Coltsfoot. Medicinal plants Mother and stepmother Latin name family

General information

Family: Family Asteraceae (Asteraceae) - Asteraceae (Compositae).
Botanical name: Tussilago farfara L.
Pharmacy: coltsfoot leaves - Farfarae folium (formerly: Folia Farfarae), coltsfoot flowers - Farfarae flos (formerly: Flores Farfarae).
Generic name: The generic name Tussilago comes from the Latin tussis - cough and agree - to remove (indicating the plant's medicinal use). The Russian “coltsfoot” is given in connection with the pubescence of the leaves, the lower surface is pubescent and causes a feeling of warmth (“mother”), the upper surface is smooth, cold (“stepmother”). The specific name farfara comes from the Latin. far - flour and ferire - to wear (this name reveals the appearance of the plant: the lower surface of the leaf is powdery white).
Folk names: Butterbur, Kamchuzhnaya grass, Latrinik forest, Mother grass, Dvomochnik, Rannik, Podbel, White fluff, Riverside grass, Water burdock, Horse hoof, Bili leaves, Bilpukh (Ukrainian), Podbial, Kopyto (Polish). In English, for example, almost all names are associated with the hoof and the animal that owns this hoof: Foalsfoot (foal's hoof), Ass's Foot (donkey's hoof), Bullsfoot (bull's hoof), etc.

Planet:- Venus.
Zodiac sign:- Gemini, Aries or Cancer.
Element:- water.
Deities:- Ariadne
Language of flowers: - maternal care.
Basic properties: - .

Description:
A perennial herbaceous plant from the Asteraceae family. The rhizome is long, creeping. The flowering stems are erect and unbranched, reach a height of 10 to 25 cm and are covered with scaly, ovate-lanceolate, often reddish leaves. Basal leaves appear only after flowering. They are long-petiolate, rounded-heart-shaped, 10-25 cm in diameter, angular, unequally toothed, leathery. At first, these leaves are covered with felt on both sides, but then they become bare on top, and with soft felt pubescence on the bottom (this effect provoked the Russian name of the plant).
At the tops of the stems there are flower baskets of golden yellow color. The flowers in the basket are reed-shaped at the edges and tubular in the middle. Achenes are about 3.5-4 mm long with a tuft of white silky hairs. The coltsfoot baskets are single, 2-2.5 cm in diameter, which droop after flowering.
Both in flowering and fruiting form, the plant strongly resembles a dandelion.

Places of growth:
As a weed, coltsfoot is common in Belarus, Russia, Ukraine, Siberia, and the Far East. Characteristic of forest, less often steppe zones. It can live on coastal cliffs, screes, banks of rivers and streams, in damp ravines, along railway embankments, quarries for the extraction of clay and ballast and in other habitats with disturbed grass cover.
Interestingly, the easiest way to collect coltsfoot is in cities on the territory of new buildings: after the ground is opened for a foundation pit, a year later the coltsfoot is already growing on the bare ground.

Parts used:
The leaves and flowers of the plant were widely used and are still used in folk medicine as ingredients for healthy decoctions, head rinses and juices.
In folk medicine, in addition to the parts already mentioned, roots are also used. And in general, traditional medicine is more sensitive to all parts of the plant, trying to find useful uses for each.

Collection and preparation

Coltsfoot leaves are best collected in June-July, but flowers - in April-May. According to Paul Sedir, the coltsfoot should be "collected under the influence of the lion after the full moon that ends the holidays."
In general, if we describe the collection and harvesting process in more detail, then the leaves must be collected manually, tearing off the leaf blades with petioles in the first half of summer, when they are relatively small and have a dark green color on the upper side, and are covered with a whitish fluff on the lower side (i.e. that is, when they have not turned brown and are not covered with rusty spots of fungal disease). Dry in the open air, in attics or in ventilated areas, laying out a thin layer on paper. Browned and spotted leaves are thrown away, ready for use - stored in closed boxes, plywood boxes lined with thick paper or in jars in a dry place. The shelf life of the leaves is approximately 3 years.
Flowers should be collected in early spring. They are usually dried in a cool oven or in the attic. The flowers of the plant can be stored for 2 years. An interesting fact is that coltsfoot flowers usually bloom and fall off before the plant acquires leaves, which is why in Britain, for example, the plant was called “son before the father” (in the original: “son before the father”) father").

