Have you ever walked through meadows or fields with the feeling that something was clinging to your clothes and not letting you go further? If yes, then know that in such places one of the most useful medicinal plants grows, which we will talk about. The topic of our conversation is tenacious bedstraw, medicinal properties and contraindications, description and use of the plant.
This is a tenacious bedstraw (photo):
What does the tenacious bedstraw look like (description of the plant)
Tenacious bedstraw is a special subspecies of a perennial plant that belongs to the madder family. Its peculiarity is that it is almost impossible to corrode and destroy - it is extremely resistant to various types of chemicals. The plant is covered with small but sharp teeth, with which it clings to smooth bread straws. On ribbed, thin and crooked stems there are narrow whorled leaves, collected in six pieces. The plant does not have a cup, and the corolla is fused at the base and has four stamens. Dry fruits are tenaciously formed on the bedstraw, resembling a sphere in shape and consisting of two leaves. The surface of the fruit is covered with sharp small thorns. The plant blooms in the summer.
Small white flowers form rare inflorescences - axillary semi-umbrellas. It can reach a height of 60 cm to 1.5 meters. These are relatively rare in nature. The uniqueness of the flower lies in its special division into nodes with internodes.
Tenacious bedstraw is an annual plant. It is also called Velcro grass, sticky grass, scratch grass, cling grass, and hemorrhoid grass. The spread of such names is explained by its ability to cling to everything. It is quite common, it can be seen in the European parts of Russia, in Eastern Siberia, Western Siberia, in Moldova, in Central Asia, in Ukraine, in Sakhalin, in the Caucasus.
Collection and preparation of bedstraw is very simple. The flowering part, about 30-35 cm, located at the top, is carefully cut off with scissors. The leaves are carefully removed, then everything is laid out on a dry cloth or paper. There is no need to expose the grass to the sun. It dries perfectly in the room, but at moderate, not high humidity. Turn the raw materials at least once a day.
Medicinal properties of tenacious bedstraw
Tenacious bedstraw brings benefits to the human body due to its chemical composition and a number of beneficial properties. the roots contain iridoids, saponins, vitamin C (ascorbic acid) and K, the grass contains a large amount of flavonoids and vitamins. The mostly herbaceous part is harvested when the plant is in flower.
It is recommended to use medicinal herbs for skin diseases, in particular for inflammatory processes and small rashes, boils and acne. In adjuvant therapy, it is used in the treatment of malignant tumors.
Helps relieve inflammation in the bladder and has a mild diuretic effect. Tenacious bedstraw is an effective anti-fever and hemostatic agent.
Even in Ancient Greece, residents were sure that this particular remedy perfectly saved them from the poisonous bites of dangerous snakes. It has proven itself as an effective drug for dropsy, scurvy, and liver diseases. Traditional healers advise taking a tincture of this herb for psoriasis, eczema and a condition such as systemic lupus erythematosus. In addition, it helps cope with constipation, providing a mild laxative effect.
Healers recommend paying attention to this medicinal plant for those who are predisposed to heart disease. It perfectly cleanses the blood and stimulates the strengthening of the walls of blood vessels; it is indicated for scurvy and epilepsy. Quickly relieves pain from rheumatism and kidney diseases. In powder form, it is used to sprinkle and disinfect wounds on the body and burns.
Diseases that can be treated using this type of shrub include:
Menstrual irregularities in women;
- angina;
- scrofula;
- pneumonia and pneumonia;
- jaundice;
- lymphoma and neuroblastoma;
- rheumatism;
- acute respiratory infections and acute respiratory viral infections;
- tuberculosis;
- epilepsy;
- duodenal cancer and stomach ulcers.
Does tenacious bedstraw have any contraindications for use?
Yes, like any medicinal plant, tenacious bedstraw has both beneficial properties and contraindications. This herb can have a powerful astringent effect, as it contains a large amount of tannin. Therefore, if you need long-term use, you must take breaks every 14 days for one week.
For diabetes mellitus, it is also not recommended to consume juice and tincture from this plant, as it has a strong diuretic property. Particular care must be taken in preparation and dosage, since bedstraw belongs to the group of mildly poisonous species. It is forbidden to give it to children and pregnant women, as well as people with individual intolerance.
