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Our editorial method

Each profile starts with a specific botanical species and plant part. Depending on the available evidence, it draws on EMA or WHO monographs, ANSM and ANSES information, botanical references and scientific publications. References and the date they were consulted appear at the end of each profile.

This herbarium is a documentary synthesis. Some profiles concern distinct species covered by a shared monograph; this scope is made explicit. Profiles marked “Limited evidence” do not recommend therapeutic use and are excluded from searches by need. This synthesis has not undergone clinical validation or independent medical review. References may change; consult the original documents and your product leaflet.

An inventory is not a recommendation

Inclusion in a French Pharmacopoeia list documents a species and plant part; it does not prove clinical efficacy or provide a recipe. ANSM list B covers plants whose potential adverse effects outweigh the expected therapeutic benefit. These profiles are documentary, highlight the risks and do not recommend home use.

Botanical synonyms are compared to avoid duplicates. Some plants have several scientific names; each profile explains the name used and any limitations. Insufficiently verified profiles remain drafts, accessible only in the administration area.

Understanding the evidence categories

Traditional: a long-standing use considered plausible in the monograph; this is not a demonstration of clinical effectiveness.

Clinical: results in humans for a specific preparation and context; they do not automatically apply to all preparations.

Well-established medicinal use (EMA): a recognised status for specific preparations and indications. This category is distinguished from human studies directly conducted with the species presented; some assessments rely on indirect evidence, as explained in the profile.

Preclinical: laboratory or animal observations, which alone do not demonstrate a benefit in humans.

Insufficient evidence: the references consulted do not establish a therapeutic benefit. This demonstrates neither effectiveness nor safety.

How to read the research

The profiles explain constituents, proposed mechanisms and the research actually consulted. Each result is accompanied by the research type, preparation and limitations. A human study may be negative or contradictory; the label “Human studies” alone does not mean that a plant is effective.

When several species appear in the same monograph, shared findings are identified. A trial involving a mixture or a particular extract does not automatically establish the action of a plant alone or of all its preparations.

Preparations are not interchangeable

The plant part, solvent, concentration and route of use all matter. An indication for an extract does not establish the same effect for a herbal tea or essential oil.

Herbarium references

Illustration credits

The profiles combine historical botanical plates and identified photographs. Credits and licences appear in each illustrated profile, with a link to the original. A profile may be published without an image when the visual identification is not sufficiently certain. The midnight-blue composition is a generated atmospheric image; it is not a botanical identification aid.

Something to correct?

A species error, a reference to update or a useful clarification: share your comments with Myriam through the contact form.