Tussilago farfara

Description

Perennial rhizomatous herbaceous plant with small yellow tongue flowers collected in baskets. Leaves are large, round-heart-shaped, notched-toothed, dark green above, smooth, white-downy below. The lower side of the leaves warms, and the upper-colds, which is why the name of the plant "Mat'-i-Matcheha" (mother-and-stepmother-rus ). The leaves appear only after flowering. Height 5 – 25 cm.

The time of flowering. March-early May.

Distribution. It is found almost everywhere in the European part, the Caucasus, Siberia, the far East and Central Asia.

Habitat. It grows in moist sandy and clay soils along the banks of rivers, ponds, ditches, ravines, and fields.

The part used. Leaves and flower baskets ("flowers").

The time of collection. Flower baskets are collected in March – April, leaves-in June-July.

Chemical composition

The leaves contain glucosides, sitosterol, saponins, Gallic, malic and tartaric acids, polysaccharides inulin and dextrin, mucous substances, tannins, carotenoids (5.18 mg), ascorbic acid or vitamin C (5 mg), essential oil and other substances. Flower baskets contain faradiol, arnidiol, stigmasterol, phytosterol, tannins and colorants, and essential oil.

Application

The Coltsfoot as a medicinal plant was known in Ancient Greece. It has long been used in folk medicine in various countries. The plant calms cough well, dissolves sputum and mucous secretions, increases expectoration, weakens and stops inflammatory processes, excites appetite, stimulates secretory activity of various glands, has a mild diaphoretic and choleretic effect and a good wound healing property. The scientific generic name of the plant comes from the Latin words "tussis" — means cough and "agere" — to bring out.

Decoction and infusion of leaves are drunk for diseases of the respiratory and respiratory tract, cough, hoarseness of the voice, bronchitis, bronchial asthma, as well as for inflammatory processes of the stomach and intestinal mucosa, diarrhoea, kidney and bladder diseases, dropsy and scrofula. In folk medicine of the Karachay-Cherkessia Autonomous region, decoction of leaves is used for heart diseases, shortness of breath, and coughing. In Central Asia, dry leaves are smoked for shortness of breath and shortness of breath. In German folk medicine, an infusion of leaves is used internally for various respiratory diseases, stomach and intestinal ulcers, and as a means to excite appetite and enhance the activity of the glands. A good result with a strong cough is given by the powder from the leaves of the Coltsfoot in a mixture with crushed sugar. Fresh juice with sugar (4 tablespoons a day) in folk medicine, it is recommended to take inside for a long time for patients with pulmonary tuberculosis.

Externally, a decoction or infusion of leaves in the form of washings, lotions and compresses is used for inflammation of the blood vessels, inflammatory processes of the skin, tumours, ulcers, inflamed wounds. For the same purpose, crushed leaves are also used, especially as a wound-healing and anti-inflammatory agent. Infusion of leaves in inflammatory processes rinse the mouth and pharynx and in inflammatory bowel processes use enemas from the infusion of leaves. A concentrated decoction by a mixture of equally taken leaves of Coltsfoot and Nettle is used for washing the head with plentiful dandruff, itchy skin and hair loss. In scientific medicine, an infusion of leaves is used as an effective expectorant. The Coltsfoot leaves are part of breast and sweatshop collections.

Method of application

1. 15 g of leaves to infuse or boil in 1 cup of water. Take 1 tablespoon after 3 hours.

2. 20 g of leaves or flower baskets infuse in 1 liter of boiling water. Take 1/2 cup 4 times a day for inflammatory processes of the stomach, intestines, bladder and kidney diseases.