How is tenacious bedstraw used (use in folk medicine)
To prepare a hemostatic agent, the following recipe will be useful: grind the herb, take two teaspoons of the resulting raw material, pour 250 ml of boiling water. Leave to infuse for 4-5 hours, then strain through cheesecloth. You need to drink the resulting volume of the medicine within one day, in small sips, slowly.
For kidney stones, hemorrhoids and epilepsy, use the following remedy: take 4 teaspoons of pre-crushed bedstraw, add 0.5 liters of boiling water. Leave for at least three hours, strain. For infusion, it is better to use a thermos or wrap the container in a warm towel, because it is important to drink the infusion while hot. Drink four times a day, in small sips of half a glass. This therapy can be repeated for no more than three weeks, then a break.
For those diagnosed with breast cancer: for 4 teaspoons of crushed parts of the bush you will need a glass of boiling water. Let it sit for 3-4 hours and you can drink it, also hot. Take a quarter glass three times a day.
If the herb is crushed to a powdery state, you can get an excellent remedy that will be used to treat purulent wounds, ulcers on the body, and abscesses. The powder is sprinkled on the affected areas of the skin, and also taken orally: one teaspoon after meals three times a day. Drink cool water and try not to eat anything for two hours after that.
For arthritis, you can make the following tincture: grind the collected herbs and fill half a 0.5-liter glass bottle with it. Fill the rest of the bottle with vodka up to the neck. Place in a dark place and be sure to shake every day. After three weeks, remove and strain. The tincture is used to rub sore joints. Apply two to three times a day. Rubbing can be continued continuously for no more than two weeks, then a break is required.
For skin diseases, an infusion is prepared according to the following recipe: chop the plant, take three tablespoons and pour three glasses of boiling water. Wrap, leave for 4 hours, then strain and use for lotions and compresses for acne, boils, lichen, scrofula. You can add this infusion to a warm bath. Use compresses and lotions no more often than once every two days.
A decoction of bedstraw can be used to gargle for sores on the tongue. To do this, take three tablespoons of dry raw materials, add half a liter of cool, clean water. Place over low heat, stirring, bring to a boil, leave for another 4-5 minutes. Wrap the broth well or pour it into a thermos to steep for 60-70 minutes.
The prepared broth is filtered and then divided into three parts. One serving should be taken three times during one day, preferably 15-20 minutes before meals. Drinking this decoction is beneficial for all internal organ systems.
Use the miraculous properties of the medicinal bedstraw by using it in combination with other herbs, for example, lemon balm, nettle, dandelion, burdock, peppermint, and, of course, using the medicinal plant chamomile.
Popularly, Bedstraw is also known as Rennet or Whey for a substance that can curdle milk, and it is nicknamed tenacious for its ability to cling to everything that is nearby.
Characteristic
Tenacious bedstraw belongs to the Chenopodiaceae family. It is an annual plant, but capable of overwintering; it is distinguished by the presence of hard hooks on the stem and leaves that cling to neighboring plants. If it comes into contact with skin, it may scratch if it is moved suddenly.
The root system is taproot. The stem is long up to 1.5 m, creeping, recumbent, in the presence of support or neighboring plants it rises, clinging and oppressing neighboring species, aggressive.
The leaves are lanceolate, narrow up to 25 cm, with “fringe” along the edges. They are collected in whorls in bunches of up to 12 pieces.
Blooms all summer. The flowers are small, with a white corolla, on short stalks, forming dense panicle inflorescences.
The fruit is a kidney-shaped nut, grayish in color with a notch. Ripens in autumn, fertility – 500 seeds or more. High viability, they remain viable in soil for up to 5 years, germinate from a depth of up to 9 cm.
During the flowering period, if eaten en masse, the plant can cause poisoning in livestock.
Distribution environment
It lives everywhere, can be found in vegetable gardens, orchards, fields, meadows and pastures. Prefers fertile soils with good moisture. It is considered a weed; in cultivated plantings it causes lodging of the main species.
There are two related species: Fragrant bedstraw – has a pleasant fragrant aroma; True bedstraw - distinguished by decorative properties, not so aggressive, suitable for growing in the garden.
Contains organic acids, glycosides, tannins and coumarins, coloring pigments, carotene and vitamin C, microelements. The aerial part of the plant contains an enzyme that can curdle milk during the production of cheese.
