ARENARIA English version

From a meditation proving during the SHO seminar November 1st 2003.
37 participants turned in their data
THEMES
1. Vulnerable and fragile
Vulnerability is the word that was mentioned most often in the proving (10).
Words like fragile (6), frail (2), delicate (7), insecure, fine (2) and brittle (3) describe the same
impression.
There is a reference to the weak stem of the plant, unprotected by leaves.
Brittleness (3) is an aspect of this theme: fear to break (2), rapidly snapping (2).
2. Openness
The theme that was mentioned second in row is narrowly connected to the first theme of not being
protected and is: openness (8). Open eyes is a nice metaphor in this connection.
3. Sweet and small
Words as sweet (3), young (3), innocent (2) and teenager refer to this theme. Modesty is mentioned
four times as well as simple and refined. Cautious, humble, early youth, slender and slim all describe
the frail vulnerability.
4. Brave and clear
Brave (2), high-spirited (2) and clear (2) are words that represent the opposite of sweet and small. And
Arenaria can even be strong (see next theme).
5. Strong and rigid
Solid (2), strong (2), perseverance (2), obstinate, sharp, pig-headed (2), self-confident and even
angular, rigid and inflexible are the polarities of vulnerability and brittle.
6. Cheerful
Skipping, laughing and especially cheerfulness (6) are mentioned. Fresh (2) and unpredictable are
words that arise as well as happy, playful, free and superficial.
7. Pure and light
Purity (3), clean, grateful, radiant (3) and especially light (5) (glaring light, sunlight) are words that we
do not encounter often in provings: Searching for light and warmth. Seemingly pure is the polarity
of this radiant light.
8. Sweet and yielding
Sweet (3), yielding (2) and friendly, nice, helpful, feminine, sensitive are terms that some provers
used.
9. Sexuality
There seems to be a tender emerging sexuality: longing for, sex, puberty are words mentioned.
10. Fear
Fear in general (3) and more specific fears for rudeness, storm, people, alone (parents dead) are noted.
Not being afraid is mentioned once. And one prover feels a scream. The fear of being picked,
oppressed or cut off are directly related to the plant.
11. Manifestation

I want to be there (3), to manifest myself. Here I am. I want to dare to be, to show myself (3). I want to
have more body so I can be seenthis feeling seems to arise from the vulnerability (theme 1) and
openness (theme 2).
Some provers want protection (2), a cover, others want their own place, more space or to take in more
space. They want to stand firm in life and try to reach out. This process goes step by step.
12. Growing, upwards
Not only manifestation is a theme, but also growing (4), going upwards (3), struggling out of a hostile
situation. There is a need to stand out in modesty. And a need to achieve something (even though there
is a narrow basis), to be famous, a craving for tenderness and fame, a desire to shine in spite of being
small, to show oneself. Words like ambition (3), stretching, lonely at the top, walk on tip-toes and
being in the head and probably also lust for life illustrate this theme.
13. Expression and communication
Other forms in which one can manifest oneself are: not to mince ones words, being clear and upfront,
communication, searching for togetherness and building bridges.
14.
a)
b)
c)
d)

Physical
the joints (3): back, shoulder, knee, neck and elbow
the sense organs in the head: ear, nose, mouth and eye
chest and stomach
expression through throat, speech and tongue.

Resume
A sense of fragility and vulnerability emanates from the proving, a brittle plant that in spite of being
simple and small is open and cheerful.
Provers feel bravery and a certain strength and perseverance although they are sweet and yielding.
Radiant light and purity are characteristic for the plant, as well as an (emerging) sexuality.
There is a strong need to manifest oneself, to show oneself and to come out. There is a need to grow
and reach up and even a desire for fame and brilliance: an obvious ambition. Expression and
communication and building bridges are manifestation of this impulse.
ARENARIA
The plant and phytotherapeutic use
Name: Arenaria rubra, Spergularia campestris, Lepigonum rubrum
English : Common sand spurrey, red-sandwort, spurrey-sandwort
German: Roter Sprkling
Spanish: Esparcilla encarnada
French: Spergulaire rouge, sabline rouge
Italian : Spergularia comune
Dutch: Rode schijnspurrie
Origin: Europe and Asia. Habitat: dry, sandy soil. Flowers all the summer. There are two marked
varieties: the one growing inland has small flowers, thin leaves, short capsules, seeds rarely bordered.
The other, often called Spergularia Marina, is larger in every respect and has fleshy leaves. For
medicinal purposes the one most used is found in Malta, Sicily and Algiers, growing in dry sandy soil
from Quebec to Virginia.
Botanical: The Spergularia rubra is an inconspicuous annual weed, found both in the United States
and Europe, in dry, sandy situations, more commonly near the coast, but not in brackish places. The
stems are many, and from the same root, matted, much branched, from 6 to 12 inches in length, and
lying prostrate on the sand. The leaves are linear, fleshy, and about 1 inch long; they are opposite, and
have, generally, smaller leaves clustered in their axils; they are surrounded, at the base, by 2 dry,
triangular, scale-like stipules. The flowers are small, numerous, axillary, and appear throughout the