Medicine:

Active substances:
Coltsfoot leaves contain bitter glycosides, saponins, carotenoids, gallic, malic and tartaric acids, sitosterol, ascorbic acid, polysaccharides (inulin and dextrin), mucus, tannins, traces of essential oil, mineral salts.
The flowers also have medicinal value and are used in collections. They contain arnidol, tannins, sigmasterol, taraxanthin, faradiol, sitosterol.

Traditional Medicine:

In folk medicine, coltsfoot leaves are used together with flowers in the form of a decoction as an expectorant and diaphoretic for colds, as well as for inflammation of the mucous membranes, catarrh of the stomach (gastritis), kidney diseases, catarrh of the bladder (cystitis), catarrh of the colon and small intestine (colitis and enteritis). Also, sometimes the plant is used in combination with black elderberry flowers, linden blossom, mullein, comfrey and other plants.
Juice squeezed from a fresh plant is considered wound-healing. Sometimes it is prescribed for tuberculosis and persistent rhinitis (injected into the nostrils). A decoction of coltsfoot and nettle leaves taken equally is used to wash the hair for hair loss, dandruff and itchy skin.
In addition, fresh leaves are applied to inflammation to produce an abscess; their juice is for scrofulous abscesses; in the form of a paste - to vereds, immature abscesses - Kamchug (hence the popular name “Kamchug grass”).
Also in folk medicine, the leaves are often used to stimulate appetite and improve digestion.
Cigarettes from coltsfoot are smoked with a strong spasmodic cough. Here is what Avicenna writes about this: “They say that coltsfoot is the best medicine for coughs and “standing breathing”... if you take its dry leaves or roots and fumigate yourself with them and inhale the smoke, then its benefits will become obvious.” . In addition, Dioscorides, Pliny and Galen spoke about the beneficial properties of smoking coltsfoot. Another similar smoke is “kept in the mouth” for toothache

Warning:
But in some countries they tried to ban coltsfoot as a freely distributed plant (and in Australia and New Zealand they even banned it) due to the fact that the leaves contain alkaloids that negatively affect the liver. The only thing you must always remember is that any medicine can become a deadly poison if you do not monitor its dosage.
Coltsfoot should not be taken during pregnancy, late menstruation, or liver disease. In addition, you cannot use coltsfoot tea for a long time.

Magic:

According to magical and astrological characteristics, the coltsfoot's gender is female, the patronizing planet is Venus, and the element is water. As for the ruling sign of the zodiac, here we find two: Aries and Gemini. But, surprisingly, information from various sources sometimes classifies this plant not only as the two described above, but also as a cancer, and even as a lion (due to its bright yellow flowers). Although personally, taking into account the fiery elements of Aries and Leo, I am inclined to attribute the coltsfoot to Gemini or Cancer.
As you can guess just by looking at the ruling planet, the magical powers of the plant lie, for the most part, in love.
Also, the most common use is to smoke coltsfoot as part of incense, during a ritual to summon spirits, or to receive prophetic visions. In addition, the plant is used in preparations promoting well-being, health and tranquility. May be present in amulets for children and women. But the main effect of coltsfoot is calming and softening. This, it seems to me, is connected with the medicinal use of the plant: after all, it softens coughs and treats respiratory diseases.
The practical use of coltsfoot in love magic is as follows (besides the fact that it is a natural aphrodisiac): the plant is added to bags that are worn for the purpose of attracting love.
British beliefs claim that the same soft white fluff, located on the “mother” side, was once used by Scottish highlanders as a filler for mattresses and pillows. Of course, this is hard to believe, because it is difficult to imagine how many kilograms of leaves were needed for one seedy pad, but the British associate the plant with this very belief.

Myths and Legends:

There is a legend associated with the appearance of this flower on earth; love and jealousy were not absent here.

One evil woman planned to destroy her husband’s daughter because she didn’t want him to go meet her and his ex-wife. She lured her to a cliff and pushed her off it. Meanwhile, the mother, having discovered that the girl was missing, rushed to look for her, but was too late; the girl was already lifeless. She rushed at her stepmother and, grappling, they flew to the bottom of the ravine. And the next day, its slopes were covered with a plant, the leaves of which were soft on one side and hard on the other, and small yellow flowers rose above them, reminiscent of the girl’s blond hair.

Recipes, infusions, decoctions:

Medicinal tea: in proportions 4:3:3, take butterbur leaf, plantain leaf and licorice roots, respectively. 1 tablespoon of the mixture should be brewed with 2 cups of boiling water, leave for 30 minutes, strain and drink 2 tablespoons every 3 hours. The collection promotes expectoration.

