Paris quadrifolia / Eenbes

In de oudere loofbossen met een vochtige bodem tref je als typische bosplant de Eenbes, Paris quadrifolia, aan. De plant heeft meestal vier bladeren die in een ster staan op één stengel. Op deze centrale stengel staan één bloem met opvallende meeldraden en een vruchtbeginsel dat uitgroeit tot een blauw-zwarte giftige(!) bes. Het is een van de meest vroege bloeiers in het bos.

De Eenbes is zeldzaam en kwetsbaar en staat op de Rode lijst, categorie 4. Er is nog een tweede reden om deze soort met rust te laten: de zwarte bes is zeer giftig!

De soort geeft een sterke aasgeur af en lokt daarmee vooral vliegen. Deze vliegen, constant op zoek naar net gestorven dieren, waarin ze hun eitjes kunnen leggen en waaraan ze zich voeden, komen op de geur af en en passant nemen ze pollen mee van de ene bloem naar de andere en zorgen zo voor de bestuiving en bevruchting van de Eenbes.

"Deze in het oog springende soort is relatief zeldzaam en is te vinden in de matig voedselrijke en vochtige bossen. Na de bloei ontwikkelt zich een enkele bes omgeven door vier grote bladeren. Het verhaal gaat dat de bes de twistappel uit de Griekse mythologie voorstelt. Op de appel (overigens waarschijnlijk een gouden variant uit het geslacht Malus) stond ""Voor de schoonste"" geschreven, waarna de godinnen Hera, Athena en Aphrodite ruzie kregen over wie de appel toekwam. Het was aan kroonprins Paris van Troje de taak om de ruzie te beslechten en de appel te overhandigen aan 'de schoonste'. Nadat Aphrodite hem de mooiste vrouw ter wereld beloofde, overhandigde Paris haar de appel. Een keuze die uiteindelijk zou leiden tot de Trojaanse oorlog en de ondergang van Paris, zijn familie en zijn stad. Ook de de simpele bes van Paris quadrifolia kan leiden tot ongeluk. Eenbes is zeer giftig, maar werd lange tijd gebruikt in de homeopathie en om besmettelijke ziekten af te weren. Vandaar een tweede naam: Pestbes."

HERB PARIS / Other Name(s): Einbeere, Étrangle-Loup, Herb-Paris, Herbe à Paris, Hierba de Pares, Hierba de París, One Berry, Paris quadrifolia, Parisette, Parisette à Quatre Feuilles, Raisin de Renard, Tilki Uzumu, Uva de Raposa, Wang Sun.

The entire plant, harvested just as it is coming into flower, is antirheumatic and detergent[13, 61, 178]. In large doses the herb is narcotic, producing nausea, vomiting, vertigo etc[4]. It should be used with great caution, overdoses have proved fatal to children[4]. In small doses it is of benefit in the treatment of bronchitis, spasmodic coughs, rheumatism, colic etc[4]. The plant is also used in the treatment of headaches and neuralgia[61, 178]. The seeds and the berries have something of the nature of opium, they have been used as an aphrodisiac[4]. A tincture of the fresh plant is useful as an antidote to poisoning by mercurial sublimate and arsenic[4]. A cooling ointment made from the seeds and juice of the leaves is applied externally to wounds, tumours and inflammations[4]. The juice of the berries is used to treat eye inflammations[4]. A homeopathic remedy is made from the plant[4].

Propagation

Seed - best sown as soon as it is ripe in late summer in a cold frame. Sow stored seed in a cold frame as soon as it is received. The seed is very slow to germinate. It produces a primary root about 7 months after sowing, this pulls the seed deeper into the soil. Leaves are produced about 4 months later. Sow the seed thinly so that it does not need to be thinned and grow the young plants on undisturbed in a shady part of the greenhouse for their first two years of growth. Give an occasional liquid feed in the growing season to ensure the plants do not become nutrient deficient. At the end of the second year's growth prick out the young plants into individual pots and grow them on for another year or two in a shady part of the greenhouse before planting them out in the spring. 

[4] Grieve. A Modern Herbal. Penguin 1984 ISBN 0-14-046-440-9. Not so modern (1930's?) but lots of information, mainly temperate plants. [61] Usher. G. A Dictionary of Plants Used by Man. Constable 1974 ISBN 0094579202. Forget the sexist title, this is one of the best books on the subject. Lists a very extensive range of useful plants from around the world with very brief details of the uses. Not for the casual reader. [178] Stuart. Rev. G. A. Chinese Materia Medica. Taipei. Southern Materials Centre. A translation of an ancient Chinese herbal. Fascinating.

Herb Paris’s generic name Paris is a reference to the Troyan prince of the same time who in Ancient Greek mythology was asked by the god Hermes to give a golden apple to the most beautiful goddess. From the point of view of the plant’s name-giver, herb Paris’s four leaves represent Paris and the three competing goddesses, and the berry growing at the top is the apple. The reference in herb Paris’s scientific name to its four leaves sometimes misses the mark, however, as in a good spot it might have five or even as much as seven leaves; young plants and those growing in the barren north might only have three, however. Herb Paris is a very good indicator of soil fertility because the land should be at least moderately nutritious for the species to thrive. Even in its best habitats it often grows sparsely and hardly forms real stands. Herb Paris is common or at least quite common as far north as Kainuu, but it also grows rarely in northern Finland.