Properties
It has analgesic, hemostatic, antifever properties. It is used as a diuretic, choleretic agent, is able to soften tissue compactions, and has an astringent effect.
Application
An infusion of the herb is used for compresses, baths and washes for skin diseases, for the treatment of wounds and ulcers, and for hardening of the glands.
The powder is used for sprinkling on long-term non-healing and festering wounds. Alcohol tincture is rubbed in for rheumatism. As part of a complex product, it is used to treat prostate cancer and adenoma.
Growing
It will be best to grow in a shaded location in fertile, moderately moist soil with good drainage. Propagated by seeds, spring or summer propagation is possible by dividing the bush.
Bedstraw is sown with aged seeds, since the germination rate of freshly harvested seeds is low; most often they germinate next year under favorable conditions. Can be sown in spring or autumn. Germination temperature in spring is +2°C. When sowing in autumn, the seedlings are thinned out before wintering.
By dividing the bush you can propagate throughout the summer, but the best survival results are when planted in the spring. They are planted immediately in a permanent place and watered abundantly during the initial period.
The plant is unpretentious; after germination, watering is moderate, as needed in the hot season, avoiding stagnation of moisture in the area. It does not need feeding, but on fertile soil the bush is more lush and the panicles are larger. Loosening the soil and controlling weeds is mandatory.
When equipping supports, it weaves, climbing up, you can form the desired shape of the bush. Resistant to frost, overwinters without shelter.
The above-ground parts of the plant are harvested during flowering using protective gloves.
Preparation of raw materials and storage
The grass is first dried in the sun, followed by drying in the shade, under canopies or in a well-ventilated room. Dry raw materials are stored in tightly closed containers.
Tenacious bedstraw or flax bedstraw (hemorrhoid grass, velcro, clingweed, etc.) is an annual herbaceous plant of the Rubiaceae family. It will grow in wastelands, along roads, on rocky slopes, river banks, wet meadows in the European part of Russia, Siberia, Central Asia, Belarus, Ukraine, Moldova. Contaminates flax crops. For a long time and to this day, tenacious bedstraw has been used in cooking and folk medicine in different countries.
Description and preparation
Tenacious bedstraw has recumbent, ascending stems and pointed leaves, collected in whorls of 6-8 pieces. Both stems and leaves have tenacious, hooked spines - hence the name. From July to August, the plant blooms with small white flowers collected in semi-umbrella inflorescences.
The grass of the tenacious bedstraw, and sometimes the root, is used as a medicinal raw material. Harvesting is done while the plant is flowering: the stems with leaves and flowers are cut, tied into small bunches and hung to dry in a well-ventilated area (for example, in the attic).
The roots are harvested in the fall: dug up, washed in running water, withered and dried.
Store harvested raw materials for a year.
Composition and properties
Tenacious bedstraw contains: flavonoids, iridoids, coumarins, glycoside asperuloside, tannins, vitamins, tannin. The roots are rich in iridoids, saponins, vitamins K and C. Thanks to its composition, the plant has analgesic, hemostatic, diuretic and choleretic, blood purifying, antifever and antitumor effects.
- acute respiratory infections, sore throat;
- scarlet fever;
- pneumonia;
- tuberculosis;
- scurvy;
- jaundice;
- cystitis;
- urolithiasis;
- urinary retention;
- dropsy;
- ascites;
- kidney diseases;
- intestinal colic;
- cancer of the stomach, duodenum, liver, kidneys;
- rheumatism, arthritis;
- epilepsy;
- goiter;
- lymphosarcoma, neuroma;
- breast tumors;
- menopause, menstrual irregularities;
- gonorrhea;
- obesity;
- wounds, acne, pimples, ulcers, scrofula, papilloma;
- eczema, psoriasis;
- insect bites;
- hair loss and dandruff.
Recipes
Infusion (general recipe):
- 2 tsp chopped bedstraw grass;
- 250 ml boiling water.
Pour boiling water over the herb and let it brew for 4 hours. Strain. Drink in small portions throughout the day before meals. This infusion has diuretic, hemostatic and antifever properties. Also, an infusion of tenacious bedstraw can be used as a hair rinse for hair loss and dandruff on the scalp.
