What is grass like orchis? The use in folk medicine and a description of this plant will be discussed in this article.
basic information
The orchis, photo of which is presented above, is a plant belonging to the Orchidaceae family. The name of this herb is of Greek origin and is translated into Russian as “testicle”. Such a strange name is associated with the appearance of the tubers of the plant, which very much resemble the testes.
There are also other versions of the origin of the Russian name for this herb. According to one of them, before the root of the orchis very often used as a love potion, called the flower of the hearth.
Like many other plants, the grass in question can be called as follows: cuckoo tears, kokuy, bog marsh, notch, two roots, five-stick grass, love root, dog tongues, core or solomondine pen.
Botanical Description
Orchis grass is a perennial tuberous plant. Its average height is about 10-50 cm. Orchis root is a thickening in the form of two tubers, or the so-called salep.
The leaves of this plant are linearly broad-lanceolate or broad-lanceolate, covering the stem with a narrowing in the petiole.
Orchis flowers are small in size, collected in a long spike-shaped multiflowered inflorescence of 7–9 or 15 cm in length. They may have a lilac-pink or dark cherry color.
The upper petals of such flowers form a kind of helmet, and the lower ones - the so-called lip with a spur. Red spots located on the lip serve as a kind of guideline attracting pollinating insects.
In anticipation of pollination, the flowers of this herb may not fade for 7-10 days. However, when pollen hits the stigmas of the pestle, they die immediately. Orchis plant blooms from April to August.
Most species of this herb are propagated by seed. But some (for example, the Orchis helmetaceous) can divide vegetatively, forming instead of one two new tubers.
Spread
Spotted orchis and other species of this plant grow in the cold, subtropical and temperate climate of the Northern Hemisphere. Such grass can be found in Central and Southern Europe, as well as far in Asia. Some species of plants grow in North America. As for Russia, orchids are found in large numbers in the Crimea and in the mountains of the Caucasus.
Growth Features
Spotted orchis and other types of grass usually grow in moist soil, although they are not very tolerant of its excessive waterlogging.
In the driest and hottest period of summer, such plants become dormant. They are stored in the soil in the form of tubers and rhizomes until the next favorable season.
In autumn, orchids begin to grow actively, in a hurry to go through their life cycle until July.
Most species of a plant such as orchis (the photo is presented in this article) are calcephiles. In other words, they love to grow in a soil rich in lime. There are also species that prefer alkaline or mineral-rich soil.
Almost all orchids choose areas with high illumination for their growth (for example, meadows, sparse forest zones, forest edges). Although some plants can still be found in the shade.
Grass features
Orchis is a patient. In other words, such a plant tries to avoid the proximity to competitive types of herbs. If this could not be avoided, then it occupies less fertile lands. In this regard, orchids are found only in single copies or in small quantities and quite rarely form large clusters.
The plant in question is well adapted to carry adverse environmental conditions. Thanks to the accumulated substances in the underground organs, he can wait for their changes for several years.
Orchis populations are not affected by mowing and visiting forests during the summer. However, cattle grazing is disastrous for them.
Economic value and use of grass
Orchis in a pharmacy can be purchased only in dried form. Moreover, not only its flowers and leaves, but also tubers, are on sale. The latter contain starch, mucous substances and sugar. Dried rhizomes, or saleps, are actively used as a coating and emollient for poisoning, gastritis and colitis. Sometimes they are recommended for weak patients to strengthen the body.
It should be noted that the herb in question is used in veterinary medicine for catarrh of the intestines in domestic animals.
Orchis: application in folk medicine
The mucus resulting from the shaking of chopped orchis tubers is very often used in folk medicine to treat many different diseases. Despite the fact that the quality of this medicinal plant has not been fully studied, experts have proved that mucus has a pronounced effect on the human body. It envelops the mucous membranes of the digestive organs, and also has expectorant, hematopoietic, anticonvulsant, tonic and tonic properties.
How else do they use orchis? The use in folk medicine of this plant is indicated for poisoning with some poisons. For this purpose, use an aqueous infusion of herbs in the form of an oral agent or enemas. Such a medicine does not allow dangerous substances to be absorbed in the intestine, which prevents the poisoning process. Also, therapeutic enemas with orchis very well help with hemorrhoids.
It should be noted that the tubers of this herb have an anti-inflammatory effect in chronic and acute diseases of the bronchopulmonary system. In addition, the plant improves blood composition and promotes its renewal.
What diseases are used?
When should you use orchis? The use in traditional medicine is indicated for the treatment of the following diseases:
- diarrhea, cystitis, senile weakness, tuberculosis;
- depression, diseases of the digestive tract, catarrh of the bladder;
- bronchitis and other diseases of the respiratory system, which are accompanied by cough, impotence and impotence;
- exhaustion of the body, hypovitaminosis, anemia;
- bronchial asthma, pneumonia, chronic bronchitis;
- inflammation of the appendages, prostatitis, loss of strength, including in the recovery period after serious illness.
Recipes
How to prepare medicinal mucus from orchis powder? The answer to this question is not known to all supporters of traditional medicine. Therefore, we decided to present the prescription of the drug in this article.
Half a dessert spoon of powder made from the root of the plant should be poured with a glass of boiled water, cooled to room temperature. Having closed the container with a lid, the components are allowed to infuse for 60 minutes, stirring them regularly. To get a thicker suspension, fresh honey is sometimes added to the infusion. Such an ingredient significantly improves the taste characteristics of the product. Take it for therapeutic purposes twice a day (100 ml) before meals. A healing course from diseases of the digestive tract should last at least 30 days.
If you need to make a medicinal decoction of the roots of orchis, then for this you need to take 3 g of the finished powder and pour 380 ml of hot water into it. The resulting mixture should be poured with boiling water and simmered over low heat for 9-10 minutes, constantly stirring the components. Next, the broth is required to be insisted for half an hour and filtered.
It is advisable to take such a medicine 100 ml three times a day before meals. You should also follow a restorative diet using rice or its broth. Such an elixir is often used as an emergency aid for diarrhea and dysentery.