Cornflower

Cornflower is a herbaceous plant of the Asteraceae family. In the people it is called “alarm” or “blue flower”. The homeland of the plant is the Mediterranean, common in Kazakhstan, the Baltic states, and Europe. This is a weedy field grass with a straight branched stem with a blue color, growing on forest edges and on roadsides.

There are many legends about the origin of the cornflower. The first says that the juice of the commotion healed the wound of the centaur inflicted on him by Hercules. The second tells that the mermaid bewitched a peasant who was mowing rye, and in order not to be separated from her beloved, she wrapped the guy she liked in a cornflower, reminiscent of the blue of water. The Romans believed that in ancient times the young man Cyanus lived, wearing only purple clothes, which angered the goddess Flora. As a result, she turned him into a blueflower.

Currently, there are more than 700 plant species. It is believed that they protect a person from evil spirits. The cornflower was of particular importance for the newlyweds: the bride and groom were baptized with flowers during the wedding.

Botanical description

Cornflower is a one- or two-year-old plant, reaching 50-80 cm in height. The leaves are pubescent with hairs, sessile and linear along the stem, petiolate and pinnately lobed in the lower part. Flowers are located at the end of branches, stems and collected in single baskets. They are pink, purple, burgundy, white, blue, yellow, red, but often blue. Marginal flowers are sterile, funnel-shaped, enlarged. And the inner ones, planted in baskets, are tubular, bisexual with an oblong cylindrical achene with a thick reddish gray tuft.

Cornflower blooms from June to the end of October. Up to 6 seeds are formed on one plant. For medicinal purposes, marginal asexual flowers are used.

The grass is found mainly on sandy, loamy soil among winter crops.

Useful properties and applications in medicine

Preparations based on cornflower have a diuretic, mild choleretic, anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, diaphoretic, strengthening effect. Decoctions and infusions from the blue flower help burn fat, remove excess fluid, improve digestion, relieve spasms in women during menstruation, stimulate appetite.

The chemical composition of the field cornflower:

• tannins and dyes – have an astringent and anti-inflammatory effect, prevent cardiovascular diseases, strengthen the immune system, slow down the aging of the body;
• glycosides – exhibit antimicrobial, diuretic, sedative properties;
• pectins – remove toxins, normalize metabolic processes, improve bowel function, lower cholesterol;
• alkaloids – have an analgesic effect, lower blood pressure;
• bitterness – improves digestion;
• mucus – act enveloping, suppress cough;
• coumarins – reduce blood clotting, which prevents the development of stroke, heart attack and thrombosis;
• caffeic, quinic acid, essential, fatty oil;
• ascorbic acid and vitamin A;
• mineral salts of iron, magnesium, copper, potassium and calcium.

Flowers, fruits and seeds of cornflower are used to treat diseases of the hepatobiliary system (hepatitis, cholecystitis, biliary dyskinesia, cholangitis), hemeralopia (night blindness), conjunctivitis, blepharitis, gout, hypertension, colds, ascites, elimination of kidney stones, cardiac edema, renal origin. The essence from the stems is used to disinfect wounds, and the crushed seeds are used to cauterize warts.

Procurement of raw materials

Cornflower flowers are harvested in May-August, and seeds – June-September. The weed grows on poorly cultivated fallows, fallows, in forests in glades, in rye crops on sandy, sandy and heavy clay soils. Flower baskets are cut off at the moment when they have fully blossomed, then the marginal funnel-shaped flowers are carefully plucked out of them, trying not to touch the inner tubular ones. Otherwise, the raw material will be of poor quality.

The collected blue cornflower petals are sorted out, faded marginal flowers, receptacle, and impurities are removed. The raw materials are dried in a shaded room at a temperature of 40 degrees. Sunlight should not fall on it, otherwise the petals will quickly burn out, become of poor quality. Dry color retains a bitter astringent taste and bright blue color, odorless. The shelf life of the blank does not exceed 1 year.

Application methods

Powder, decoction and tincture of seeds, blue cornflower flowers are used externally to eliminate eye pathologies and internally for diseases of the respiratory, urinary, biliary tract, digestive tract, kidneys, and nervous system.

Powder from seeds is used to destroy warts, and from dried leaves – to eliminate swelling. Problem areas are sprinkled with powder every 4-5 hours until the condition improves.

