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Digitalis purpurea


Digitalis purpurea
Photo Information
Copyright: John Cannon (tyro) (30)
Genre: Plants
Medium: Color
Date Taken: 2008-06-27
Categories: Flowers
Camera: Canon EOS 20D, Canon EF-S 60mm f/2.8 Macro USM, 52mm Skylight 1A
Exposure: f/16, 1/200 seconds
Details: (Fill) Flash: Yes
More Photo Info: [view]
Photo Version: Original Version
Date Submitted: 2008-06-28 4:43
Viewed: 4814
Points: 4
[Note Guidelines] Photographer's Note
This is Digitalis purpurea or common foxglove.

The foxglove is a widely used herbal medicine with a recognised stimulatory effect upon the heart. It is also used in allopathic medicine in the treatment of heart complaints. It has a profound tonic effect upon a diseased heart, enabling the heart to beat more slowly, powerfully and regularly without requiring more oxygen. At the same time it stimulates the flow of urine which lowers the volume of the blood and lessens the load on the heart. The plant contains cardiac glycosides (including digoxin, digitoxin and lanatosides). Digitoxin rapidly strengthens the heartbeat but is excreted very slowly. Digoxin is therefore preferred as a long-term medication. The leaves are cardiac, diuretic, stimulant and tonic. The leaves should only be harvested from plants in their second year of growth, picked when the flowering spike has grown and about two thirds of the flowers have opened. Harvested at other times, there is less of the medically active alkaloid present. The seed has also been used in the past. The leaves also have a very beneficial effect on the kidneys, they are strongly diuretic and are used with benefit in the treatment of dropsy (oedema). Great care should be exercised in the use of this plant, the therapeutic dose is very close to the lethal dose. A homeopathic remedy is made from the leaves and it is used in the treatment of cardiac disorders.

I think the message is - Leave well alone! Look and admire but do not eat!

Shot in dull weather using flash. Picture taken in RAW and converted and edited in Photoshop Elements 6.

All comments/critiques/advice welcome!
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To Royaldevon: Whoo, hoo!tyro 1 07-03 16:02
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Critiques [Translate]

hi john.

this is even better, if you don't mind me saying, than the one on TL.

TN is such a strange place.

regards
Brian

Hello John,

Nice to hear from you again.
This is a very lovely flower, captured with fine details and colours. I like your close view, showing the inside of the bells and the tight crop.
The raindroplets are a very lovely added extra.

Kind regards,
Bev :-)

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