Herbs named Pigs

By Tedje van Asseldonk, july 2004 Translation: Helen Beijer
IEZ: Institute for Ethnobotany and Zoopharmacognosy, the Netherlands
Article available on www.ethnobotany.nl

Words in French (F)
Words in German (G)
Words in Dutch (NL)
Words in Flemish (FL)

Many vernacular names for plants link animals to the plants; in the case of “wolf” (wolfskers, wolfsmelk (NL)) this is often done to point out the toxicity of the Atropa and Euphorbia plant species. Another reason to link plants to certain animals can be their appearance (muize-oor (NL) “mouse-ear”, Kattestaart (NL) “cat’s tail”. When “snake” is used (slangewortel, slangekruid, slangelook (NL) for Calla, Echium, Allium species) the plant's shape was sometimes seen as an indication for its being a powerful anti-venom. But for zoopharmacognosy science the usage of the plant by animals is the most interesting source for a vernacular name. Research at the Das en Boom association (a Dutch environmental conservation organization that is focused on badgers) has shown that daslook (NL) Allium ursinum (“badgersleek” or ramson) is one of the few plants that are eaten by badgers. The same probably goes for varkensgras (NL) (“pigs grass”, Polygonum aviculare). One of the most remarkable things I encountered in the literature whilst preparing Zoopharmacognosy research concerning large grazers was that a pig, which had been deployed by Rijkswaterstaat to trim the vegetation in the Roetwaard, showed a strong preference for “pigs-grass” (34% of its bites; total including roots, feed and grass). This made me curious to find out about other pig-herbs; plants with a “pig” in their name.

Pigroot
Pigroot, Polygonum aviculare, from the 1000-knot family, is also known as swine’s grass, varkensgras, varkensknets, varkensstraat, varkenskruid, zwijnegras (NL) and herbe à cochons, renové des oiseau, aviculaire (F) and also vogelknöterig (G). Not only pigs but, apparently, according to the French and German names, birds love it as well. It is fed fresh, mainly to benefit a thick and shiny plumage (it contains a lot of silicic acid). This herb grows in every grassy verge, preferably on the path, just like plantain or waybread, with which it shares most of its uses. Dodoens says: it cools, helps stop blood-vomiting and –spitting, helps stop earaches, heartburn, and cures cholera; modern-day use mostly concerns enhancement of urine flow, regeneration of mucous tissue in the digestion track as well as in the respiratory track.

Cruciferea/Brassicaceae
The small "pigs-cress" varkenskers (NL) Coronopus didymus is a crucifer that is very similar to meadow-cress. Like watercress and gardencress (in taste and effect). This same plant, formally specified by the genus Senebiera, is also called swine’s cress and wart-cress. Does this indicate a possible treatment against warts, or does it refer to warthogs, or both?

Umbelliferae/Apiaceae
Hog’s fennel (Peucedanum officinale) is at this moment not an indigenous Dutch species. However Dutch names are: varkensstaart (NL); “pig’s tail”, varkenskervel, (pig's chervil) and zwavelwortel (NL); “sulphur-root” (the root has a strong sulphurous odor). Also in French reference to pig's tale are made. Dodoens uses this to aid against sleepy sickness, rage and epilepsy. In the Netherlands Peucedanum carvifolia (Peucedanum palustre, or Thysselinum palustre) it is called karwijvarkenskervel which means “caraway-hog’s-chervil”. Also weidevarkenskervel is a name. Like the name insinuates it is an umbellifer with a caraway/chervil appearance. Fournier uses this plant for epilepsy and explains the name pig's tale for P. officinale by the closely positioned leafs.

Conopodium majus, or pignut, is called “French earth-chestnut” but the Dutch have no pig-related name for it. This umbellifer plant used to be called Carum bulbocastanum or Bunium b.. The root forms an edible tuber that tastes like a chestnut, and according to Dodoens, cures blood and pus vomiting and the urination of blood.

Heracleum sphondylium (bear's breech, cow-parsnip, or hogweed) has the Dutch vernacular name bereklauw (“bears-claw”) and is also known in folk tradition as varkenskool, koemommel and koewafel (NL). The first name means “pig cabbage” and the latter two refer to cows. The plant used to be fed to horses in some parts of Holland and the seeds were used since Galenus’ time to remedy epilepsy and jaundice.

In this same family we also have Oenanthe peucedanifolia. Known as varkenskerveltorkruid in Dutch, which means “pig’s chervil-water dropwort”. This used to be used as a urine flow enhancer (please note: other water dropworts can be extremely poisonous!).

Composites/Asteraceae
Hypochaeris radicata or H. maculata commonly known as cat’s ear, has a completely different name in English from it’s name on the continent. In Germany (ferkelkraut, ferkelsalat), Holland (varkenssalade, biggenkruid) and France (porcelle, salade du porc) it’s vernacular names refer to pigs. The plant appears to be a branched dandelion with softer, hairy leaves. According to Fournier they help cure consumption of the lungs; they seem to have a soothing effect that stops coughing anyway.