summer; they are borne on slender peduncles, about 1/2 inch long, which are reflexed in fruit. The
calyx has 5 scarious-edged sepals. The corolla has 5 rose-colored, entire petals, about the length of the
sepals. The fruit is a dry, many-seeded pod, opening by 3 valves.
Description: An annual or biennial plant, glabrous or with a short viscid down in the upper parts;
numerous stems branching from the base forming prostrate tufts 3 to 6 inches long; leaves narrow,
linear; very short conspicuous scarious stipules at the base. Flowers usually pink, sometimes white,
but variable size; short pedicels in forked cymes, usually leafy at base. Flowering time: May to
October. Petals shorter, rarely longer than the sepals. Seeds more or less flattened.
Medicinal Action and Uses: This plant was employed in Sicily and neighboring countries as a secret
remedy, for many years, in the form of a tisane, and sold at exorbitant prices. It was long used in
bladder diseases. It contains a resinous, aromatic substance which presumably is its active principle.
The medicinal action of the plant is due to the large proportion of alkalies and aromatic resins which it
contains. Very valuable for calculus diseases and acute and chronic cystitis. A writer observes: "We
can understand that a plant so rich in constituent elements, in chloride of potassium and sodium, in
alkalies, and in aromatic principles, must have a powerful action upon the animal economy. Combined
with the albuminous juices of the vegetable, the chlorides must act otherwise than in the free state."
Chronic diuretic effect of the water extract of Spergularia purpurea in normal rats
H. Jouada,b, M.A. Lacaille-Duboisb, M. Eddouksa
Journal of Ethnopharmacology
Volume 75, Issue 2-3, pp. 219 - 223, May, 2001
Abstract
The purpose of this study was to examine the chronic diuretic effect of the water extract of the whole
plant of Spergularia purpurea (SP) at different doses (100, 200 and 400 mg/kg) in normal rats. Daily
oral administration of the water extract was tested for 4 weeks. Urinary water and electrolytes
excretion were determined weekly. Oral administration of the water extract at different doses produced
a significant and dose-dependent diuresis and increase in electrolytes excretion. The highest dose (400
mg/kg) of the water extract of SP enhanced urine output from 7.150.42 ml/24 h at the start to
23.010.75 ml/24 h after 4 weeks (p<0.001). It also produced significant increase in urinary excretion
of Na+ (P<0.01), K+ (P<0.01) and Cl- (P<0.01). Chronic treatment with SP decreased significantly
urine osmolality (P<0.01 vs. control), while a slight increase in glomerular filtration rate was also
observed (P<0.05) for both doses of water extract (100 and 400 mg/kg). It is concluded that the water
extract of whole plant of SP has a significant diuretic effect in rats.
Keywords: Diuretic activity, Water extract, Spergularia purpurea, Water excretion, Electrolytes
excretion
Effects of the flavonoids extracted from Spergularia purpurea Pers. on arterial blood pressure
and renal function in normal and hypertensive rats
H. Jouada,c, M.A. Lacaille-Duboisb, B. Lyoussic, M. Eddouksa
Journal of Ethnopharmacology
Volume 76, Issue 2, pp. 159 - 163, July, 2001
Abstract
The antihypertensive and diuretic effects of the flavonoids extracted from Spergularia purpurea Pers.
(SP) were studied both in normotensive (NTR) and spontaneously hypertensive conscious rats (SHR).
Daily oral administration of the flavonoid mixture (5 mg/kg for 1 week) exhibited a significant
decrease in blood pressure with variation coefficient () of 20 in SHR rats and 11 in NTR rats. The
systolic and diastolic blood pressure decreased significantly and respectively with 17 and 24% in
SHR, and with 11 and 16% in NTR. The flavonoid mixture enhanced significantly the water excretion
in hypertensive (P<0.001) and normal rats (P<0.001). Furthermore, oral administration of flavonoids
mixture at a dose of 5 mg/kg produced a significant increase of urinary excretion of sodium (P<0.01),

potassium (P<0.05) and chlorides (P<0.05) in SHR. Similarly, the flavonoid administration induced a
significant increase of urinary electrolytes elimination in NTR (P<0.01 versus controls). No significant
changes were noted on heart rate after flavonoids treatment in SHR as well as in NTR. While,
glomerular filtration rate showed a significant increase after administration of flavonoids in all groups
(P<0.05). These results suggest that oral administration of flavonoids obtained from Spergularia
purpurea exhibited antihypertensive and diuretic actions.
Keywords: Flavonoids, Spergulariapurpurea, Oral administration, Antihypertensive, Diuretic,
Spontaneously hypertensive rats
Written down by Marguerite Pelt, December 2003