Common Cranberry

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Common Cranberry
Common Cranberry
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Common cranberry is one of the plants of the family called lingonberry, in Latin the name of this shrub will sound like this: Vaccinium oxycoccus L. As for the name of the common cranberry family itself, in Latin it will be like this: Vacciniaceae.

Description of common cranberry

Common cranberry is an evergreen creeping shrub, endowed with thin rooting shoots, the length of which reaches eighty centimeters. The leaves of this plant are ovoid and leathery, they will be hibernating, and the petioles are short, the length of such leaves is eight to fifteen millimeters, and the width is three to five millimeters. From above, the leaves of this plant are painted in dark green tones, they are shiny, and from below they are covered with a waxy bloom. The flowers of the common cranberry are regular, small in size, drooping. Such flowers will be on rather long stalks, and flowers are collected in two to six pieces in inflorescences, painted in dark pink tones. The calyx of this plant is four-incised, it is fused with the ovary. There are eight stamens in total, they are endowed with purple filaments, which are pubescent both from the back and from the side. The anthers of common cranberries are yellow, they are elongated and endowed with holes that open from above. The column of this plant is slightly higher than the stamen. The fruit of the common cranberry is an ovoid or spherical berry that will be juicy and sour, shiny and colored in red tones. In diameter, the length of such a fruit will be about ten millimeters. The seeds are rather small in size and are colored greenish.

The flowering of common cranberries occurs in the period from May to June, while the ripening of the fruits will occur at the end of September. Under natural conditions, this plant is found on the territory of Kamchatka, Siberia, the Carpathians, Sakhalin, as well as in all areas of the middle and northern strip of the European part of Russia. For growth, this plant will prefer moss soils, transitional swamps and acidic peat soils.

Description of the medicinal properties of common cranberry

Common cranberry is endowed with very valuable healing properties, while it is recommended to use the berries of this plant for medicinal purposes. The presence of such valuable medicinal properties should be explained by the content of flavonoids, saponins, glycosides, pectins, catechins, as well as the following organic substances: ascorbic, cinchona, ursolic, benzoic and lemon. Also in the composition of the berries of this plant are dyes, fructose, glucose, sucrose and such trace elements: zinc, iron, chromium, manganese, potassium, calcium, phosphorus, cobalt, silver and chromium.

It should be noted that ursolic acid will be similar in its effect to hormones. Cranberry tones, refreshes, improves digestion, reduces fever, and also increases physical and mental performance. Common cranberries are used as a diuretic, antiscorbutic, anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial and insecticidal agent. In addition, the plant is also used to reduce the secretion of gastric and pancreatic juice, kidney disease, sore throat, colds, diseases of the urinary tract and bladder, glaucoma, anemia, bronchitis, high blood pressure, various colds and Addison's disease. Also, common cranberries are also recommended to be used as a very valuable prophylactic agent that will prevent the formation of kidney stones.

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