In proportions 2:2:1, take coltsfoot leaf, raspberry fruits and oregano herb, respectively. 1 tablespoon of the mixture should be poured into a thermos overnight with 1 glass of boiling water. Strain. It should be taken hot at night as a diuretic and diaphoretic.

Mix mint leaf, plantain leaf and coltsfoot leaf in equal proportions. Pour 1 tablespoon of the mixture into 1 glass of boiling water, leave for 15-20 minutes and then strain. You should take this decoction half a glass 3 times a day for furunculosis.

Mix nettle leaf, coltsfoot leaf, burdock roots and hop fruits in equal proportions. Pour 6 tablespoons of the mixture into 1 liter of boiling water and leave for 30 minutes, then strain. Used for a week to wash your hair (every other day) for hair loss, dandruff, and itchy skin.

In equal proportions, mix coltsfoot leaf, leaf and flowers of sweet clover and small centaury herb. Pour 200 g of boiling water over 1 tablespoon and leave for 10 minutes. Drink 1/3 glass 6 times a day for 3 - 4 weeks. The collection helps treat inflammatory diseases of the ovaries, but during its use you should abstain from sexual activity.

Use in cooking:

Carrot salad with coltsfoot leaves
Ingredients: 50 g fresh carrots, 13 g coltsfoot leaves, 30 g kefir, salt. Grate peeled raw carrots on a coarse grater. The coltsfoot leaves, sorted and washed in several waters, should be finely chopped, seasoned with kefir and salt.

Chewable candies with a healing effect for the throat
Ingredients: 1 liter loosely packed coltsfoot leaves (I assume we are talking about a liter jar of leaves), 450 g sugar, 600 ml. water, 450 g corn syrup, 50 g butter, half a teaspoon of baking soda. Wash the coltsfoot leaves thoroughly and then place them in a saucepan with 600 ml of water. Heat the mixture for another 2 minutes after boiling. Filter the leaves from the water, but do not throw away the resulting liquid. Add the sugar, corn syrup and butter to the pan along with the liquid left over from boiling the leaves. Boil until the resulting “toffee” becomes brittle when dropped into a bowl of cold water. Remove the pan from the heat and add baking soda. Beat the mixture with a spoon until it completely hardens. Then place the mixture on a shallow, oiled tray. Roll out the resulting solid mass, cut it into convenient cubes and put the resulting coffees in a jar or any other place where it will be convenient for you to store them.

Sauce (cream) with coltsfoot
Ingredients: 250 g of young finely chopped coltsfoot leaves, 1 clove of garlic (grated), 1 teaspoon of roasted sesame seeds, salt and black pepper. Place coltsfoot leaves with grated garlic in a saucepan and fill the mixture with water to completely cover the contents. Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce the heat and wait about 10 minutes more. Strain the leaves and grind them in a mortar along with sesame seeds. Lightly dry the mixture and mix until smooth. Add salt and black pepper to taste. Serve as an addition to mashed potatoes or rice gravy. Can also be paired with salad or vegetables.

Sweet sorbet with coltsfoot
Ingredients: 60 g fresh coltsfoot petals (carefully remove leaves and other non-petals), 250 g sugar, 800 ml. water, 1 teaspoon lemon juice, 1 egg white. To effectively separate the petals from any other junk, rub the flowers between your index finger and thumb. Place the petals along with sugar in a saucepan and fill it all with water. Bring to a boil, wait another 2 minutes and let the mixture simmer for another 20 minutes over low heat with the lid closed. Strain the mixture through a sieve and cool the resulting syrup. Add egg white. Beat the resulting substance either in an ice cream maker, or simply without removing it from the refrigerator (apparently, the French believe that every self-respecting housewife has an ice cream maker in her cupboard). The egg white will foam, turn white, and the entire sorbet will take on a whitish hue. If you do this in the refrigerator, then you will have to repeat the whisking procedure every five minutes for the next hour, and after that hour - every 15 minutes until the sherbet has completely set

A perennial herbaceous plant 10-25 cm high with a long creeping rhizome. The straight stems are densely covered with scaly brownish leaves, unbranched, ending in a flower basket. The basal leaves are round-heart-shaped, notched-toothed along the edges. green above, white-fiber below, sitting on long petioles. The flowers are yellow, of two types: several rows of ligulate at the edge, tubular in the middle. Blooms from the second half of April to mid-May.
Location. Found in all areas.
Habitat. Grows on clay slopes, hills, and ravines.
Part used. Basal leaves.
Collection time. April - May.
Chemical composition. The basal leaves contain up to 2.6% bitter glycosides, sitosterol, gallic, malic and tartaric acids, carotenoids, mucus (5-10%), tannins, dextrin, inulin, saponins, and traces of essential oil.

