Contents
Shandra vulgaris takes its name from the ancient Indian “Candras”, which means “brilliant”. In the common people, it is customary to call it Horsemint or Shanta, Bolotnaya Bylitsa.
Description of shandra vulgaris
Most varieties of Horsemint are perennials, reaching a height of 70 cm. The stem is tetrahedral, either branched or simple, with whitish-tomentose pubescence at the bottom.
Shandra ordinary is a very unpretentious plant, it can be found under cliffs, in quarries and on borders.
The leaf plates of Shandra vulgaris below and on the stem have long petioles and a rounded ovoid shape. In length, they reach 3,5 cm, their surface is wrinkled.
Leaf blades on tops of small size with short petioles. From above they have a pale green color and wrinkling, on the underside they have a grayish tint.
The fruit of the Shandra herb is an egg-shaped nutlet, yellow-brown in color with spotting and small tubercles. They are also found in an oblong or rounded shape. The ripening period is from July to September.
The flowers of the plant are small, located in the axils of the leaf plates and collected in false whorls. Shandra’s bracts are subulate. Calyx in the form of tubules with 5-10 teeth in the form of awls.
The corolla of Shandra is tubular, short-haired, white. The upper lip is erect, almost flat. The lower one is either equal to it, or somewhat shorter, two-cut.
The flowers of shandra vulgaris are bisexual
Horse mint is widespread in the Crimea and on the territory of Ukraine. In Our Country, Shandra is found in the Baltic, Nizhnedonsky and Black Sea regions. Grass grows in the Caucasus and Central Asia. Common Shandra is ubiquitous in Europe and in the west of China, in North Africa.
Species and varieties
There are several varieties of the plant. Alien shandra is common in Turkey and in the southern part of Central Europe in the lowlands and hills, on the ruins. The plant prefers sand and depleted soils.
Outwardly, Shandra alien is a plant with an erect stem 30-80 cm high. Leaf plates are rhomboid-oblong, with a solid edge at the base. At the tops of the plant, they are smaller, lanceolate, wrinkled.
Asymmetrical whorls with inflorescences are placed in the leaf axils. The flower calyx is soft, in the form of a cone with five teeth. It is small in size, white in color with a pleasant aroma. Nuts with small tubercles, dark brown color.
Alien shandra seeds contain oils and acids: palmitic, oleic, linolenic and stearic
Shandra early is characterized as subcotyledonous with dense pubescence. The cotyledons are almost rounded, reaching 4-5 mm in length. On hairy petioles they are 8-10 mm.
The leaf plates of the plant have an ovoid-elongated shape, 6-7 mm long, with dense pubescence.
The inflorescence of the early shandra is in the form of a cup, with teeth located along the edges. The corolla is larger than that of alien shandra.
Shandra early is common in Europe and the Caucasus (in the eastern part)
Shandra fragrant is a perennial plant that easily spreads throughout the territory by self-sowing. The shrub reaches a height of 60-100 cm, has pubescent, slightly elongated leaves with pointed tips. When rubbed, the leaf plates begin to emit a pleasant aroma. Inflorescences are paniculate, found from white to purple.
This variety is very attractive to cats for its aroma and taste.
Water shandra, unlike the common one, has a slightly pubescent stem of a simple or tetrahedral striated shape with a thick root. Leaf plates are openwork, outwardly similar to nettles. The flowers of the variety are small, funnel-shaped, attractive to insects.
Water shandra, unlike the common one, is a plant that prefers water bodies.
The variety can be used for landscape design.
Features of reproduction
The main method of cultivation is planting seeds. Shandra vulgaris is characterized by self-sowing: it is worth planting one year, the next summer in the same place the grass will grow on its own.
Reproduction is also possible by cuttings, which are harvested in the summer. This method is difficult.
Medicinal properties of shandra herb
Chandra ordinary refers to medicinal plants with a number of properties:
- removal of inflammation;
- astringent effect;
- antiarrhythmic and antispasmodic property;
- pressure drop.
Substances that make up Shandra vulgaris contribute to the normalization of the heart rhythm, stimulate the gallbladder.
With regular use of the herb, the volume of secreted gastric juice increases, which can be used in the treatment of gastritis and decreased appetite, liver pathologies.
Shandra vulgaris contains marrubiin, which contributes to the thinning and expectoration of sputum in case of lung disease.
