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Apiaceae FAMILY

Ammi majus

Ammi majus

Edibility
0/5
Medicinal
4/5

Safety & Hazards

The seed contains various furanocoumarins inclusing xanthotoxin (8-methoxypsoralen) and bergapten (5-methoxypsoralen). Furanocoumarins stimulate the production of pigmentation in skin exposed to ultra-violet light, but it can cause side-effects. Use with caution[1]. Skin contact with the sap is said to cause photo-sensitivity and/or dermatitis in some people[2].

Cultivation Details

HabitAnnual
Growth—

Prefers a well-drained soil in a sunny position[3], succeeding in ordinary garden soil.

Propagation

Seed - sow spring or autumn in situ[3]. Cite as: Temperate Plants Database, Ken Fern. temperate.theferns.info. 2026-02-20. <temperate.theferns.info/plant/Ammi+majus>

Pollinators

Insects

References

  1. [1]Wonder Crops. 1987. — Natural Food Institute, ↩︎Fascinating reading, this is an annual publication. Some reports do seem somewhat exaggerated though.
  2. [2]Medicinal Plants of China — Duke. J. A. and Ayensu. E. S. · Reference Publications, Inc. · 1985 · ISBN 0-917256-20-4 ↩︎Details of over 1,200 medicinal plants of China and brief details of their uses. Often includes an analysis, or at least a list of constituents. Heavy going if you are not into the subject.
  3. [3]Encyclopaedia of Herbs and their Uses. — Bown. D. · Dorling Kindersley, London. · 1995 · ISBN 0-7513-020-31 ↩︎A very well presented and informative book on herbs from around the globe. Plenty in it for both the casual reader and the serious student. Just one main quibble is the silly way of having two separate entries for each plant.
  4. [4]A Guide to Medicinal Plants in North Africa — IUCN; Malaga, Spain · 2005 · ISBN 2-8317-0893-1 ↩︎A guide to over 100 species of medicinal herbs in N. Africa.
  5. [5]WHO Monographs on Selected Medicinal Plants Vol. 3 — World Health Organization; Geneva · 2007 · ISBN 978-92-4-154702-4 ↩︎Very detailed treatments of 31 medicinal herbs
  6. [6]Flora of the British Isles. — Clapham, Tutin and Warburg. · Cambridge University Press · 1962 · ISBN - ↩︎A very comprehensive flora, the standard reference book but it has no pictures.
  7. [7]The Encyclopedia of Medicinal Plants — Chevallier. A. · Dorling Kindersley. London · 1996 · ISBN 9-780751-303148 ↩︎An excellent guide to over 500 of the more well known medicinal herbs from around the world.