Well known to gardeners, the herb cinquefoil is a fairly common herb, sometimes called "Russian ginseng" for its beneficial properties. This is explained by the fact that this variety is very rich in its biochemical composition, the infusion made from it can be used as a drug.
Description of culture
Another well-known name for this culture, often used among the people, is the cinquefoil or cinquefoil (it is also called dikop grass).
In order to imagine what a saber can look like in its natural form, it is enough to familiarize yourself with its description given below:
- This type of herbaceous plants is referred to as the so-called "rosaceous".
- Outwardly, it looks like a relatively large shrub, the height of which varies from 50 cm to a meter.
- This medicinal variety has oblong leaves with rather sharp edges (hence its main name).
- Their color is dark green, but a slightly grayish tint is noticeable at the very base.
- The inflorescences of this type of grass are deep red, with barely noticeable burgundy veins and a significant number of pistils.
- The grass flower looks like a five-pointed star.
Unlike other medicinal crops, this species has strong and long rhizomes, the haphazard weaving of which forms something like a pillow.
The most common place for the growth of culture is wet soils (most suitable for this are swamps or the banks of rivers and lakes). In addition, cinquefoil grass is often found in well-shaded areas, as well as in meadows and lowlands throughout the European part of Russia.
The usefulness of culture for human health was noted even in the legends of the ancient peoples living on the plains of Eastern Siberia. Over time, another useful property of the cinquefoil herb was noted, which is manifested in its decorative attractiveness.
Breeding order
The breeding features of Potentilla marsh can be described as follows:
- Wet and low-lying places should be selected for breeding.
- The most preferred planting method is to transfer the grass from its natural habitat to a previously prepared area.
- To carry out this operation, it will be enough to open the plant growing on the river bank together with its rhizome, which should be at least 20 cm long.
- For normal growth of the planted sample, a well-loosened soil with high acidity (with the addition of fresh peat) is required.
- Classic seed propagation by seedlings is considered too tedious and inconvenient for this species.
Subject to all these recommendations, the cinquefoil herb taken from the natural environment takes root quite quickly, regardless of the location of the garden plot.
Beneficial features
A distinctive feature of this type of herbaceous plants is its versatility, which consists in a significant number of areas where it is used. Usefulness for humans is expressed not only in medicinal properties, but also in the ability to use the plant as an element for decorating a garden plot.
This is facilitated by the attractive contrasting coloring of the openwork leaves, as well as the beautiful shape of the flower, which attracts special attention. When planting grass along the banks of artificial reservoirs, it is possible to obtain a rather spectacular and original landscape.
The medicinal properties of this plant, which can cure any disease, are explained by the presence in its composition of such useful components as:
- Essential oil and keratin.
- Vitamins A and C.
- Organic acids.
- Special tannins as well as resins and saponins.
The unique composition of this medicinal plant allows its use as a raw material for the treatment of a number of diseases. Marsh cinquefoil is especially effective when carrying out anti-inflammatory and tonic procedures.
In addition, infusions based on it should be taken in the prevention and treatment of diseases such as:
- Fever with intense fever.
- Decrease in the general tone of the body, associated with a weakening of the immune defense.
- Colds and acute respiratory infections.
Absolutely all parts of the marsh cinquefoil grass are suitable for home treatment, no matter what diseases it is used for. In addition to all of the above, its inflorescences are a unique supplier of honey, providing bees with the required amounts of pollen and nectar.
Regarding such characteristics as a contraindication to taking certain tinctures from sabelnik, it should be noted that they are practically absent.
Collection and procurement
The main medicinal components of the plant are contained in its rhizome and accumulate as much as possible with the arrival of autumn (at this time its ground part usually dies off). Therefore, the stems with tender leaves blooming on them are usually harvested in early spring (in the month of May).
The rhizome cut in autumn can stretch for several meters in a plane parallel to the surface of the earth, while only the smallest part of it is suitable for blanks.
The remnants, blackened from the outside and from the inside, are simply cut off and thrown away (they are completely unsuitable for harvesting). The rest of the roots are then thoroughly washed and laid to dry further.
The leaves of the cinquefoil collected in spring are laid out in a thin layer on a dry, dense cloth or rolled out roll of Whatman paper, and then kept for some time in a well-ventilated room. Slightly dried grass is then placed in storage in cotton cloth bags or paper bags.
In the final part of the review, it should be noted that the generally accepted instructions for harvesting a saber can differ significantly from the traditional methods of preparing it.