Properties of coltsfoot

Coltsfoot is an ancient folk remedy. Infusion and decoction of the leaves of the plant, due to the presence of essential oil and mucous substances, have an expectorant, emollient, antimicrobial, and diaphoretic effect. They are taken for bronchitis, pneumonia, bronchial asthma, tuberculosis, abscess and gangrene of the lungs. Coltsfoot leaves are included in breast teas No. 1, 2, 5, 7, diaphoretic teas No. 3, 4, 7. In folk medicine, a decoction of the leaves is used for lung diseases, gastritis, inflammation of the kidneys and bladder, and diathesis in children. A decoction of the plant and fresh leaves are used in the form of compresses in the treatment of purulent wounds, tumors, and furunculosis. Wash your hair with a decoction of coltsfoot leaves and nettle for dry seborrhea of ​​the skin (3 times a week). It is believed that fresh plant juice is a more effective remedy than a decoction of dry leaves. Therefore, in folk medicine, fresh plant juice is used in the treatment of pulmonary tuberculosis and diathesis in the summer. The juice is dropped into the nose for a runny nose. Fresh leaves are applied to the forehead for headaches; they are used to treat erysipelas and calluses.

Methods of using coltsfoot

1. Pour 1-2 tablespoons of leaves with 1 glass of boiling water, leave for 30 minutes, strain. Take 1 tablespoon 4-6 times a day.
2. Pour 3 tablespoons of leaves into 2 glasses of water, boil until ½ of the liquid evaporates, strain. Take 1 tablespoon every 2-3 hours.
3. Fresh plant juice. Take 1 tablespoon 4-6 times a day.
4. Cigarettes for smoking: roll a teaspoon of crushed leaves of the plant into the shape of a cigar. Smoking if you have a spasmodic cough.

Tussilago farfara L.
Taxon: family Asteraceae or Compositae
Common names: coughgon, podbel, camouflage grass.
English: Coltsfoot

Description:
Common coltsfoot is a perennial herbaceous plant up to 25 cm in height. The rhizome is creeping, branched. Flowering stems grow in early spring before the leaves appear, straight, cobwebby-pubescent, densely seated with oblong-ovate, sharp, brown-red scaly leaves. Green leaves appear after the plant blooms, they are basal, large, dense, on long, thin, felt-like petioles, rounded-heart-shaped, jagged along the edges, their upper side is smooth, hard and cold (stepmother), the lower side is white-felt, soft and warm ( mother). Flower baskets (inflorescences) are solitary, on the tops of the stems, drooping after flowering. In the evening, as well as in damp weather, the inflorescences close. The flowers are golden-yellow, the marginal flowers have a narrow-ligulate corolla, are arranged in several rows, the middle ones are tubular, with a five-toothed corolla, shorter than the reed flowers. The fruit is a linear-oblong achene with a hairy tuft, capable of germinating a few hours after it enters the soil. It blooms in April - May, the fruits ripen in May - June and are carried by the wind. Propagated by seeds and vegetatively.

Spreading:
Distributed throughout almost the entire territory of the European part of Russia, the Caucasus, Siberia and Central Asia. It grows on moist clay soils along steep banks of rivers and streams, in wastelands, garbage areas, slopes of roads and embankments, forest clearings, forest edges, mined-out quarries, and drained swamps. Quite often it forms continuous thickets.

Collection and preparation:
The medicinal raw material is the leaves of coltsfoot (Folium Farfarae), which are collected in the first half of summer, 2-3 weeks after the baskets are seeded (in June - July). They are torn off by hand with a small (up to 5 cm) part of the petiole after the dew has disappeared. You should not collect very young leaves that have pubescence on both sides, as well as those affected by rust and beginning to turn yellow. Leaves are harvested away from areas where animals graze and dogs walk. Dry the raw materials in attics, in other rooms or in the open air, laying them out in a thin layer. During the drying process, they should be carefully turned over 1-2 times so that both sides of the sheet dry evenly. Can be dried in artificially heated dryers at a temperature of 50-60 °C. The shelf life of raw materials is 3 years.
Flower baskets are collected at the beginning of the flowering of plants - in March - April, tearing them off by hand and removing the rest of the stem. Dry them in the shade, laying them out in a thin layer in one row. Their shelf life is 2 years.
The main procurement areas are in Ukraine, Belarus, Lithuania, and the Voronezh and Vologda regions of Russia.

