''Helichrysum italicum'' is a species of

flowering plant Flowering plants are plants that bear flowers and fruits, and form the clade Angiospermae (). The term angiosperm is derived from the Ancient Greek, Greek words (; 'container, vessel') and (; 'seed'), meaning that the seeds are enclosed with ...

in the family

Asteraceae Asteraceae () is a large family (biology), family of flowering plants that consists of over 32,000 known species in over 1,900 genera within the Order (biology), order Asterales. The number of species in Asteraceae is rivaled only by the Orchi ...

. It is sometimes called the curry plant because of the strong fragrance of its leaves. Other common names include Italian strawflower and immortelle. It grows on dry, rocky or sandy ground around the

Mediterranean The Mediterranean Sea ( ) is a sea connected to the Atlantic Ocean, surrounded by the Mediterranean basin and almost completely enclosed by land: on the east by the Levant in West Asia, on the north by Anatolia in West Asia and Southern ...

. The stems are woody at the base and can reach or more in height. The clusters of yellow flowers are produced in summer, retain their colour after picking, and are used in dried flower arrangements. This plant is sometimes used as a spice. Although called "curry plant" and smelling like curry powder, it is not related to this mixture of spices, nor the curry tree ('' Murraya koenigii''), and is not used as masala for

curry Curry is a dish with a sauce or gravy seasoned with spices, mainly derived from the interchange of Indian cuisine with European taste in food, starting with the Portuguese, followed by the Dutch and British, and then thoroughly internatio ...

dishes either. Rather, it has a resinous, somewhat bitter aroma reminiscent of sage or wormwood. Its young shoots and leaves are used in a stew of

meat, fish, or vegetable dishes until they have imparted their flavour and removed before serving.

Cultivation

''Helichrysum italicum'' is a tender perennial (USDA Zones 7–10). It is propagated by rooting semi-hardwood cuttings in summer and overwintering in frost-free conditions. Image:Helichrysum italicum.jpg, ''Helichrysum italicum'' Image:Helichrysum italicum flowers.jpg, ''Helichrysum italicum'' flowering File:Curry-plant-blooming.JPG, Close-up of inflorescences

References

Sources

* * * David Burnie (1995) Wild Flowers of the Mediterranean. * T. G. Tutin ''et al.'' (1968) Flora Europaea, Volume 2. * J. Mastelić, O. Politeo and I. Jerković ''Contribution to the Analysis of the Essential Oil of Helichrysum italicum (Roth) G. Don. – Determination of Ester Bonded Acids and Phenols'' Molecules 2008, 13(4), 795-803

External links

Plants for a Future database
* italicum Medicinal plants of Europe Plants described in 1830 {{Gnaphalieae-stub