Bear's Breeches

Description:

Acanthus mollis reaches on average 30–80 centimetres (12–31 in) of height, with a maximum of 180 centimetres (71 in), inflorescence included. It has basal clusters of deeply lobed and cut, shining dark green leaves, soft to the touch, up to 40 centimetres (16 in) long and 25 centimetres (9.8 in) broad, with a long petiole. The inflorescence is a long cylindrical spike 30–40 centimetres (12–16 in) long and can produce up to 120 flowers. The flowers are tubular, whitish, lilac or rose. Each flower is up to 5 centimetres (2.0 in) long and it is surrounded by three green or purplish bracts. The central bract is spiny and larger than the other two. The calyx has two lips, the upper is purple on the top, rather long and forms a kind of "helmet" on top of the corolla. The corolla is reduced to a white lower lip, trilobed, with a purple-pink vanation. The four stamens are fused to the corolla and look like tiny brushes. This species flowers in late spring or early summer, from May through August.

Habitat:

This garden plant is also quite common in the wild. It grows in dry areas, roadsides and wastelands, especially in the rocky and bushy places. It is tolerant of drought and shade and generally does not exceed an altitude of 300 metres

Notes:

La presencia en la raíz y hojas de abundante mucílago, permite su utilización como ablandante, mucilaginosa o vulneraria. Se ha usado para fabricar enemas contra la disentería, hemorroides o inflamaciones de las vías bajas. Algunos géneros próximos a Acanthus, como es el caso de Justicia, se utilizan en su área original, Centroamérica, como psicótropos. Se utiliza como astringente, antidiarréico, colerético, expectorante. En uso externo: demulcente, vulnerario (cicatrizante). Las hojas se han usado como estimulante del apetito y laxante por vía interna, externamente en cataplasmas como antiinflamatorio. El jugo de la planta se ha recomendado como tratamiento sintomático del herpes, quemaduras y contusiones en general por un cierto efecto analgésico. Indicado para diarreas, disquinesias hepatobiliares, colecistitis, colelitiasis. Bronquitis, gripe, resfriados. En uso externo: Eczemas, heridas, estomatitis, faringitis, rectocolitis, vulvovaginitis, distrofias de la mucosa vulvovaginal.