Thistle Curly: description, photo, medical use

This dicotyledonous plant, belonging to the genus Thistle (Carduus), has many folk names - a thornbill, a redwood boar, a dandovik, a hedgehog, a cologne, a thorny thresher. Many people know about the harm that this weed inflicts on cultivated plants in the country or in the garden, but not everyone knows that this plant has a number of beneficial properties.

Spread

Thistle curly is widely distributed throughout Eurasia, as well as North America. On the territory of our country, it is found in almost all regions.

This light-loving plant, which prefers well-lit areas, although it can be seen both in damp forests, near roadsides, on the banks of water bodies. In crops, it usually occupies the upper tier, which leads to the suppression of cultivated plants.

Accurate description of the thistle curly

A two-year weed herbaceous plant, whose height can be from twenty to one hundred and twenty centimeters. Stem is rounded, erect, furrowed, up to the top is covered with sharp thorns and "wings", from the middle (or only above) branchy.

Leaves oblong-ovate or lanceolate, length from four to ten centimeters and a width of five centimeters. The lower leaves are larger (up to twenty centimeters in length and up to fifteen centimeters in width). Petrel winged, up to twelve centimeters long. Leaves wavy-notched, jagged along the edge. Above, they are covered with small thin thorns, and are slightly pubescent from below.

Peduncles prickly, white (up to fifteen centimeters). They come out from the sinuses of the leaves. Baskets are spherical and slightly flattened, collected at the top of branches or stems. Their width is slightly more than two centimeters. Lodgment of baskets flat, fleshy, with setae.

The wrapper is usually wide-ovate, markedly shorter than the flowers. In young baskets the leaves of the wrapper are straight, during flowering the outer leaves are bent back, linear-subulate and solid. Internal leaves of the wrapper are pressed, thinly membranous. All their apexes inside and outside are covered with hardly noticeable, short, pressed hairs.

Flowers small, tubular. Corolla is dyed purple. Fruits - very small achenes of grayish color, with well marked longitudinal lines of dark color, and a sessile tubercle. Pappus considerably shorter than corolla. Blooming thistle curly in July-August. Until this time, gardeners and gardeners are trying to get rid of this plant in their plots.

Thistle Curly: useful properties

Scientists have investigated the thistle curly. The description of the results of their work allows us to say that the medicinal preparations based on this plant increase the immunity, as well as the resistance of the human body to the adverse effects of environmental conditions.

Composition

Thistle curly, the photo of which you see below, contains:

• Terpenoids;
• Alkaloids (0.5%);
• In leaves ascorbic acid (up to 30%);
• In the roots - polysaccharide inulin;
• Semi-drying fatty oil in seeds (up to 29.3%).

The plant is suitable for use in food and for technical use.

Preparation and storage of raw materials

To make medicinal preparations, the curly thistle is used almost completely - stems, leaves, roots. The tops of the plant are harvested during the active flowering (July-August), and the roots are harvested in September. They should be thoroughly washed under running water, cut into small pieces, spread out in a thin layer on paper, in a well-ventilated place. From time to time, the raw materials must be stirred and turned over.

Grass plants are harvested the same way, but it dries out faster. Keep raw materials in canvas or paper bags. The aerial part of the plant retains its useful properties for two years, and the roots - three.

Use in folk medicine

Folk healers have long and successfully used the curly thistle. The recipes presented in this article will help to cure many diseases, but before starting treatment, you need to consult a doctor.

From insomnia and neuroses

One spoonful (table) of crushed dried inflorescences is placed in a bowl and pour 250 ml of water, boil for three minutes. The broth should be infused for about an hour, after which it can be filtered. Such a decoction is taken by a third of the glass twice a day.

With bronchitis

Roots of a thistle (one spoonful of a dining-room) chop, fill them with 300 ml of water and bring to a boil. Leave on low heat for ten minutes, then strain. Take 1/2 cup three times a day.

Rheumatism and gout

Thistle curly can also help with these diseases, which torment many people. To do this, a tablespoon of crushed dried leaves of the plant to pour 250 ml of boiling water. The composition should be infused for about an hour, after which it can be filtered. Twice a day, take half a glass of infusion for thirty minutes before eating.

Powder

For manufacturing used are taken in equal parts dry baskets and leaves of a thistle (without thorns). They must be crushed thoroughly with a blender. Powder is taken on a teaspoon, washed down with boiled water, thrice a day with anemia, cancer of different localization, hemorrhoids, intestinal diseases.

Juice

It is prepared from young fresh thistle leaves, previously well washed and peeled. Raw materials are laid in a blender and ground. You can use a meat grinder. The resulting mass is pressed through several layers of gauze.

Juice is recommended for tuberculosis, anemia, asthenia, hypotension, after a severe illness, as a remedy.

For washing wounds, boils, ulcers

Pour two tablespoons of raw material with a glass of boiling water, wrap and leave in a warm place to infuse for about two hours. After this, the composition is filtered, and can be used.

Syrup from flowers

This is a very effective tool that is used in complex therapy for the treatment of colds, bronchitis, bronchial asthma. For the preparation of syrup it is necessary:

• Thistle curly (inflorescence) - 150 g;
• Granulated sugar - 100 g;
• Boiling water - 300 ml.

Inflorescences pour boiling water and sugar. The resulting mass in enameled pots should be placed on a slow fire and evaporated to half the initial volume under the closed lid, then strain. Take before eating a teaspoon.

Application in food

Young leaves of the plant can be added to the vitamin spring salad.

Salad with cheese

Remove spines from the leaves, brew them in salted water for ten minutes, cut, sprinkle with grated cheese and season with salad sour cream or mayonnaise. Salt and spices add to taste.

Salad with sorrel

After cleansing the leaves from the thorns, boil them in salted water and cut. Add to them boiled potatoes, cut into slices, and crushed leaves of sorrel. On the plate (from the side) lay onions rings and crushed egg (boiled). Sprinkle the salad finely chopped dill, season with mayonnaise. If desired, add spices and salt.

Cream soup

Boil the young leaves and thistles in slightly salted water for ten minutes, then grind in a blender. Prepare the mashed potatoes, fry onions. Prepared foods are placed in broth or water, add a scrambled onion, and brought to the ready. Before serving, season with sour cream and serve croutons.

Where else is the plant used?

Thistle curly - fine honey. Budyakovy honey is considered one of the best. It has a beautiful golden color, slowly crystallizes, has a pleasant delicate aroma.

In addition, a young thistle (without thorns) is a favorite treat of cattle.

Application in medicine of different peoples

We have already described in some detail how folk healers in our country are using curly thistles. Its application has long been common in many Western countries, as well as in the East. There, decoction of the roots is used in the treatment of epilepsy, neuroses.

Belarusian and Nanai herbalists use the smoke of dry grass, fumigating children with fright, and they also add to the baths for bathing patients with nervous disorders.

Chinese folk healers believe that a decoction of inflorescences is indispensable in the treatment of colds and rheumatism. In folk medicine of Tibet and Transbaikalia infusion of roots and inflorescences of thistle is prescribed for diarrhea, bronchitis, gastroenteritis, pneumonia, and also as an emetic.

Contraindications

Based on the conducted studies of the thistle, it can be said that the medicinal products of this plant do not cause side effects with prolonged use.