It is a class of plant, belonging to the asteraceae family and to the asteroid subfamily, which in turn is divided into 30 different species of herbaceous perennials. The word comes from Latin, being, also, a linguistic adaptation from the Greek "pragmos" , which means "sneeze", named in honor of its ability to make sneeze.
It is easier to locate in mountainous, cold areas, with little lime and nitrogen in it; it can also be found in valleys with abundant grass. Due to the habitat in which it is found, it has developed abilities to protect itself from the cold, adapting in a splendid way; However, it is very sensitive to changes in its establishment, so the existence of some species has been threatened by increasing contamination.
Arnica montana and Arnica chamissonis are widely used for the preparation of ointments used in cases of sprains, bruises or pain in any part of the body, being mainly the back and upper and lower extremities where it is most applied. In remote regions, such as fields or rural areas, they are crushed and olive oil is added for any type of bruise.
Some of the officially recognized species of arnica are: Arnica acaulis, Arnica angustifol, Arnica attenuata Maguire, Arnica cernua Howell, Arnica chamissonis Less, Arnica cordifolia Hook., Arnica dealbata, Arnica denudata Greene, Arnica discoidea Benth., Arnica fulgens Pursh, Arnica gracilis Rydb, Arnica griscomii Fernald, Arnica intermedia Turcz, Arnica lanceolata Nutt, Arnica latifolia Bong, Arnica lessingii Greene, Arnica lonchophylla Greene, Arnica longifolia D., Arnica louiseana Farr, Arnica mallotopus Makino, Arnica mollis Hook., Arnica montana L., Arnica nevadensis A. Gray, Arnica ovata Greene, Arnica parryi A. Gray, Arnica porsildiorum B. Boivin, Arnica rydbergii Greene A, Arnica sachalinensis, Arnica sororia Greene, Arnica spathulata Greene, Arnica unalaschcensis Less, Arnica venosa HM Hall and Arnica viscosa A. Gray.