Cold infusion:
- 2 tbsp. dried bedstraw;
- 200 ml cold water.
Fill the bedstraw with water and leave to infuse for a day. Strain. Drink throughout the day.
Infusion for breast cancer:
- 1 tbsp. boiling water
Pour boiling water over the bedstraw and let it brew for 3 hours. Strain. Drink 1/4 cup hot in small sips three times a day.
Infusion for epilepsy:
- 4 tsp chopped bedstraw grass;
- 2 tbsp. boiling water
Pour boiling water over the bedstraw, let it brew for 3 hours and strain. Drink half a glass of 4 chara per day in small sips. The recommended course of treatment is 21 days. This infusion can also be taken for oncology and kidney stones.
Infusion for angina pectoris:
- 20 g of crushed dry root of tenacious bedstraw;
- 500 ml boiling water.
Pour boiling water over the root, let it brew for 6-8 hours and strain. Drink 100 ml 2-3 times a day.
Cleansing tea:
- 1 tbsp. tenacious bedstraw herbs (fresh or dried);
- 200 ml boiling water.
Pour boiling water over the herb, let it brew for 5-10 minutes and strain. Divide the tea into three parts and drink three times.
Diuretic tea:
- 2 tsp dry bedstraw grass;
- 250 ml boiling water.
Place the bedstraw in boiling water, boil for 1-2 minutes - the tea is ready. Drink 2-3 glasses of tea a day for urinary retention, swelling of the legs, and inflammation of the kidneys.
Tincture for external use for rheumatism:
- 30 g of crushed bedstraw grass;
- 500 ml. vodka.
Pour vodka over the grass and let it brew in a dark place for 10 days. Shake the container with the mixture periodically. Use as a rub for rheumatism for 14 days.
Tincture for external use for arthritis:
- crushed bedstraw grass;
- vodka.
Take a glass bottle, fill it 1/5 with bedstraw and fill it with vodka to the top. Place the bottle in a dark place for 21 days. Shake the infusion periodically. Strain the finished tincture and use it to rub joints for arthritis 2-3 times a day. It is good to combine with taking a decoction or infusion of bedstraw orally.
Powder from dry bedstraw grass is sprinkled on ulcers, festering wounds, and abscesses on the skin. For cystitis, the herbal powder is taken orally, 1 teaspoon with water, three times a day. Bedstraw powder will also help with bloody diarrhea - in this case, you should take 2 grams of it with water.
For tongue cancer, a rinse is prepared:
- 1 tsp bedstraw grass;
- 1 tbsp. boiling water
Pour boiling water over the bedstraw, let it brew for 40 minutes and strain. Use as a mouth rinse. You need to use 3-4 glasses of infusion per day.
Infusion for erosion and oncology of the uterus for douching:
- 2 tbsp. tenacious bedstraw root;
- 3 tbsp. hot water;
- 1 tbsp. infusion of black poplar buds.
Pour the chopped root with water and boil for 10 minutes. Then let the broth sit for half an hour and strain. Add poplar bud infusion to the finished product. Use for douching in the evenings.
For female diseases, you can use douching with bedstraw infusion prepared from 1 tablespoon of herb and half a liter of boiling water.
Wound healing ointment:
- 1 part powder from the flowers of the tenacious bedstraw;
- 5 parts visceral fat (lanolin/vaseline).
Mix bedstraw powder with a fat base and use to treat burns, boils and ulcers.
You can prepare an ointment for scrofula, abscesses and boils by mixing bedstraw flower powder with a small amount of butter.
Bath infusion:
3 tbsp. chopped bedstraw grass;
3 tbsp. boiling water
Pour boiling water over the herb, cover the container with the mixture with something warm and let it brew for 4 hours. Strain and pour into a bath of warm water. Take such baths for scrofula, boils, ulcers, skin rashes 10-12 times every other day. This infusion can also be used for compresses and lotions.
Contraindications
Attention! Tenacious bedstraw is a mildly poisonous plant.
Tenacious bedstraw is contraindicated:
- children;
- pregnant and lactating women;
- with individual intolerance.
It should be used with caution in diabetes mellitus.
Before starting treatment with tenacious bedstraw, you must consult with your doctor and strictly follow the recommended dosage. Every two weeks of bedstraw treatment, breaks should be taken for 7-14 days.
