Spring adonis is a perennial plant, reaching 30 cm in height, has a thick brownish-black rhizome and numerous stems. The leaves of the adonis are pinnate or palmate, dissected, pentagonal. Flowers bright yellow, single, large. The fruits are presented in the form of many small nuts with a diameter of up to 5 mm.
Among the people, spring sunflower received many names: Montenegrin, hairy grass, starodubka, field dill, fluffy, yellowflower, hare poppy, consumable, centaury. The official name is "spring adonis".
The flowering period of the plant begins in April and lasts until the end of May. Spring adonis is a plant resistant to cold, which is able to withstand significant drops in temperature.
Places of growth of adonis are forest edges, steppes and forest-steppes, open slopes, shrubs. It is found in large quantities in Ukraine, in the southern steppes of Siberia, the Caucasus, the Urals, as well as in central Russia.
Spring adonis is a sun-loving medicinal plant, although it is poisonous. In many countries, in addition to using medicinal properties, adonis is grown as a garden crop with large bright flowers.
The bush propagates by rhizomes and seeds, which are planted in the early spring or autumn in moist soil, to a depth of three centimeters.
On the Russian territory, such species of adonis are widespread as Amur, Golden, Turkestan, summer and spring, which are valuable medicinal plants. It is not for nothing that Campion is used for medical purposes in many countries. The benefit is only its ground part with flowers. The grass is harvested from the formation of color to the beginning of fruiting. Adonis contains the greatest amount of medicinal substances during flowering.
The dried sunflower herb has healing properties. For their disclosure, it must be dried immediately after collection in the oven or oven, observing the temperature regime in the range of 40-50 degrees. In hot weather, the grass adonis dries well under a canopy or in the attic. Store the plant for no more than a year in a well-ventilated area, and care should be taken, since the grass is poisonous.
When harvesting, only spring adonis is useful, other close relatives do not possess healing properties.
Adonis preparations are referred to as cardiac glycosides, which have a therapeutic effect on the heart muscle - increase contractile functions. Side effect is expressed in lowering the excitability of the heart and slowing down the frequency of its contractions. The main feature of adipose preparations is the sedative effect exerted on the central nervous system. Adonis-based drugs have diuretic properties, they are used for edema and enlarged liver, as well as for shortness of breath.
The use of adonis is indicated for functional neuroses of the heart, infectious diseases that occur with weakening of the heart, with neuropsychiatric abnormalities, kidney diseases with symptoms of heart failure, a bowel disease, acute glaucoma attacks.
Due to dyspeptic phenomena , the adipose preparations cannot be taken to people suffering from duodenal ulcer and stomach, enterocolitis and gastritis.
Various medications are made from adonis: infusions, extracts, tablets and potions.
Today, the fame of the plant adonis Kukushkin (adonis) has grown unreasonably, it is considered a panacea, a remedy for almost all diseases. Therefore, there is a rapid reduction in the natural reserves of medicinal herbs, and in some places the species has completely disappeared.