to various meat or fish dishes of Mediterranean kitchen, soups, stews and fresh salads, while flower clusters are added to tea blends. Immortelle flower heads are also added to dried flower arrangements because they keep their golden yellow colour for long time. Also various other species of this great genus are popular as dried strawflowers from which many decorative cultivars of different colours have been obtained and some sorts are cultivated also as small hedges (the plant withstands pruning very well). Sanja Kovačić