Herb Paris’s flower is not particularly charming and its scent is not very appealing either. The abundance of flies that visit the flower are definitely attracted by something, however, perhaps the dark pistil, which some think smells like rotting meat. The bluish black berry that develops at the top of the plant is reminiscent of blueberry, and it can be picked by mistake if it is growing among the berry plants. The berry is poisonous to humans, and even a few berries are enough to cause symptoms. The disgusting flavour of the berry is a good safeguard however against ingesting a fatal dose. Apart from this, the berries are solitary, so nobody could collect a handful without noticing. A lot of the plant’s old Finnish names, as well as its current one – wolfberry – warn of danger. Moss patches and forest litter quite efficiently prevent the seeds from developing, so herb Paris survives and spreads in many places through its rootstock.

Z Naturforsch C J Biosci. 2012 Nov-Dec;67(11-12):565-70. doi: 10.1515/znc-2012-11-1206. Chemical composition and biological activity of Paris quadrifolia L. Kristina Jenett-Siems 1, Nadin Krause, Karsten Siems, Sven Jakupovic, Gerd Wallukat, Matthias E Melzig A study of the components of Paris quadrifolia was undertaken to identify compounds with potential influence on cardiac cells, since previous reports suggested a cardiotoxic risk of this plant. Compounds isolated and identified included one new steroidal saponin, (23S,24S)-spirosta-5,25(27)-diene-1beta,3beta,21,23,24-pentol-1-O-beta-D-apiofuranosyl-(1-->3)-alpha-L-rhamnopyranosyl-(1-->2)-[beta-D-xylopyranosyl-(1-->3)]-beta-D-glucopyranoside 21-O-beta-D-apiofuranoside 24-O-beta-D-fucopyranoside (1), demonstrating quite unusual structural features, as well as the known compounds 26-O-beta-D-glucopyranosyl-(25R)-5-en-furost-3beta,17alpha,22alpha,26-tetraol-3-O-alpha-L-rhamnopyranosyl-(1-->4)-alpha-L-rhamnopyranosyl-(1-->4)-[alpha-L-rhamnopyranosyl--(1-->2)]-beta-D-glucopyranoside (2), pennogenin 3-O-alpha-L-rhamnopyranosyl-(1-->4)-alpha-L-rhamnopyranosyl-(1-->4)-[alpha-L-rhamnopyranosyl-(1-->2)]-beta-D-glucopyranoside (3), 7-O-beta-D-glucopyranosyl-kaempferol-3-O-beta-D-glucopyranosyl-(1-->2)-beta-D-galactopyranoside (4), kaempferol-3-O-beta-D-glucopyranosyl-(1-->2)-beta-D-galactopyranoside (5), 5-hydroxyecdysterone (6), and 20-hydroxyecdysone (7). The pennogenin derivative 3 showed strong cardiotoxic effects in an in vitro cellular model system, whereas the respective furostanol derivative 2 was inactive.

The traditional uses, phytochemistry, and pharmacological properties of Paris L. (Liliaceae): A review. Yu-Gang Ding a b, Yan-Li Zhao a, Ji Zhang a, Zhi-Tian Zuo a, Qing-Zhi Zhang b, Yuan-Zhong Wang aThe dried rhizomes of P. polyphylla, P. polyphylla var. chinensis, and P. polyphylla var. yunnanensis were used to treat wound, bleeding, and stomachache, etc. in folk medicine. Phytochemistry researches showed that different species had pretty similarities especially in terms of chemical constituents. Pharmacological studies witnessed that Rhizome Paridis has various activities. Among these activities, steroidal saponins were the main active ingredients. Furthermore, an important aspect responsible for increasing interest in genus Paris is the use of antifertility-nonhormonal contraceptives by women. Also, the development of TCM (Traditional Chinese medicine) planting industry can improve the income of ethnic minorities and promote economic development.

A Modern Herbal, by Mrs. M. Grieve / Paris, Herb

POISON!

Botanical: Paris quadrifolia (LINN.)

Family: N.O. Trilliaceae

---Synonyms---Herba Paris. Solanum quadrifolium. Aconitum pardalianches. True Love. One Berry.

(French) Parisette.

(German) Einbeere.

---Part Used---The entire plant, just coming into bloom.

---Habitat---Europe, Russian Asia, and fairly abundant in Britain, but confined to certain places.

---Description---This singular plant gets its generic name of Paris from par (paris), equal on account of the regularity of its leaves. In olden times it was much esteemed and used in medicine, but to-day its use is almost confined to homoeopathy. It is a herbaceous perennial plant found in moist places and damp shady woods. It has a creeping fleshy rootstock, a simple smooth upright stem about 1 foot high, crowned near its top with four pointed leaves, from the centre of which rises a solitary greeny-white flower, blooming May and June with a foetid odour; the petals and sepals remain till the purply-blackberry (fruit) is ripe, which eventually splits to discharge its seeds.

---Constituents---A glucoside called Paradin.

---Medicinal Action and Uses---Narcotic, in large doses producing nausea, vomiting, vertigo, delirium convulsions, profuse sweating and dry throat. The drug should be used with great caution; overdoses have proved fatal to children and poultry. In small doses it has been found of benefit in bronchitis; spasmodic coughs, rheumatism; relieves cramp, colic, and palpitation of the heart; the juice of the berries cures inflammation of the eyes. A cooling ointment is made from the seeds and the juice of the leaves for green wounds and for outward application for tumours and inflammations. The powdered root boiled in wine is given for colic. One or 2 scruples acts as an emetic in place of Ipecacuanha.

It has been used as an aphrodisiac - the seeds and berries have something of the nature of opium. The leaves in Russia are prescribed for madness. The leaves and berries are more actively poisonous than the root.

Herb Paris is useful as an antidote against mercurial sublimate and arsenic. A tincture is prepared from the fresh plant.

---Other Species---Paris polyphylla, which grows in Nepaul.