Tenacious bedstraw is a perennial plant. It comes from the madder family. This grass grows quite tall - up to 75 cm, but there is a photo of the weed taller than a meter. The healing properties are concentrated in all its parts. Like every folk or pharmacological drug, this weed has contraindications.
Bedstraw herb medicinal properties and contraindications
The description says that a true bedstraw has a short, straight stem. The leaf is not the same in different parts. They are spiky on top, dark green with a shine. The lower ones are pubescent, similar to gray velvet. Yellow flowers are arranged in dense panicles. The tenacious bedstraw looks beautiful, you can look at the photo, and it emits a honey aroma.
Traditional medicine has found use for the stem, flowers, leaves, and roots.
The plant is endowed with the following medicinal properties:
antiseptic;
anti-inflammatory;
choleretic;
painkillers;
sweatshops.
And all because the grass has an extraordinary medicinal composition. So Galium contains flavonoids, glycosides, quinones, pepsin and acids. The bedstraw genus includes more than 20 species. Nevertheless, in folk medicine, the tenacious species is more often used, real, ordinary, northern, fragrant and soft.
Any bedstraw drug has contraindications. Precautions must be taken through the astringent action. The herb is prohibited for people with diabetes, children and pregnant women.
Bedstraw hawkmoth beneficial properties
From experienced healers you can hear such a name as yellow porridge. If you look at the photo from afar, the small flowers resemble cereals. Official medicine only adds it to fees.
The hawk moth plant has absorbed the following medicinal properties:
1. decongestants
2. astringents
3. regenerating
4. hemostatic
5. laxatives
They successfully treat cancer of the tongue, breast and skin. Healers recommend bedstraw to combat uterine erosion and oncology of this organ. Reviews say that the entire madder family is strong against tumors. This is not true, only the mentioned herb can cure the tumor.
Tenacious bedstraw: benefits and harms
The tenacious species, like the real one and any other, has active medicinal properties. They are very similar in appearance, as the photos show. Traditional medicine advises using its infusion for edema caused by kidney or heart diseases, internal and external bleeding, furunculosis and skin fungus.
Tenacious bedstraw serves as an excellent anti-fever drug. This herb stimulates bile secretion and increased diuresis. It is this type that will better fight toxins and harmful microorganisms in the blood.
Tenacious grass copes well with complications of articular rheumatism and ascites, which entails the appearance of cirrhosis of the liver. Healthy tea, tincture, powder, ointment are prepared from it, and pure juice is used. The serum is tenacious, like the real thing, and can cause harm only with a huge overdose. And contraindications indicate only pregnancy and lactation.
What are the benefits of real bedstraw?
True bedstraw is also called spring bedstraw. The herbaceous perennial relieves pain from various injuries and strengthens the entire body. This species grows in nutritious soils. Its benefit lies in its composition. The plant is rich in vitamin C and A, saponins, ascorbic acid, dyes and anthrachions. The grass stem contains a dozen microelements. Since ancient times, the medicinal properties of real whey have been used to treat pneumonia, endometritis and kidney disease.
If you prepare the infusion correctly, it will be a good antipyretic. Tea and decoction will serve as a medicine for the cardiovascular system and infectious diseases. This plant has a beneficial effect on both women's and men's health. In folk medicine, a decoction is in demand to enhance potency. And in gynecology, bedstraw is used for many ailments.
Harm can be caused to the body in cases of overdose, because the plant is poisonous. Contraindications for it are the same as for other subspecies.
Yellow and soft bedstraw medicinal properties and contraindications
The soft perennial is also valued for its antiseptic, laxative, diaphoretic and hemostatic properties. Traditional medicine cannot do without it when treating the heart. Yellow bedstraw is still used in homeopathy, however, the madder family has always been in good standing here.
Contraindications for the plant include childhood, pregnancy and lactation, as well as old age. Treatment with this herb should be carried out in courses.
Tenacious bedstraw use in folk medicine recipes
Our plant is used both externally and orally. They are effective in treating widespread boils and extensive burns, breast infiltration, angina pectoris and dysentery. Juice can be used to treat diabetes, but it is very difficult to obtain.
Has a wide scope of application infusion.
