Grass American - medicinal weed

Galinsoga small-colored, which in the people is known as an American grass, is an annual early weed that belongs to the family of astroids. The place of origin of the plant is South America. It was from there that it got to Europe and everywhere it spread. Most of the thickets of galinsoga can be found on beds with perennials and next to irrigated trees. The fact is that the American grass, the photo of which is located below, is best developed in shaded places on loose ground. The plant differs from most other weeds with high viability. Even if it is pulled out, from its internodes it releases a large number of air roots, which eventually sprout again. The first shoots can appear from March to June.

Grass American reaches 70 cm in height. Its stem is upright and has many branches. The leaves of the galinsoga are fastened with short petioles. From the very beginning of summer and until late autumn the plant blossoms and fructifies. As a rule, on each of them grows five (sometimes seven) female flowers of white or cream color. The tetrahedral achenes have a conical shape and are covered with hairs. Due to the white film flying and wind, the seeds are carried by decent distances. It should be noted that they differ in their ability to ripen even in those plants that were torn from the ground. The development of the galinsoga occurs throughout the growing season. Under favorable conditions, each plant can produce up to three hundred thousand seeds.

Despite the fact that it is a weed, the American herb also has medicinal and nutritional properties (edible in wild form). The leaves have a weakly expressed herbaceous taste. Most often they are added to salads similarly to other types of greens. As for the medical purpose, all parts of the galinsoga can be used here. It contains such elements as stigmasterol, rubber, coffee acid, flavonoids and others. Grass American in folk medicine serves to prepare a decoction, which is used in anemia, ascites and goiter. Tinctures of plant roots are recommended to drink during a fever. Among other things, lotions from this herb are considered wound-healing.

Due to the fact that the plant is found on almost every site, as a rule, nobody specially grows it. If there is such a need, there will be no problems with it. For the planting of the galinsoga, it is most expedient to use a seedling method, because its seeds are planted at different times. Young specimens are planted in rows at a distance of about 10 centimeters between themselves. This is done only once, because a year later, self-seeding begins. The main thing is not to forget about weeding and removing excess plants, which are less viable at the initial stages of development.

Whatever it was, the weed grass American harms cultivated plants. To combat it, it is necessary to observe a crop rotation, perform timely zyablovuyu soil cultivation and intercropping in planting. In an extreme case, appropriate herbicides can be used to eliminate the galinsoga.