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Useful properties and application of the herb zopnik
Botanical characteristics of prickly prickly
Zopnik – perennial herbaceous plant. It is endowed with thick, winding roots and has a stem 30–60 cm high, strongly branched at the base, the surface of which resembles gray felt with pubescence. The basal leaves of the grass are held on flat, long, hairy roots, and the stem leaves have shorter petioles.
The shape of the leaves in different parts of the plant is not the same: rounded or wide wedge-shaped leaves grow at the base, the top is distinguished by whole-cut leaves, and serrated leaves are observed in the middle segment of the stem.
Flowers of a pink hue are collected in a whorl inflorescence, they are placed in the axils of the upper leaves, appear in June-July. In August, the plant begins to bear fruit. Its fruits are dark brown nuts in a cup with small tubercles.
The grass is common in Bulgaria, the Caucasus and southern Russia. It chooses the slopes of gullies, steppes, river valleys, light forest glades, grows in groups or grows in thickets among various shrubs. The plant is collected together with the root, cleaned from the ground, dried and stored in a dry place.
Useful properties of zopnik
The plant is endowed with an excellent chemical composition. All parts of zopnik contain essential oil, iridoids, alkaloids. Flavonoids, such as genquanin, luteolin, and apigenin, which are useful for the human body, have also been identified. Natural organic compounds (diterpenoids) are represented by phytol, steroids, phenolcarboxylic acids and their derivatives, which include caffeic, ferulic, chlorogenic and quinic acids.
The plant is fully provided with vitamins C, B2, E, K and carotene. It also contains trace elements. The essential oil has a protistocidal effect. Plant seeds are an excellent weapon against infections and microorganisms.
The use of a zopnik
In folk medicine, the aerial part of the herb is used in the treatment of the bladder affected by papillomas. Decoctions and infusions can help with gastritis with zero acidity. Good results are achieved in the treatment of stomach ulcers, anemia, asthenia. Applying decoctions in the form of lotions to hemorrhoidal bumps, you can alleviate the patient’s condition: pain decreases, the inflammatory process passes.
The diuretic properties of prickly prickly pear help to cope with edema that occurs with hypertension and other disorders in the organs. Flower infusion perfectly tones and improves immunity. A decoction of grass flowers is very effective for poor blood clotting. Infusions and decoctions of the leaves are suitable for washing festering wounds. Baths are indicated for rheumatism, relieve pain during an exacerbation of arthritis.
Respiratory diseases, bronchitis, pulmonary tuberculosis and pneumonia pass without complications if drugs based on prickly prickly pear are included in the complex therapy. Powdered roots are a good antiseptic, it is used to heal wounds. Fresh juice is used for general strengthening of the body, taken with vitamin deficiency, they are treated with diathesis. Inhabitants of some countries use the root for food.
A decoction of prickly prickly: 10 g of seeds and 200 ml of boiling water should be kept for 30 minutes. in a boiling water bath, cool for 10 minutes, strain and take 2 tablespoons 3-2 times a day before meals.
Zopnik tuberous
Zopnik tuberous grows 40–150 cm high. The plant has cord-like roots with thickenings in the form of tubers. The stem of this type of zopnik is naked, with many branches of a purple-purple color. The leaves are triangular-heart-shaped, large at the bottom of the stem, small at the top, without petioles. June-August is the time for the flowering of tuberous gooseberry. Blooming flowers are fluffy, white-pink, collected in whorl inflorescences. The fruit is a nutlet with a top dotted with hairs. The fruits ripen from July to August.
Zopnik tuberous grows in the steppes of Europe and Asia, in Ukraine in the Donbass. Dry slopes, thickets of various shrubs, meadows, chernozem soils, soils with limestone impurities are the most suitable places for its settlement in the Caucasus, in China, in the floodplain of the Ob River. The plant contains essential oils with a lemon scent.
A positive effect in the treatment of diarrhea, jaundice, fever and female diseases with a decoction of the roots or the aerial part of the zopnik is possible due to tannins, saponins, the presence of ascorbic acid, alkaloids, iron, zinc, copper, manganese and many other elements of the periodic table. Zopnik tuberous refers to spicy-flavoring plants, its roots are eaten, earlier flour and cereals were made from it. This plant is a honey plant, bees and bumblebees adore the flowers of tuberous gooseberry, getting a lot of nectar from them.
Zopnik iron ore
Zopnik iron ore is valued for its root, useful substances are used for gynecological problems, the effect of decoctions from it as an antihypertensive agent has been studied. The plant promotes vasoconstriction and increases blood clotting. Zopnik grass with milk, evaporated to a thick state, is used for pulmonary tuberculosis and a decrease in the total amount of hemoglobin in the blood (anemia). External use of decoctions is useful for wound infections and the formation of syphilitic ulcers on the skin. Infusions are prepared from herbs, using them to increase tone.
Ironstone Infusion
Raw materials and 70% alcohol in a ratio of 1: 5 are infused in a dark place for 10–12 days, after which they are filtered. Take the remedy 30-40 drops 3-4 times a day.
Zopnik Ruselovsky
Many gardeners prefer to create unique flower beds that delight the eye until late autumn with beautiful plants. Zopnik Ruselovsky is a perennial plant that is great for planting when creating unusual flower arrangements. It does not require special care, only moderate watering should be done, no transplanting, fertilizing and weeding are needed. Zopnik Ruselovsky is an ornamental plant, it grows well on fertile soils, previously fertilized with peat compost, and is winter-hardy.
20 g of the above-ground part of the plant and 200 ml of boiling water are infused in a water bath for 15 minutes, cooled for 45 minutes. Take the product filtered 1/3 cup 2-3 times a day before meals.
Zopnik Russell
Russell’s zopnik is a herbaceous plant that grows very slowly, forming a green carpet with pale yellow, labial, in dense whorls of inflorescences towering above it, located one above the other. The leaves of this species are large, heart-shaped, sharp, matte green with an ocher tint. Zopnik Russell loves the sun and warm places. The grass develops well on moderately dry soils. It looks impressive in the central part of the composition of flower beds and landscape design.
Russell’s homeland is the south of Europe and Asia Minor. In nature, this species grows among pines and cedar trees.
Contraindications to the use of prickly prickly
When taking decoctions and infusions of prickly prickly pear, you must always remember the golden rule: strictly observe the dosage, do not abuse it. Caution should be treated with zopnik in the 3rd stage of hypertension. We must not forget that the substances contained in the plant can provoke too much blood clotting and cause constipation.