PARMELIACEAE
Parmelia Acharius
crotal
northern
and southern temperate zones
Parmelia
omphalodes (Linnaeus) Acharius, abundant in the upland and rockier regions
of the British Isles, is the species most commonly used for the brown dyes
colloquially known by their English spelling as ‘crottle’. Familiar though that
use is, lichens of this genus have also attracted some applications in folk
medicine as well. In the Highlands they were traditionally sprinkled on stockings
at the start of a journey to prevent the feet becoming inflamed.22
The fiasgag
nan creag, a name translating as ‘rock lichen’ but not further identified, was
probably one of these; it was used for healing sores.23
In
Ireland it was as a cure for a bad sore under the chin that crotal found
one of its uses in Donegal,24 where it has also been valued for burns and cuts.25
In Kerry, on the other hand, crotal has been one of several herbs put into
a carragheen-like (referring to Chondrus crispus or Mastocarpus
stellatus) soup given to invalids to drink.26
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