Gelsemium Sem

Yellow jasmine, a poisonous climber of the American south, traditionally used in homoeopathy for heavy, drowsy flu and nerves before an ordeal.

Gelsemium sempervirens, known as yellow jasmine or Carolina jessamine, is an evergreen climbing vine of the south-eastern United States, with glossy leaves and fragrant, bright yellow trumpet flowers. Despite its name it is not a true jasmine. The whole plant is poisonous; homoeopathy uses it only in specially prepared form.

Homoeopaths traditionally turn to it when a person feels heavy, dull and drowsy, with droopy eyelids, trembling limbs, chills running up and down the back and a dull headache at the back of the head, as in many cases of flu. It is also associated with trembling dread before an exam or public appearance.

• Flu with heaviness
• Dull back-of-head headache
• Trembling weakness
• Exam and stage nerves