It is prepared like this:
4 tbsp. l. herbs, pour 400 ml of boiling water and leave for at least 5 hours. Then strain and use as a lotion for many skin diseases. It can also be added to baths. The correct recipe should have an amber color, as indicated by the photo of the product.
It is best to treat angina with an infusion of the root. This will require 20 grams. root and 0.5 liters of boiling water.
For swelling of the ankles or inflammation of the kidneys, it is recommended to drink bedstraw tea. It will also stimulate urination. 2 tsp. Pour 250 ml of water over the plants, bring to a boil and boil for about 2 minutes. Take 3 glasses per day, regardless of food intake.
The tenacious bedstraw has also found application in powder form. Grind the dry stem, leaves and flowers in a coffee grinder and store in a closed glass. Photos of proper preparation are available online. Use on open wounds and for bloody diarrhea. In the latter case, you need to take 2 g on an empty stomach.
For skin diseases, it will be important to use a wound-healing ointment, which is also suitable for children. Prepare a powder from only the flowers and add it to any fat base, such as Vaseline or tallow. Real ointment should have a bright yellow color, as the photo shows. The ointment is made at a ratio of 1:5. For skin cancer, you can prepare a slightly effective ointment, which will require 2 parts of healing powder and 4 parts of a fatty base.
Decoction of 1 tsp. raw materials and a cup of boiling water serves as an effective remedy for gynecological ailments. Most often, warm douching is prescribed, and the therapeutic effect is enhanced by internal administration.
Synonyms.
G. aparine f. spurium (L.) Boivin.
Systematic position.
Family Rubiaceae Juss., genus Galium L.
Biological group.
Early spring annual.
Morphology and biology.
The stem is weak, 30-100 (up to 300 cm) long, tenacious, 4-sided, seated along the ribs with downward spines, slightly thickened at the nodes and glandularly hairy. The taproot is poorly developed. Leaves 6-8 in whorls, linear-lanceolate, (13) 30 (52) mm long, (1.5) 2 (6) mm wide, short pointed at the apex, gradually narrowed towards the base, sessile, along the edges and along the veins below with downward spines, bare above or with short, appressed, upward-directed stiff hairs. The inflorescence is umbellate. Peduncles are axillary, long, rough with spines. There are 1-3 flowers in an inflorescence, rarely 5. The corolla is white, 1.5 mm in diameter. The fruit is spherical, with a deep notch on the ventral side, a brown nut, 1.8-3 long, 1.3-2.3 wide, 1.5-1.8 mm thick, with hooked hairs sitting on the tubercles. Weight of 1000 nuts is 3-3.5 g. Fertility is up to 1200 nuts. Seeds germinate from a depth of no more than 8-9 cm at a temperature of 1-2°C. In dry years, germination is lower than in humid years. Seed viability up to 5 years. Seedlings, especially in autumn, are often reddish-purple. Blooms in June - September.
Spreading.
Europe, Asia Minor, Central Asia, North America. On the territory of the former USSR - the European part, the Caucasus, Siberia, the Far East.
Ecology.
Fields, pastures, are abundant on moist, fertile and lime-rich soils, including fresh loam and clay soils. In the zone of irrigated agriculture it grows in vineyards, along the banks of canals and irrigation ditches, and less often in fields.
Economic importance.
It clogs all crops. The greatest harmfulness is on winter wheat. It comes out into the upper tier and entangles the plants, which leads to loss of grain during harvesting (thorns on the stems contribute to the lodging of crops, especially grains and flax). The economic threshold of harmfulness is 2-5 copies. per sq.m. Control measures include post-harvest peeling to a depth of 6-8 cm, followed by plowing or cultivation after mass germination of the weed; in spring - cultivation to destroy overwintered weed seedlings; timely tillage of the soil in crop rotation. Row crops require inter-row cultivation.
Literature:
Artokhin K.S. Atlas Weeds. Rostov-on-Don, 2004. 144 p.
Bazdyrev G.I., Zotov L.I., Polin V.D. Weeds and measures to combat them in modern agriculture. M.: MSKhA, 2004. 288 p.
Flora of the USSR, vol. 23. Ed. Komarov V.L. M.-L.: USSR Academy of Sciences, 1958. 776 p.
Chesalin G.A. Weeds and their control. M.: Kolos, 1975. 256 p.
© Doronina A.Yu.