Infusion. Cooking method: pour cornflower flowers (15 g) with hot water (200 ml), heat for 20 minutes, cool, then strain. Bring the volume of the resulting infusion to 200 ml with water. Take 15 ml 3 times a day as an antimicrobial, choleretic, diuretic. Store in the refrigerator for a maximum of 2 days.

For acute respiratory infections, fever, gastritis, colitis with constipation, cough, whooping cough, headache, diseases of the biliary tract, kidneys, pancreas, bladder, palpitations, take an infusion of 20-30 ml 15 minutes before meals for 10 days, 3 times a day. Poultices, lotions, compresses. Fresh or dry leaves of the plant are applied to stretched muscles, tendons and wounds to eliminate pain, relieve swelling, and inflammation.

Decoction. Cooking principle: pour blue cornflower flowers (15 g) with boiling water (200 ml), boil in an enamel bowl for 15 minutes. Cool herbal infusion, filter, squeeze, add 50 ml of water. Use 15 ml 3 times a day as an expectorant, antimicrobial, diuretic, choleretic agent.

Bath. To relieve fatigue, 100 g of dried turmoil flowers are poured into 500 ml of boiling water, brewed for 1 hour, filtered. The resulting infusion is poured into a bath with warm water (36-37 degrees). The duration of the procedure should not exceed 15 minutes.

Baths with cornflower are recommended for people suffering from eczema, diathesis and rickets.

Collection. For the preparation of a diuretic aimed at relieving edema due to heart failure, the following components are used in dry form: cornflower flowers (10 g), birch buds (15 g), bean leaves (15 g), corn stigmas (15 g), horsetail herbs and hernia (10 g each). Mix all the ingredients, pour 60 g of the collection into 1 liter of warm water, leave for 12 hours. After the specified time, boil the herbal tincture for 10 minutes, strain. Ready broth to take 100 ml warm 4 times a day.

To lower blood pressure (with hypertension), the fruits of blood-red hawthorn and chokeberry, valerian root, cornflower flowers, horsetail and yarrow herbs, white mistletoe leaves are mixed in equal amounts. A tablespoon of the dry mixture (15 g) is brewed in a glass of boiling water (200 ml), insisted for half an hour, filtered. Drink 70 ml after meals 3 times a day. Contraindications to the use of cornflower: allergies, pregnancy, uterine bleeding. The plant contains substances with a cyanide component, which, with prolonged use, accumulate in the body and cause poisoning. Before using medicinal herbs, you should go to a consultation with your doctor.

Use in cosmetology

Cornflower flowers are rich in anthocyanins, which have an anti-inflammatory, regenerating, tonic and stimulating effect on the dermis.

The benefits of decoction of blue flowers in cosmetology:

• eliminates fatigue, redness, swelling of the skin of the eyelids, eyes;
• Smoothes wrinkles;
• tightens pores;
• relieves dark circles under the eyes;
• relieves irritation;
• disinfects the scalp;
• restores the structure and gives a natural shine to dull, weak, lifeless hair;
• eliminates dandruff.

Beauty Recipes:

1. For smoothing wrinkles around the eyes. Cornflower flowers (15 g) are poured with olive oil (50 ml), infused in a dark place for 7 days. The resulting composition is filtered, applied to the cleansed dermis around the eyes instead of a cream. Do not rinse, wait until completely absorbed. Vitaminized oil is recommended to be used once a day in the evening 1 hours before bedtime. If applied in the morning, an unpleasant oily sheen will remain. When using the oil just before bedtime, there is a danger that it will not have time to be absorbed and puffiness under the eyes will appear in the morning.
2. To eliminate swelling, redness of the skin. Cornflower infusion (how to cook – see p. “Methods of application”) is applied to a cotton pad, which, in turn, is applied to the eyelids and left for a quarter of an hour. The procedure can be carried out every evening, twice a day – in the morning and in the evening. In this case, a decoction of cornflower flowers will prevent irritation from the use of decorative cosmetics.
3. For nourishing the skin of the face, removing toxins. Method of preparation: a decoction of cornflower flowers (based on 30 g of raw materials per 100 ml of water) combined with 30 g of rye flour, 5 ml of natural honey, 15 drops of lemon juice. Mix all ingredients. Apply the mask on the face for 20 minutes, rinse. Use 1 time in 3 days.
4. To stop hair loss, eliminate dandruff, give a natural shine to the hair. A decoction of cornflower (how to cook – see p. “Methods of application”) is used to rinse the strands after washing. It does not need to be washed off with water. To enhance the medicinal properties, the decoction is enriched with essential oils of lavender or orange immediately before use, based on the calculation of 2-3 drops per 200 ml of liquid. In addition, in the process of cooking cornflower, you can add chamomile flowers, which have an anti-inflammatory effect (fights dandruff), smoothes the structure and moisturizes the hair, gives a golden hue.

