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BOTANICAL NAME: Petroselinum crispum and Petroselinum neapolitanum
FAMILY NAME: Apiaceae - Parsley is of course a member of the parsley or carrot family.
Parsley is a native of Southern Europe. It can be grown successfully throughout the topic but tends to decay rather quickly the equator. It is widely grown in philipines, Malaysia, east and west Africa, Brazil, Caribbean. It is not commonly grown in India.
Parsley is an erect, beinnial or short lived prennial herb with a flashy aromatic tap root and dark green shiny leaves which rise from a short stem. there are two groups of Parsley:
- One group is with plain leaves
- Other group is with curled leaves, commonky known as moss-curled.
An analysis of Parsley shows it to contain moisture - 74.6%, protein - 5.9%, fat - 1.0%, minerals - 3.2%, fibre - 1.8%, carbohydrate - 13.5%.
Their mineral and vitamins contents are calcium, phosphorus, iron, carotene, thiamin, riboflavin, niacin and vitamin C.
Calorific value of Parsley is 87.
Parsley is rich in ascorbic acid and hence is a good blood cleanser. It increaes the secretion and discharge of urine and relieves flatulence. Raw Parsley juice has some metabolic propities for the normal functioning of the adrenal and thyroid glands.
Medicinal uses of Parsely
carminative, tonic, aperient, diuretic. A strong decoction of the root is used in gravel, stone, kidney congestion, jaundice and dropsy. Bruised parsely seeds used to be given against plague and intermittent fevers, while the external application of the leaves may help to dispel tumours. A poultice of the leaves is effective against bites and stings of poisonous insects.
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