Perhaps the use of grass to combat fever, skin rash, hemorrhoids.
Application of Shandra
In traditional medicine, Shandra vulgaris is rarely used. But it is actively used in folk recipes, pre-collecting and drying.
It is possible to purchase horse mint in pharmacies, where it is available in crushed form
In folk medicine
Considering the medicinal properties and contraindications to the use of Shandra vulgaris, the herb is used for various diseases.
With jaundice, inflammatory processes in the stomach and intestines, menstrual irregularities, prepare the following infusion: 2 tsp. crushed shandra ordinary pour 250 ml of cold water and infuse for 3 to 4 hours. The resulting medicine should be divided into 4 doses.
Useful for the body and taking fresh juice 3-4 times a day. Before use, honey is added to it.
To combat senile asthma 2 tsp. raw materials are poured into 500 ml of chilled boiled water and left for 4 hours, after closing the container. Divide the infusion into portions of 50 ml, sweeten with honey before use.
When the body is depleted, the following infusion of common shandra helps: 2 tsp. crushed plant pour 200 ml of boiling water and insist in a closed container for 2 hours. After the strained medicine should be consumed 1 tbsp. l. 20 minutes before the main meal.
The following mixture helps with gastrocardial syndrome: shandra, thyme and centaury are mixed 30 g each. Add 200 tsp to 2 ml of boiling water. the resulting mixture and leave for 5 minutes. From 200 to 400 ml of infusion should be consumed per day. It is not necessary to prepare the medicine in advance: the maximum effect is observed when it is taken fresh.
In cosmetology
The drug is used in this industry, adding to the following cosmetic products:
- creams and ointments intended for sensitive skin, to protect the epidermis from external factors, as a soothing agent for the skin;
- wound healing drugs.
Common Shandra is also found in health-improving products as one of the components.
Limitations and contraindications
Before using the herb Shandra vulgaris, you should familiarize yourself with the contraindications. It is not recommended to take infusions and decoctions for people with exacerbated gastrointestinal diseases, ulcers and pancreatitis.
It is forbidden to give a medicine based on a plant to children and women who are carrying a baby or nursing.
Rules of landing
Shandra vulgaris is distinguished by its rare unpretentiousness in planting and care. It grows well in poor soil, in a shaded or sunny place.
For planting Shandra officinalis, it is necessary to prepare containers filled with loose soil in March. Seeds are placed in it to a depth of 1 cm, then moistened well and covered with glass until sprouts appear. The main care for Shandra vulgaris is watering when it dries out in a container of earth.
Horsemint planting is demanding on the sun’s rays, so you should place the containers on the windowsill
Landing on the site is carried out in the last week of May. The plant is placed in beds with a distance between them of 25-35 cm.
Peculiarities of growing
Plant nutrition is not required. The main care is the removal of weeds, loosening the soil and watering as the soil dries.
Shandra ordinary is not afraid of frost, so the plant is not covered for the winter. It is enough to cut the stems and remove the weeds before the snow falls.
Pests and diseases
The main pest of Shandra vulgaris is the mint leaf beetle. A bug, 7-10 mm in size, lays larvae on a plant and damages leaf plates.
To destroy it, it is enough to treat the plant with an infusion of bitter pepper or chamomile. Actellik insecticide is effective against it.
The fight against the mint leaf beetle should be stopped 40 days before the collection of horse mint, so that the preparations do not affect the quality of the harvested raw materials.
When and how to collect Shandra for medicinal purposes
If it is impossible to purchase funds in a pharmacy, independent procurement of raw materials is possible. Shandra vulgaris should be collected during its flowering period: cut off the tops of the stems.
How to dry Shandra
The collected grass is fastened in bunches and hung in a shaded place in limbo. A dryer is allowed. The temperature of the machine should be set to 45°C.
Shandra ordinary should not be laid out in a thick layer on the pallet of the dryer: it will dry unevenly
After drying, when the sheet plates become brittle and break easily, they are poured into cloth bags or paper bags.
Conclusion
Shandra ordinary is a plant that is distinguished by rare unpretentiousness and is ubiquitous. Its stems and leaf plates are used in cosmetology and folk recipes. Shandra vulgaris can be grown and harvested on its own, or purchased at a pharmacy.
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