To care for oily, combination, inflammation-prone skin, it is recommended to wipe your face with cornflower infusion daily in the morning and evening. It cleanses the dermis, tightens pores and eliminates oily sheen. To provide an invigorating effect, a decoction of the alarm is frozen and the resulting cosmetic ice is used to wipe the skin.

Cornflower tea

Blue alarm flowers contain coumarins, mineral salts, vitamins A and C, which have a beneficial effect on the liver, digestive tract, urinary organs and gallbladder. They are brewed on their own or added to green tea. The plant removes excess fluid, toxins and toxins, exhibits analgesic, antipyretic, cleansing antispasmodic effect. To prepare tea, 2,5 g of dried cornflower flowers (half a teaspoon) is poured into 1 liter of boiling water. Drink between meals.

Interestingly, with increased irritability and nervous excitement, it is useful to take a walk through the field with blue flowers. Remember, cornflower blue tea is considered a low-toxic drug, so it should not be consumed more than 400 ml per day.

Cooking application

Properly harvested cornflower flowers have a bitter taste, blue color, and do not smell. They retain medicinal properties throughout the year. Raw materials are stored in glass containers, excluding exposure to light. Pounded flower buds and cornflower leaves, along with rosemary and thyme, serve as a substitute for pepper. They are added to minced meat, used as a seasoning for fish, soups, borscht, gravy.

Dressings, sauces, spices are prepared from flowers and seed powder, which add a spicy flavor to dishes. The leaves of the plant are used in the process of canning vegetables, making cornflower blue vinegar. In addition, alarm flowers are used as a natural dye for champagne, vermouth. At the “exit” alcoholic beverages acquire a pinkish color. It is interesting that the ground part of the blue flower is rich in essential oils that stimulate the appetite and activate the digestion of food.

Recipe for meat sauce

Ingredients:

• tomato paste – 50 ml;
• sour cream – 250 ml;
• dried cornflower flowers – 25 g;
• butter – 40 g;
• wheat flour – 25 g;
• chicken stock – 250 ml;
• salt pepper.

Cooking principle

1. Dry the flour in a pan. Pour the broth in a thin stream, stirring thoroughly, and add sour cream.
2. Salt and pepper the base of the sauce.
3. Saute tomato paste with butter, add to broth, sour cream and flour.
4. Grind dried cornflower flowers into powder. Add to the sauce, boil for 5 minutes, stirring. There should be no lumps in the mass, it should be of a homogeneous structure. Otherwise, such a dressing cannot be served at the table, it is considered spoiled.

To emphasize the spicy taste and aroma, grated garlic clove, a pinch of curry are added to the sauce. Serve with meat dishes.

Conclusion

Cornflower is a herbaceous meadow plant with a rough stem, lanceolate leaves, a tap root and single blue flowers collected in large baskets. Distributed in Ukraine, Transcaucasia, throughout Europe, found in Russia. This is a weed plant growing along the edges of wheat, potato, rye fields. Today, the commotion is valued as a good honey plant. From it honey is obtained with a slightly bitter taste and almond smell.

Cornflower blue is slightly toxic because it contains compounds with a cyanide component. For medicinal purposes, the marginal flowers of the plant are used. Their useful properties are due to the presence of anthocyanins (cyanine, cyanidin), centaurin glycosade, tannins, salts of potassium, magnesium, iron, calcium. Fatty oils (up to 28%) were found in the seeds of the plant, and alkaloids in the fruits.

According to experimental data, it has been established that galenic forms of flowers increase diuresis, reduce the concentration of substances that cause the formation of kidney stones, by means of their increased excretion with urine. In addition, the bactericidal, choleretic, antispasmodic, antitumor activity of the plant has been proven. Decoctions, infusions, powders are prepared from cornflower flowers and seeds for the treatment of diseases of the eyes, skin, excretory and digestive systems. The herb is widely used in cosmetology to smooth wrinkles, relieve puffiness around the eyes and irritate the dermis. Leaves, cornflower flowers are used in cooking as spices to improve the taste of dishes, giving them a spicy note.