Helianthus tuberosus commonly known as Jerusalem artichoke or topinambur was used as food for the pigs in past times because it was of a lesser nutritional value than potatoes. This is why in Flemish it is called verkens patatten which means “pig’s chips”.

Pigweed of the Amaranthus species (with the vernacular names amaranth, princes feather and cock’s comb) is also known in England. These plants allegedly have a styptic effect.

Fir clubmoss (Varkenskruid (NL)) refers to Lycopodium selago (Herbe aux porcs (F)). Dodoens tells us that it is dangerous in internal use, but in external use it is a powerful insecticide for cattle.

Sow thistle or milk thistle (zeugdistel or melkdistel in Dutch and saudistel in German) is the vernacular name for several Sonchus species (S. arvensis, S. oleraceus a.o.). According to Dodoens, when it is in it’s young and tender stage, it is a good nutritional plant that cools hard swelling and stimulates lactation.

Nipplewort (Lampsana communis) is called “swine-salad” (zwijne-salade) or “nipple herb” (tepelkruid) in Dutch, in French it is called herbe aux mammelles which means “herb for mammals”, and in German it is known as milchkraut which means “milk-herb” and hasenlattich which means “hare’s lettuce”. Dodoens indicates that the sap can be used externally to cure nipple and chest sores.

Swine-chicory (Arnoseris minima) also has a clear reference to pigs in one of it’s Dutch names, zwijnesla (“pig lettuce”). But both the Latin and French (chicorée de mouton) names refer to lambs.

The word “swine thistle” (zwijnedistel(NL)) is used for Carlina vulgaris.

Are all plants that have been mentioned so far, as was noticed in the case of pigroot, sought for and eaten by pigs? And do they look for food, or for medicine? We would like to investigate this.

Poisonous
All the previously mentioned plants, when consumed by pigs, can possibly have a positive effect on them. But there are also poisonous plants that refer to pigs.

Hyoscynamus niger commonly known as henbane or creeping jenny in English is one of them. In French it’s called fèfe a cochons, porcelet or mort aux poules. The first two names refer to pigs and the last one refers to (death of) chickens. In Dutch it is called zwijneboom (“swine-tree”) or kippedood (“chicken-death”) so it would seem that the name warns us for it’s toxicity. It is a hallucinogenic plant with an adrenaline-like effect on the body. The Dutch name for Solanum nigrum, another member of the nightshade family, doesn’t sound very positive either; “pig’s death” (varkensdood).

The same goes for the Christmas rose Helleborus niger. It is called “pig’s root” (varkenswortel) or “black-sneezing-herb” (zwart nieskruid) in Dutch. It is a poisonous plant from the ranunculus family.

“Pig’s cherry” (verkenskers) is the Dutch name for Prunus cerasus’ fruits which are very sour cherries. The Flemish vernacular name schijtkersekens (“shit-cherries”) says enough.

Functional?
The Dutch terms “pig’s hair” (varkenshaar) and “swine hair” (zwijnehaar) for matgrass (Nardio stricta); “pigleaf” (varkensblad) and “pig’s ear” (varkensoor) for plantain or waybread (Plantago major); and the term “swine-ears” for Agrostemma and Haemanthus are probably due to their appearance.

But what about a name like sow-bread (zeugenbrood (NL), saubrot (G), pain de porceau,and maron de cochon (F)) for Cyclamen europaeum? According to some old books the roots of the plant were fed to sows to improve fertility. However Dodoens states that the root is an abortive (for human use).

Or “pig’s clover” (varkensklaver (NL)) for red clover, Trifolium pratense?

We have bear-wort, bear-root (varkensvenkel, beerwortels (NL), bärwurz(G)), as names for Meum athamanticum or Athamanta meum. The root is used for cleaning the intestines and as a diuretic.

We have “pig’s prune” (varkenspruim (NL)) for Terminalia citrina; the term “swine-bells” (zwijnebeiers (FL)) for the Crataegus species or hawthorn.

What could all these plants mean to pigs; what kind of significance do plants that pigs search for, like truffles and acorns, hold for the health of these intelligent animals? We still know far too little so there is so much work to be done! We would like to hear from you if you have any complementary data to this subject.

References:
This article, written in Dutch, was part of an educational book made for the students of the academy for natural animal-care in Meppel, the Netherlands.
IEZ maintains a database for the Dutch ethnobotanical and ethnoveterinary traditions. We used for this article some Netherlands, German, French, English floral works and dictionaries. The RIZA report on Roetwaard is by Cornelissen et al, Lelystad 2000.
Most of the previous information (including the references to Dodoens from 1644 and Fournier from 1948) can be found in: Vandenbussche L. Onze volkstaal voor kruiden en artsenijen. 2^nd release 1978. Langemark (B).

1 Addition made by translator: Dutch names for pigs and their translations are varken and verken both mean pig, zwijn means swine, zeug means sow and big means piglet.