Playboy

Useful properties and application of the drug walker

Botanical characteristics of the walker

Playboy is a one-, rarely biennial herbaceous plant. Its height reaches 15–50 cm, the stem is erect, splayed, branched, round. Basal leaves pinnately dissected, with oblong-ovate toothed terminal feathers. The upper leaves are small, sessile, lanceolate, serrated, spear-shaped (sometimes arrow-shaped).

The flowers of the plant are small, pale yellow. They are characterized by the presence of four petals up to 4 mm long, six stamens and one pistil. Flowers are collected in spike-shaped brushes. The pods of the golavnik are closely adjacent to the stem. The plant bears fruit with fluffy lanceolate-awl-shaped pods, the length of which is 10-15 mm. The seeds are about XNUMX mm long, reddish-brown in color and angular in shape. The seeds are poisonous.

The flowering of the plant begins in May and ends in November.

The gulyavnik grows in the European part of Russia, in the Far East, in the Caucasus, in Siberia. It can be found as a weed along roadsides, in gardens, at buildings, in vegetable gardens and fields – in all places where weeds grow.

Useful properties of the walker

Gulyavnik is a medicinal plant, it is used in folk medicine.

For the preparation of medicinal infusions and decoctions, all parts of the plant are prepared: flowers, leaves, stems and pods are used. It is worth noting that the grass is not dried, but used fresh. Collect it during the flowering period.

The gulyavnik in its composition contains substances, the presence of which explains the healing capabilities of the plant. Tannins, cardenolides, flavonoids, thioglycoside glucobrassicin, glycosides were found in the aerial part. Essential mustard oil, palmitic, eicosenoic, arachidic and oleic acids, vitamin C were found in the seeds.

Walker application

Gulyavnik for the treatment of a number of diseases is used by traditional healers in many countries. It is worth noting that the herb is used exclusively in traditional medicine.

Since ancient times, infusions and decoctions based on the walker have been used to treat pneumonia, bronchial asthma, bronchitis, laryngitis, pulmonary tuberculosis, secretory insufficiency, gastritis, inflammation of the genitourinary system, as well as general weakness of the body.

Infusions were also used externally: for the treatment of wounds, the treatment of abrasions, stomatitis, catarrhal tonsillitis, bruises and even scabies.

The gulyavnik has pronounced anti-inflammatory, expectorant, diuretic, astringent properties, and is also recognized as an effective tool for increasing appetite.

There is an opinion that infusions from the walker help to cure cancer.

Recipes for infusions and decoctions from gulyavnik

Recipe No. 1:1 tablespoon of raw materials (grass gulyavnika) must be poured into a container and pour 250 ml of boiling water. The resulting mixture should be infused for 2 hours, then carefully strain. Honey is allowed. Reception schedule: 1 tablespoon 20-30 minutes before meals 4-5 times a day. The product should be taken warm. This infusion is prescribed for the treatment of hoarseness, respiratory tract (bronchitis, bronchial asthma, tuberculosis), scurvy, problems with urination, edema.

Recipe No. 2: you need to take fresh, carefully chopped leaves of the gulyavnik, pour an equal amount of water, leave for 1 hour and squeeze the leaves. The resulting juice is recommended to drink in sips throughout the day, 50–100 g per day. It is prescribed as an effective diuretic and expectorant.

Loesel’s walker

Loesel’s gulyavnik is an annual plant of the cruciferous family. Single erect stem with hard pubescence, can reach a height of 1 meter. The leaves are alternate, pinnately incised or pinnately divided, also covered with stiff pubescence. The flowers are yellow and collected in a long panicle. The fruit is a pod, the seeds of which can be colored red-brown or yellow.

The plant blooms throughout the summer period from May to September, bears fruit – from June until late autumn.

The natural range of Loesel’s walker is the entire territory of Russia, Ukraine, Belarus, the Caucasus, Europe, Mongolia, Central Asia, the Far East and Iran. This type of walker grows in meadows, on the banks of rivers, lakes and reservoirs, along roads, in wastelands.

Infusions and decoctions from Lozel’s gulyavnik do not have any healing effect on the body, therefore this plant is not used in folk and traditional medicine. Due to its unpretentiousness in cultivation, Loesel’s walker is successfully used as food for herbivores.

Walker high

Tall gulyavnik is a one- and two-year-old plant of the cruciferous family. A rough single stem in the lower part is covered with hard pubescence, reaches a height of 20 to 80 cm. The lower leaves are pinnatipartite, the upper ones are pinnately dissected. The flowers are numerous, painted in a pale yellow color, collected in brushes. The fruit is a pod 5–8 cm long. The seeds are small (length 1–1,2 mm) brown.

The high golavnik blooms throughout the summer period (from June to August), bears fruit in July-September.

The natural range of the high walker is almost the entire territory of Russia (except for the northern regions), Ukraine, Belarus, Western Siberia, the Caucasus, Central Asia, and Moldova. The plant prefers to grow in soil rich in nutrients (including saline). This species is distributed almost everywhere – it is found on roadsides, wastelands, river banks, vegetable gardens, meadows, etc.

The tall gulyavnik is successfully used as a fodder plant for herbivores.

Contraindications to the use of the walker

A decoction of the drug should be used with extreme caution in hypertension, pyelonephritis, nephritis in the acute stage and individual intolerance.