Chemical composition:
The leaves of the plant contain the glycoside tussilyagin, inulin, essential oil, tannins, mucous substances, sitosterol, gallic, malic, tartaric and ascorbic acids, saponins. The triterpenes faradiol and arnidiol, the tetraterpene taraxanthin, stigmasterol and sitosterol, the hydrocarbon heptacosane and tannins were found in the flowers.
The leaves contain: ash - 10.20%; macroelements: K - 37.70, Ca - 10.90, Mn - 4.30, Fe - 0.20; microelements (CBN): Mg - 0.14, Cu - 0.78, Zn - 0.60, Co - 0.27, Mo - 0.40, Cr - 0.03, Al - 0.07, Ba - 0 .05, V - 0.02, Se - 25.00, Ni -0.21, Sr - 0.01, Pb - 0.24, Ag - 8.00, I - 0.09, Br - 107.10 . B -40.00 µg/g. Cd, Li, Au were not detected. Concentrates Cu, Se, Ag, Br.

Pharmacological properties:
Due to the presence of a significant amount of mucus in the leaves, coltsfoot has an enveloping effect on the mucous membranes of the mouth, throat and larynx, protecting them from irritation. In addition, mucus, saponins and organic acids soften and dilute dry secretions in the upper respiratory tract, restore the natural movement of the ciliated epithelium in the trachea and bronchi, promote faster evacuation of inflammatory products and significantly improve expectoration of sputum. The plant's tannins, carotenoids and sterols have a pronounced anti-inflammatory effect: they reduce hyperemia of the mucous membranes and actively influence various phases of the inflammation process.

Application in medicine:
Leaves. In practical medicine, the infusion is used as an expectorant, disinfectant and anti-inflammatory for diseases of the upper respiratory tract; as an astringent - for diseases of the gastrointestinal tract. Included in chest and diaphoretic collections. In folk medicine, decoction, infusion, juice - for pulmonary tuberculosis, bronchial asthma, bronchitis, pleurisy, pneumonia, runny nose, flu, inflammatory processes in the oral cavity, toothache, arthritis, myositis, allergies, epilepsy, malaria, edema, shortness of breath, gastrointestinal tract -intestinal diseases, gastric ulcers, gastric catarrh, heart, bladder, kidney diseases; externally - for skin diseases, mastitis, boils, erysipelas, ulcers, burns, as well as for strengthening hair and profuse dandruff. Crushed dry leaves are smoked for shortness of breath, difficulty breathing and to relieve toothache.
Leaves, flowers. In folk medicine, infusion, powder - for laryngitis, tracheitis, bronchitis, pneumonia, bronchial asthma, gastritis, enteritis, cystitis, nephritis, hypertension, nervous system disorders. In the form of tea - for exudative diathesis, general weakness of the body.

Medicines:

Infusion for bronchitis.
Brew 1 tbsp with a glass of boiling water. l. leaves of coltsfoot and leave for 1/2 hour, and then filter. Take 1 tbsp. l. 3 - 4 r. per day.

Infusion for external use.
Brew 1 tbsp with a glass of boiling water. l. leaves of the medicinal plant and leave for an hour, then filter and squeeze out the raw materials. Lubricate sore areas several times a day.

A decoction as an expectorant.
Pour a glass of hot water over 1 tbsp. l. coltsfoot leaves and heat in a 100°C water bath for 15 minutes. After 45 minutes, filter and squeeze out the raw materials. Bring the volume of the decoction to 250 ml. Take 0.5 cups 2 - 3 r. a day before meals.
The same decoction is used for burns, inflammation of the veins, boils, and wounds in the form of compresses. And also for sore throat in the form of gargling. Well, in the form of enemas for inflammatory bowel diseases.

