Lunaria annua

Scientific description

Taxon: Lunaria annua
Class: Magnoliopsida (Dicotyledons)
Subclass: Rosidae
Order: Brassicales
Family: Brassicaceae
Common name: Honesty / Annual Honesty / Silver Dollar plant

Origin:
Southwestern Europe.

Description:
Annual or biennial herb 40–100 cm tall, erect, branched, hairy stems. Leaves heart-shaped, toothed, nearly sessile; lower ones petiolate. Flowers April–June, purple. Fruits oval silicles, upright, papery, resembling silver coins when dry.

Propagation:
Easily propagated by seeds; self-sows abundantly year after year.

Ecology:
Near human habitats: hedgerows, ditches, gardens, humid semi-shaded areas.

Uses:
Ornamental. Silvery, coin-like seedpods used in dried floral arrangements. Not edible.

Threats:
No major threats; Least Concern; widespread and sometimes naturalized.

Creative writing inspired by Lunaria annua

The pope's coin

In medieval times, there lived a princess called Katerina. Every morning, the young gardener at her palace would bring a plant called the pope's coin to her room. This plant was known to protect people from evil spirits and disease. Katerina, however, didn't like the look or smell of the plant, and said it gave her an allergy. The young gardener, distressed, stopped bringing the plant to her room.

But the princess fell seriously ill and her condition became critical. The doctors didn't know what was wrong with her, but they considered her condition to be serious. The gardener gave her some herbs he made himself from the plants he grew in the palace garden, but nothing helped the princess. So he decided to try his luck and give her some herbs from the pope's coin. Although he hesitated at first, he finally decided to give it to Katerina to see if it would save her. As if by magic, once she drank it, Katerina not only recovered, but also acquired the magical ability to heal the sick.

After thanking the gardener for the gift of life he had given her, she decided to plant dozens of pope's coins in the garden herself, to distribute them to the people of her country and save them from illness. The pope's coin plant became a symbol of longevity, and Katerina kept it in her room from then on. The gardener became her most loyal assistant, and she helped him prepare herbs to save people suffering from illness.

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Authentic Specimen