2024 Author: Gavin MacAdam | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 13:38
The European zyuznik can be found not only in Russia, Siberia and the Caucasus, but also in Central Asia. It grows mainly in damp areas, in damp meadows and along river banks. It can often be seen in sedge and reed thickets. And the name of the plant in translation from Greek means "wolf legs" - it is due to the shape of flower petals, reminiscent of wolf tracks
This plant is also called: chastets, zyuznik, heart grass, water shandra, wolf's leg, wild mother plant, wolf's paw, marsh nettle, shoemaker, forest hemp, dragolyub, zhuzhnik, speckle, zhura, motorman, zyuzik, nashnik, tsval, shushnik.
Getting to know the plant
This herbaceous perennial member of the Yasnotkovye family reaches a height of 20 to 120 centimeters and forms stolons (underground shoots) up to twenty centimeters long. The spindle-shaped rhizomes of the grasshopper, as a rule, are located in well-moistened soil or in water. And its erect stems are rather branched.
The leaves of the zyuznik are rough and serrate. It is characterized by heterophyllia, which consists in the fact that the upper sessile leaves of the plant are oval and lanceolate, and the lower petiole ones are deeply dissected and dentate.
Zyuznik flowers are collected in axillary multi-flowered inflorescences. They all have the correct shape and are painted white with splashes of purple hues. Zyuznik blooms from June to August, and its fruits are formed in September-October.
Each flower gives rise to fruit - a rather amusing four nuts, collected in one common. Initially, all nuts are attached to the ovaries, which in turn contributes to the formation of air chambers, thanks to which the nuts are spread by wind and water. Prefabricated fruits break quite easily - when broken, they crumble into four isolated nuts.
European zyuznik also has a number of the most varied names: shushnik, chistets, tsval, chickweed, zyuzik, motochnik, zhura, speck, zhuzhnik, dragolyub, forest hemp, shoemaker, marsh nettle, purse, wolf's paw, wild mother, wolf's leg, water shandra and heart grass.
Using a zyuznik
Collected before flowering, the ground parts of the grass plant (flowers, leaves and stems) have medicinal properties. Preparations made from such raw materials are used in the treatment of hyperthyroidism, as well as such secondary symptoms as heart palpitations and nervousness. Such drugs help well with mastodynia.
The harvested zyuznik is able to maintain its useful properties for two years. It contains manganese, fluorine, ascorbic acid, carotene, organic acids, essential oils, as well as various resins and tannins. This plant is widely used in the treatment and prevention of diseases of the heart and blood vessels, to fight diarrhea and heal from fever. And the benefits of the zyuznik for the thyroid gland have already been mentioned above. Among other things, the European zyuznik used in folk medicine is able to cure malaria, tuberculosis and stomach pains, as well as insomnia and diseases of the nervous system. It is also used to stop bleeding - the extract of this plant brings the blood composition back to normal, and in gynecology, the zyuznik is a salvation from various hormonal disorders. Decoctions, tea, juices and infusions are prepared from this medicinal plant. Powder from its leaves is also widely used.
Zyuznik is not recommended to get involved in hypotension. As for contraindications, it was possible to identify that excessive and constant use of this plant can provoke the development of diabetes mellitus and negatively affect the pancreas.
How to grow
The zyuznik should be grown in damp areas, choosing moisture-intensive fertile soil. It grows equally well in partial shade and in the sun. It is preferable to plant it in special containers for the convenience of winter storage and to limit its growth. For the winter, containers with a zyuznik should be dropped in the garden.
Zyuznik reproduces by dividing bushes and seeds. From seeds, its cultivation is carried out through seedlings, and the division of the bushes is carried out in the fall or in the spring.
In general, the zyuznik is quite unpretentious and does not require special care, it is only necessary to restrict its distribution from time to time.
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European Zyuznik
European zyuznik is also known under the following names: Zyuzik, Forest hemp, Marsh stinging nettle, Krapchatka, Wolf's paw, Heart grass, Water shandra, Wolf's leg, Wild mother plant, Chistets, Bashmetnik, Dragolyub, Zhuzhnik, Zhura, Motorcycle worker, Naryshnik, Tsval, Shushnik.
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