Pharmaceuticals:
Infusion of coltsfoot leaf(Infusum folii Tussilaginis farfarae): 5 g (1 tablespoon) of raw material is placed in an enamel bowl, poured with 200 ml of hot boiled water, covered with a lid and heated in boiling water (in a water bath) with frequent stirring for 15 minutes, cooled at room temperature 45 min, filter. The remaining raw materials are squeezed out. The volume of the resulting infusion is adjusted to 200 ml with boiled water. The prepared infusion is stored in a cool place for no more than 2 days. Take 1/3-1/2 cup warm 2-3 times a day 1 hour before meals as an expectorant.
Decoction of coltsfoot leaves: 5 g of raw material is poured into 200 ml of boiling water, boiled for 10 minutes, left at room temperature for 10-15 minutes, then filtered. Take 1 tablespoon 3-4 times a day.
Juice of coltsfoot leaves: squeezed from May or June leaves. They are washed, scalded with boiling water, passed through a meat grinder and squeezed. The finished juice is diluted with water (1:1) and boiled for 2-3 minutes. Take 1 tablespoon 3 times a day after meals. The course of treatment is 7-10 days.

Contraindications:
Follow dosages to avoid vomiting, nausea or abdominal pain. The plant is contraindicated for exudative eczema, since its action aggravates this disease.

Photos and illustrations:

Botanical description. Coltsfoot vulgare is a perennial herbaceous plant. The rhizome is long, creeping. Flowering stems 10-25 cm high, covered with scale-like, appressed, ovate-lanceolate, often reddish leaves. Basal leaves appear after flowering. They are long-petiolate, rounded-heart-shaped, 10-25 cm in diameter, angular, unequally toothed, leathery, initially covered with felt on both sides, then bare above, with white soft felt pubescence below. The baskets are single, 2-2.5 cm in diameter, drooping after flowering. The flowers are golden-yellow, marginally ligulate, 8-10 mm long, almost twice as long as the tubular ones, arranged in several rows. Tubular flowers are equipped with a tuft of simple hairs. Achenes 3.5-4 mm long with a fly of hairs.

Blooms in April - May; bears fruit in May - June.

Together with T. farfara L., there are often species that are mixed with coltsfoot raw materials, but are not used in medicine.

Butterbur or false hen - Petasites spurius (Retz.) Reichb. It grows most often on sandy river banks and in damp places. It has triangular-heart-shaped basal leaves, with woolly patchy pubescence above, snow-white, felt, white or whitish-yellow below. Flowers in baskets collected in a thyroid-spike-shaped inflorescence.

Butterbur or hybrid whitebur - P. hybridus (L.) Gaertn. found in sandy areas. It has large round-triangular basal leaves, deeply cut at the base, almost bare above, grayish-white below, soft felt. The flowers are dirty purple with a violet tint, in baskets collected in a dense spike-shaped inflorescence.

Felt burdock - Arctium tomentosum Schrank - is a ubiquitous weed with oval-rounded, entire basal leaves with a distinct main vein.

Medicinal plant - leaves and flower baskets of coltsfoot are used as medicinal raw materials.

Area. Tussilago farfara is a Euro-Asian species recorded in North Africa and North America, apparently as an alien plant.

Widely distributed in all regions of the European part of the CIS; in Siberia it is common south of 60° N. sh., to the east it reaches Baikal. In the Caucasus it grows almost everywhere, with the exception of the southern regions of Transcaucasia. In Central Asia, it is absent in the desert and semi-desert zones, but is widespread along river valleys in the mountainous regions of Eastern Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan and Tajikistan.

The northern border of the coltsfoot range comes from the border of the CIS with Finland, covers the entire Kola Peninsula, Kanin Peninsula, Fr. Kolguev and leaves for the mainland to Vorkuta. Here it drops sharply to the south, turning towards the Ob, crosses it slightly above Khanty-Mansiysk and follows this latitude until the 80th century. etc., then along the Yenisei it rises north to the Arctic Circle and again sharply turns south along this river. The eastern border of the coltsfoot range from the Arctic Circle descends along the Yenisei to 6G. sh., goes to the Angara and crosses it at 96° east. d., east of Krasnoyarsk passes along the western slopes of the Eastern Sayan, the foothills of the Western Sayan and through the central watershed part of the Altai goes to Kazakhstan. To the east, single locations of coltsfoot are noted on the Angara (above Bratsk), Lena (in the Ust-Kut area) and on Baikal (in the area of ​​the village of Vydrino and on the north-eastern shore of the lake).

