Foraging Gozo. Small White Clover

Small White Clover, found growing wild on Gozo and known to be lucky makes a great pudding!

Author of, Weeds For Health On Gozo, Heléna Szöllősy shares everything you need to know about the wild plants that make up Gozo’s unique and diverse flora. Enjoy learning about the healing benefits and many usages of Small White Clover which flowers from March to May.

Botanical Name: Trifolium nigrescens- Viviani
Synonyms: none
Family Name: Fabaceae or Leguminosae
Maltese Name: Xnien abjad
Common Names: Shamrock, White clover
Meaning of the Name: Trifolium, from Latin, tres three and folium, leaf, three-leaved,
nigrescens, from Latin, niger, black, blackening

DESCRIPTION

Small white clover is a herbaceous, perennial plant. The leaves form the symbol known as a shamrock and it blooms with whitish flowers, often with a tinge of pink or cream that may come on with the aging of the plant. The flowers are mostly visited by bumblebees and it flowers on Gozo from March to May.

• Habitats: Sandy and gravelly pastures, also on cliff tops, avoiding acid soils and shady positions.
• Range: Mediterranean, North Africa, Middle East
• Status for Malta: Indigenous. Originating from Maltese islands. Very common in the wild.
• Parts Used: the whole plant.
• Herbal Actions: Antirheumatic, Anti-Scrophularia, Depurative, Detergent, Ophthalmic, Tonic
• Main Active Constituents: caryophyllin, eugenin, fibre, gallotannic acid, gum, minerals (Calcium, Magnesium) resin, vitamins A, vitamin B, vitamin C, vitamin E, volatile oil

INTERNAL USES:

1. White clover cleans the system and decreases irritation and muscular activity of the gastrointestinal tract. The most stimulating and carminative of all aromatics; given in powder or infusion for nausea emesis, flatulence, languid indigestion, and dyspepsia, and used chiefly to assist the action of other medicines.
2. The tea is anti-inflammatory, calming, expectorant, and antispasmodic.
3. An infusion has been used in the treatment of coughs, colds, fevers, and leucorrhoea.
4. An infusion of White Clover flowers and leaves is good for detoxification and rebuilding. It is a good remedy to purify the blood and menstrual conditions, leucorrhoea, rheumatoid arthritis, and arthritis.
5. White Clover is stimulating the liver and gallbladder. Clover tea is used for fevers, Bright’s disease, colds, flu, bronchial coughs, whooping coughs, and tuberculosis.
6. White clover is considered a prophylactic against mumps. It can be used to relieve the symptoms of asthma, can reduce inflammations, and assist in combating the symptoms of PMS. It soothes spasms and can be used as a urinal and vaginal relaxant.
7. It is also used to decrease the activity of the central nervous system.

EXTERNAL USES:

1. A strong tea of white clover blossoms is very healing to sores when applied externally. It is used to treat boils, wounds, ulcers, gout, abscess, scrofula, and other skin diseases.
2. A tincture of the leaves is applied as an ointment to gout.
3. An infusion of the flowers has been used as an eyewash.
4. Clover flowers can be mashed up to produce a syrupy paste, which is then applied to skin disorders such as open sores or athlete’s foot.

EDIBLE USES:

1. Fresh plants have been used for centuries as additives to salads and other meals consisting of leafy vegetables. White Clover is rich in vitamins A, B, C, and E and minerals Ca, Mg, etc. They are not easy for humans to digest raw, however, but this is easily fixed by boiling the harvested plants for 5–10 minutes.
2. Flowers – dried flowerheads and seedpods can be ground up into nutritious flour and mixed with other foods or can be steeped into herbal tea. White clover flour is sometimes sprinkled onto cooked foods such as boiled rice.
3. Leaves – used in soups, the leaves are often harvested before the plant produces flowers.
4. Roots – cooked are also edible, although they are most often cooked first-hand.

OTHER USES

1. An excellent forage crop for livestock, the plant makes good green manure, and it is useful for over-wintering, especially in a mixture with Lolium perenne. Produces a good bulk. It is a host to ’clover rot” however, so should not be used too frequently.
2. It can be undersown with cereals or with tomatoes in a greenhouse (sow the seed before planting the tomatoes).

PRECAUTIONS: Headaches, nausea and fatigue are some general side effects caused due to excess consumption of clover. Its high concentration of oestrogen can also upset hormonal balance in women.

Make This! White Clover Pudding

INGREDIENTS

1. 2 cups of white clover blossoms (remove/snip petals from the flower head and discard any browned petals)
2. 1 tbsp (or one sheet) of organic unflavoured gelatine
3. 1 cup of water
4. 1/2 cup of fresh squeezed orange juice (approx. two large oranges)
5. 4 tablespoons of White Clover Honey preferably – though any honey will do
6. 1 cup of heavy cream whipped to stiffness (or 1 cup of full-fat organic Greek yogurt)
7. pinch of salt

Preparation

Dissolve the gelatine in 1/4 cup of water.

1. In a small saucepan slowly bring to a boil the white clover blossoms, water, orange juice, honey, and salt.
2. Remove from heat, stir in the gelatine until completely dissolved, and allow to stand for 10 minutes.
3. Place covered in the refrigerator until the mixture begins to jell.
4. Whip 1 cup of heavy cream until it stiffens. (Yoghurt alternative)
5. Fold whipped cream or yogurt into the jelled clover mixture.
6. Place into a clear glass serving bowl and refrigerate until set.

Want to learn what else you can forage on Gozo? Click here.

Author : Heléna Szöllősy. Editor: GITH

Helena is an expert on the medicinal properties of plants having trained in Herbal Medicine and Naturopathy, specialising in Phytotherapy including Homeopathy, Aromatherapy, Apitherapy and Bach Flower Therapy.

Information on the traditional uses and properties of herbs is provided in this book for educational purposes only and is not intended as medical advice. This information is not intended to be used to diagnose, prescribe or replace professional medical care. If you have any serious health concerns, you should always check with your healthcare practitioner before self-administering herbs. Please also undertake your own research when foraging. Some wild plants are endangered and are protected by law.

Author: GITH