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Elecampane rough (Inula Hirta or Pentanema Hirtum) is a herbaceous perennial from the Asteraceae family and the genus Pentanem. He is also called hard-haired. First described and classified in 1753 by Carl Linnaeus, a Swedish natural scientist and physician. The people call the plant differently:
- divuha, chertogon, sidach;
- ammonia, dry gun, forest adonis;
- heap, dry heads;
- tea herb, sweet potion.
In addition to its undoubted decorative qualities, this sun flower has healing properties; it is used in traditional medicine recipes.
Botanical description of the plant
Rough elecampane is a flowering perennial, the height of which does not exceed 25-55 cm. Stems are straight, ribbed, solitary, olive, dark green and reddish brown. Covered with a thick, hard, reddish-whitish pile.
Leaves are dense, leathery, oblong-lanceolate, green. The lower ones raise the edges, folding along into a kind of "boats". The upper leaves are sessile. Reaches 5-8 cm in length and 0.5-2 cm in width. The surface is finely folded, with a distinct mesh of veins, rough, covered with prickly villi on both sides. The edges of the leaves can be smooth, with small denticles or cilia.
Elecampane blooms rough in the first half of summer, from June to August. Flowers in the form of baskets are single, in rare cases - double or triple. Relatively large, 2.5-8 cm in diameter, with numerous golden-lemon marginal petals-arrows and a bright yellow, reddish, honey core. The marginal petals are reed, and the inner ones are tubular. The wrapper is bowl-shaped, fleecy-rough, with narrow elongated leaves. The ligulate petals are more than 2 times the length of the envelope.
Fruiting with brown, smooth, cylindrical ribbed achenes, with a tuft, up to 2 mm long. They ripen in late summer or early autumn. The root of the plant is powerful, woody, located at an angle to the surface.
Blooming elecampane rough looks like golden suns hovering over green grasses
Distribution area
The favorite habitats of perennials are the edges of deciduous forests, meadows and glades overgrown with shrubs, steppe zones, and the slopes of humid ravines. Prefers fertile soils with a pronounced alkaline reaction. Grows abundantly throughout Europe, Ukraine and Belarus, Western and Central Asia. In Russia, elecampane grows rough in the chernozem zones of the European part, in the Caucasus and in Western Siberia. It is very rarely found on the calcareous soils of the Non-Black Earth Region, along the banks of large rivers.
The healing properties of rough elecampane
For medicinal purposes, the aerial parts of the plant are used - stems, leaves and flowers. The collection of raw materials is carried out during flowering, when the rough elecampane is saturated with biologically active substances. The collected grass is tied in bunches and dried in a well-ventilated, shaded place. Or they are crushed and placed in an electric dryer at a temperature not exceeding 40-45 degrees.
Elecampane rough has the following properties:
- excellent antimicrobial and antiseptic agent;
- promotes skin regeneration, wound healing;
- hemostatic and astringent;
- mild diuretic;
- promotes increased sweating.
Infusions and decoctions of rough elecampane herb are used in the following cases:
- with colds, fever, fever;
- in the form of baths and lotions for dermatitis, scrofula, allergic rashes;
- with children's rickets.
Cooking method:
- 20 g of dried herbs pour 200 ml of boiling water;
- cover tightly, leave for 2 hours, drain.
Drink 20-40 ml 3-4 times during the day, 30 minutes before meals.
Crushed leaves of elecampane rough can be applied to cuts, abrasions as a wound healing agent
Limitations and contraindications
Elecampane rough has a number of restrictions when taken orally:
- broths should not be consumed during pregnancy and breastfeeding of babies;
- children under 7 years of age;
- severe cardiovascular diseases;
- kidney stones, kidney failure.
Applying plant infusions in the form of baths and lotions, it is necessary to monitor the reaction of the skin. If an allergic rash develops, stop the course immediately. Before starting treatment, it is advisable to consult a doctor.
Elecampane rough is often planted in gardens and flower beds as an unpretentious decorative flower
Conclusion
Elecampane rough is a short perennial, the flowers of which have a rich sunny yellow color. In the wild, the plant is widespread in Europe and Asia, in Russia it is found south of the latitude of Nizhny Novgorod, in the Caucasus mountains and in Siberia. It has pronounced medicinal properties and is used in folk medicine as an anti-cold remedy, as well as for the treatment of skin rashes of an allergic nature.
