Many of us have known clover grass since childhood . After all, it grows everywhere - in forests, in fields, in villages and cities. This herb belongs to a large family of legumes. In height, usually grows to half a meter. Mostly its leaves are triple (but more common), and the flowers are collected in small tight heads. There is statistics that a perennial plant occurs on average one in 10,000 clover stems. And this happens, scientists say, because of a genetic mutation.
Clover, thanks to the special living bacteria in its roots, enriches the soil with nitrogen. In addition, it improves soil drainage and its moisture capacity. All this because clover roots penetrate deep into the soil, and at the same time loosen it additionally. The use of clover is also that it is one of the most important crops for feeding livestock.
There are about 250 species of clover. One of the most common is
white clover (creeping). The people also call it "white porridge". This plant is found in the Caucasus, in the CIS and throughout Europe. The stalks of white clover spread on the ground, hence its second name - creeping clover. It is unusually tenacious - withstands etching and trampling, grows extremely fast.
Another variety is red clover, or as it is also called, meadow clover. Characteristic features: long leaves, branched root and flowers of dark red color. Fruits are small seeds that look like beans. The root root system grows very fast. Overhead shoots slightly curved or erect, reach up to 40 cm in height. Ternate ovate leaves, pubescent from below.
Clover contains fat and essential oils. Due to this, it is often used in folk medicine for the treatment of suffocation, hernia, and female diseases. Also used for scrofula, kidney disease, malaria, and the common cold. The plant also has a diuretic, hemostatic, astringent, expectorant and antiseptic effect. Medicinal raw materials - inflorescences with upper leaves. Collect them during flowering, laying in baskets in a loose manner. Then it is dried in the shade, in a dryer or under a canopy. You can store the whole year in a closed container.
Most of the varieties of this plant are excellent honey plants. Including creeping clover. Honey from it (as well as from red clover) is considered healing and very valuable. There are even special bees that collect nectar exclusively from these leguminous plants.
The people have their own sayings and signs about this plant. It is believed that if a person found a four-leaf clover (no matter - creeping or red), then he will be happy, and luck will always accompany his life. But if someone met a five-leaf clover on their way (which happens very rarely), and even tore it up, then grief and misfortune await him. Such statements have come to us since ancient times. Then the four-leaf clover creeping (or red) was specially searched for by young unmarried girls in order to attract a good groom. Also, this grass with four leaves was hidden under the porch to avoid unwanted guests.