The southern border comes from the Amu Darya, capturing the Vakhsh valley, the spurs of the Pamirs, the Alai and Fergana ranges, the northern spurs of the Kyrgyz range, the basin of Lake. Issyk-Kul, Chui Valley and the slopes of the Dzhungar Alatau. Then, through the Balkhash region, it goes to the Kazakh Altai, crossing the Irtysh at 48° N. w. and near Semipalatinsk it turns west, crosses the Kulundinskaya and Barabinskaya steppes, approaches Tobol at 55° N. w. Somewhat below 50° N. w. crosses the Volga and, skirting its arid lower reaches, approaches the Don and the Sea of ​​Azov.

Outside the main range of the coltsfoot there are its isolated areas: in the Caucasus (forest regions of the Greater and Lesser Caucasus) and in the Turkmen SSR (Kara-Kalinsky region). Single localities are scattered along some rivers in Kazakhstan. As an alien plant it was found once near Vladivostok.

Ecology. Coltsfoot is characteristic of forest, less often steppe zones. It lives on coastal cliffs, screes, banks of rivers and streams, in damp ravines, on young alluvial clay and sandy deposits, along railway embankments, construction pits, open-pit mining sites, quarries for clay and ballast. Sometimes it forms continuous thickets along clay cliffs and the banks of mountain streams. It often grows together with other herbaceous plants, often with ruderal weeds and shrubs in sparse cenoses that do not have continuous turf.

Resources. More or less large harvests in the range of 1-5 tons of coltsfoot leaves are carried out in Ukraine (Carpathian region, Khmelnitsky, Cherkassy and other regions), in Belarus, Voronezh, Sverdlovsk regions, Krasnodar region. Coltsfoot is harvested in small quantities in many regions of Russia.

Ukraine has very large reserves of raw materials. Here hundreds of tons of coltsfoot leaves can be harvested annually. However, with an increase in farming standards and a general improvement in land use, the thickets of this plant will gradually decrease. On a commercial scale, coltsfoot can be harvested in the Stavropol Territory. Annual commercial procurement of coltsfoot leaves (up to 100-200 tons) is possible in the Ukrainian Carpathians in the regions: Transcarpathian - 40-70 tons, Lviv - 20-30 tons, Ivano-Frankivsk - 20-50 tons, Chernivtsi - 20- 40 tons. Its reserves are large in the Novosibirsk region and in the mountain forest regions of the Caucasus. For local needs, it can be harvested in Pskov, Vologda and many other regions.

Coltsfoot leaves should be collected in the first half of summer, when they are still young, covered underneath with a thick felt covering and not damaged by rust. They are plucked or cut off at about half the length of the petiole. Dry in attics with good ventilation, under tiled, slate or iron roofs or under canopies, spread on paper or fabric in a layer no more than 2-3 cm thick. Properly collected and dried raw materials have no odor and taste bitter. Its humidity should not exceed 13%.

Chemical composition. Faradiol, arnidiol, taraxanthin, stigmasterol, sitosterol, n-heptacosane and tannins were found in flower baskets. The leaves contain bitter glycosides (up to 2.63%), sitosterol, gallic, malic and tartaric acids, saponins, carotenoids (5.18%), ascorbic acid (5 mg%), inulin and dextrin.

Usage. In scientific medicine, coltsfoot leaves are used as an expectorant and emollient. Used internally in the form of decoctions, as well as in chest and diaphoretic teas for bronchitis, laryngitis and bronchiectasis. Also used for abscesses and gangrene of the lungs. Externally used in the form of poultices as an emollient, disinfectant and anti-inflammatory agent. In Western Europe, coltsfoot inflorescences are also used medically.

Coltsfoot is a good silage plant, as well as an early, long-flowering honey plant that produces a lot of nectar and pollen.

The medicinal properties and contraindications of coltsfoot were known to the ancient Greeks and Romans. This plant was mentioned by Hippocrates, Pliny and Dioscorides. The herb was famous for its expectorant, anti-inflammatory, and antiseptic effects. Most often it was used in two cases - for coughing internally and purulent abscesses externally. Today it is one of the first medicinal plants for coughs. The herb is often included in pharmaceutical expectorant preparations.

Features of the medicinal plant coltsfoot

What does coltsfoot look like and where can it be collected? What beneficial substances does it contain? How is the herb used in traditional and folk medicine? Are there any side effects and contraindications?

