2024 Author: Gavin MacAdam | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 13:38
Mountain arnica (lat. Arnica montana) - a herbaceous perennial plant with bright yellow marginal flowers, representing on the planet the genus Arnica (Latin Arnica), belonging to the family Astrovye (Latin Asteraceae), or Compositae (Latin Compositae).
What's in your name
There is no consensus about the meaning of the Latin name of the genus "Arnica". Some believe that the name is based on the ancient Greek word meaning "sneezing", while others refer to another ancient Greek word meaning "lamb."
The specific epithet "montana" ("mountain") indicates the habitat of the plant, which is mountain pastures with curly lambs walking on them.
The plant also has popular names, one of which is "Mountain sheep".
Description
A short, multi-headed rhizome is the guarantor of the plant's longevity. Old obsolete stems remain on the rhizome in the form of rounded scars. Numerous adventitious filamentous roots help feed the aerial part of the plant.
The aerial part of the plant begins its life with a rosette of leaves, which is the result of the first year of life. Only the next year does a bare or leafy erect stem appear, the height of which, depending on the conditions of life, varies from 15 to 80 centimeters.
The leaves are outwardly similar to the leaves of lilies of the valley, have an oval-oblong shape and longitudinal veins clearly visible on the leaf plate, giving the leaves a decorative appearance. The upper side of the leaf plate has a darker green color than the lower one.
The next spectacular element of the plant is the traditional inflorescences-baskets, formed by bright yellow, asexual, marginal petal flowers and dark yellow or orange, hermaphroditic, median, tubular flowers. The flowers are protected by a two-row hemispherical envelope formed by green, lanceolate leaves with sharp tips. The outer side of the envelope is covered with glandular or simple hairs. The middle flowers begin to bloom from the edge of the basket, gradually moving towards its center. The filaments of the five stamens are free, and the anthers are fused into a tube, with spiny, spherical pollen grains.
The fruit of the mountain Arnica is the achene, equipped with a hairy tuft for movement in search of a planting site.
The healing composition of the plant
All parts of the plant have healing substances, but their greatest concentration is observed in the rhizome and flowers. Therefore, they are collected by people to be used for medicinal purposes.
What is missing in such a simple-looking plant: tannins; resins and essential oils containing a long list of acids important for the human body; the bitter and coloring matter "arnicin"; vitamin C and more.
The essential oil obtained from the rhizome has a light yellow color, and from the flowers it is blue-green or red-yellow. The aroma of the essential oil from the flowers is very intense and has a chamomile scent.
Healing abilities
The rich chemical composition of flowers and rhizomes is the source of the healing powers of Arnica mountain. Moreover, the plant is listed as medicinal from ancient times to the present day. Even official medicine uses Mountain Arnica for the manufacture of medicines, for which the inflorescences of the plant are collected.
Preparations from the flowers of Arnica mountain are choleretic, diaphoretic, diuretic hemostatic agent. Different doses of the drug have different effects on the human nervous system: small doses tone up its work, and large doses soothe the nerves, and also prevent the development of seizures, and help reduce high blood pressure.
Preparations from the roots of Arnica mountain have a stimulating effect on the human cardiovascular system.
Other uses of the plant
Mountain arnica is a very ornamental plant that can decorate any flower garden.
The flowers are an excellent honey plant, attracting pollinators with a pleasant aroma.
The flowers of Arnica are used by the alcoholic beverage industry as a spice.
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