Useful and medicinal properties of wheatgrass
Family Cereals - Roaseae
The generic name is derived from the Greek words dgrios - wild and pyros - wheat, as K. Linnaeus attributed wheatgrass to the genus of wheat, but then it was isolated as an independent genus. Species definition in Latin means "creeping" - in the form of long rhizomes.
Botanical description. Perennial monocotyledonous herbaceous plant with creeping, giving long shoots, thin horizontal rhizome. Stem is smooth, naked, erect, less elevated, 60-120 cm high. At its widest length, the stem is enclosed in leaf vaginas. The leaves are regular, flat, linear, glabrous, with a width of up to 10 mm, and the goal is steep with parallel venation. The vagina is long. At the border of their transition to the
sheet plate is a very short tongue, white, filmy, from above as if torn.
Flowers are green, greyish-green, collected on the top of the stem into a complex ear, formed by 4-7-flowered sessile spikelets, which are located on the axis at an acute angle. Flowered scales bare, lower - lanceolate with straight awn, reaching a length of 2-6 mm, upper scales much shorter than the bottom. Stamens - three with large anthers protruding beyond the perianth. Pestle with an upper unicellular ovary and two sedentary fluffy stigmas. Fruit is a seed.
Blossoms in June - July. Fruits ripen in August - September.
Geographical spread. A pike is a malicious weed of fields. It occurs almost throughout the territory of the USSR.It also grows in river floodplains, in meadows, near dwellings.
Collection and drying. Harvest rhizomes in the fall - in late August - September, less often in the spring. They dig out, shake the ground, cut off or cut off the stems and wash in the water. In this case, the subordinate roots usually come off.
Dry in the air, in the shade of buildings, in attics, laying out a thin layer and often turning and stirring. Drying is considered complete when the rhizomes do not bend, but when folded, they fold at an acute angle.
Medicinal raw materials. Finished raw material - rhizome rootgrass( Rhizoma Graminis) consists of shiny thin, straw-like, cord-like, simple or branched rhizomes, about 2 mm thick, with colorless, pleated, oblique vagina. Roots are either absent or few. They leave the knots in bundles. The color of the rhizomes is yellowish.
The smell is missing, the taste is sweetish.
Medicinal raw materials are unofficial. It used to be harvested and used in scientific medicine. It is included in the pharmacopoeias of some countries.
Chemical composition. Contains up to 10% of triticin polysaccharide, up to 10% of mucous substances, up to 4% of fructose, up to 3% of mannitol, phenolic compound of avenin, 1.5% of fatty oil, malic acid, mesoinositol, levulose, up to 156 mg of vitamin C,87 mg% carotene, etc.
Action and application. The rhizome of wheat grass in folk medicine is used as an anti-inflammatory agent, has a diuretic effect and is indicated for gout and rheumatism, cystitis, urolithiasis, skin rashes, and also as enveloping and emollient for coughing. It was established that the diuretic effect of wheatgrass is poorly expressed. More noticeable is its effect in metabolic disorders. With gout, rheumatism, lumbago, the consequences of arthritis has analgesic effect. Baths from the decoction of rhizomes and simultaneous intake of decoction inside are recommended for furunculosis, rickets and a number of skin diseases. Earlier, wheatgrass was used for skin rashes, scrofula, acne, chronic eczema. The anti-inflammatory and emollient effect of polysaccharides explains the effectiveness of the application of wheatgrass in gastritis and enterocolitis.
Decoction of rhizomes( 20 grams of crushed raw material per 1 glass of water) is taken 1 tablespoon 4 times a day for gallstones. There are also data on the effectiveness of juice obtained from fresh herbs( take 0.5 glasses 1-2 times a day).When preparing the infusion for 15-20 g. Rhizomes pour 2 glasses of cold water and insist 10-12 hours. It is recommended as a sweatshop and expectorant.