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prettygoodwordcomfrey (KUHM-free) - n., and of several perennial European herbs (genus Symphytum, especially S. officinale) with hairy lanceate leaves and clusters of small white, pink, or purplish flowers; any herbal preparation of this plant's leaves or roots.
Long cultivated as an herbal remedy, thus its alternate name boneset. It is potentially toxic when taken internally, so is now disrecommended for treating bronchial and gastric ailments, but is still used as a topical anti-inflammatory and for the treatment of bruises and other wounds. It's also a valuable addition to compost. Used in Middle English as comferi/cumfirie/conferye since at least around 1300, from Anglo-French/Old French cumfirie, from Medieval Latin *cōnfervia, from Latin cōnferva, from cōnfervēre, to boil together, from com-, with, together + fervēre, to boil -- which attests to its long use as a tisane.
---L.
Long cultivated as an herbal remedy, thus its alternate name boneset. It is potentially toxic when taken internally, so is now disrecommended for treating bronchial and gastric ailments, but is still used as a topical anti-inflammatory and for the treatment of bruises and other wounds. It's also a valuable addition to compost. Used in Middle English as comferi/cumfirie/conferye since at least around 1300, from Anglo-French/Old French cumfirie, from Medieval Latin *cōnfervia, from Latin cōnferva, from cōnfervēre, to boil together, from com-, with, together + fervēre, to boil -- which attests to its long use as a tisane.
---L.