Area

Coltsfoot is a widespread medicinal plant on the Eurasian continent. It can be found in Europe, the Urals, Siberia, Central and Asia Minor, the Caucasus and even in the Arctic zone. In addition to Eurasia, the grass grows in North America and North Africa, but is much less common here and is considered an introduced species. Loves clay soils, but also takes root well on sandy soils and river shallows. The grass can be found near rivers, lakes, ponds, streams, along cliffs, railway and construction embankments, quarries, damp ravines and slopes.

Botanical characteristics

What is the biological description of the coltsfoot plant? This is a perennial herb. It blooms in early spring, hence the popular name - “early flower”. The flowers are bright yellow, with the smell of honey. The creeping rhizome first throws out flowering shoots with reddish scales. Later, heart-shaped petiolate leaves appear. On top they are smooth, cool due to evaporation, dark green (“stepmother”), and below they are whitish, pubescent, soft, warm (“mother”).

Collection and preparation

Healing properties are found in the leaves, flowers, and roots of coltsfoot. They are prepared at different times.

The leaves of the plant are most often harvested.

The healing effect of the herb

Medicinal properties of coltsfoot:

• emollient;
• secretory;
• wound healing;
• anti-inflammatory;
• diuretic;
• diaphoretic;
• antispasmodic;
• expectorant;
• antiseptic;
• calming.

What's in the chemical composition?

• Coltsfoot leaves: polysaccharides (inulin, dextrin), a lot of mucus, vitamin C and A, astringent tannin, essential oil, tannins, saponins, glycosides, plant sterols, organic acids, pyrrolizidine alkaloids.
• Coltsfoot flowers: flavonoids, phytosterols, organic compounds (faradiol, arnidiol), glycosides, tannins, plant mucilages and bitterness, yellow pigment.

List of indications

For what symptoms and diagnoses will coltsfoot treatment be useful?

• Respiratory organs. Coltsfoot for coughs is one of the most popular and effective folk medicines. Helps with bronchitis, obsessive whooping cough, tracheitis, laryngitis, inflammation, abscess, pulmonary tuberculosis, bronchial asthma. The herb has the property of thinning phlegm and removing excess mucus from the bronchi, softens dry cough well, and makes it productive. It is recommended to take decoctions and infusions of herbs for ARVI and influenza to lower the temperature.
• Digestive system. The beneficial properties of coltsfoot for digestion are choleretic, astringent, appetite stimulant, anti-inflammatory. The herb is used for diarrhea, gastritis and colitis. The decoctions are used to make therapeutic enemas for intestinal inflammation.
• Urinary system. The herb is taken for swelling, inflammation of the kidneys and bladder.
• Nervous system. Relieves tension and nervous excitement, helps with insomnia. Some herbalists indicate that the herb can stop epileptic attacks.
• Cardiovascular system. Glycosides have a beneficial effect on the functioning of the heart and blood vessels. It is useful to drink coltsfoot for atherosclerosis; it prevents the formation of atheromatous plaques and stimulates lipid metabolism. This medicinal plant normalizes blood pressure and helps relieve headaches.
• External use. Externally, you can use decoctions, dry herb powder, fresh leaves and juice. They are used to gargle and rinse the mouth. The herb heals stomatitis ulcers well and relieves gum inflammation. It is used to treat purulent wounds, abscesses, skin ulcers, burns, inflamed veins with varicose veins, tumors, frostbite.
• Cosmetology. Decoctions, infusions, and fresh juice are used as tonics, lotions, and masks for the face and hair. The herb has a tonic, refreshing, antiseptic effect. Used for all skin types, it disinfects pimples and acne well. Useful for strengthening hair, restoring its structure, eliminating dandruff. For hair care, it is used together with burdock root and nettle.
• For weight loss. Normalizes metabolism thanks to the glycosides and phytosterols it contains. These substances are involved in the biosynthesis of hormones, enzymes, cholesterol, bile acids, and vitamins.

The herb has few contraindications. It should not be taken orally during pregnancy, menstrual irregularities, during breastfeeding, or for children under 6 years of age. You should not drink coltsfoot if you have liver disease or individual intolerance. A high content of alkaloids can cause poisoning of the body, negatively affect liver function, and lead to carcinogenic effects. Therefore, medicines from this plant can be taken for no more than 6 weeks throughout the year.

Use at home

What are the uses of coltsfoot herb at home? Teas, decoctions, infusions, fresh juice, and powder are prepared from it. You can prepare the raw materials yourself or purchase them at the pharmacy. The instructions for use indicate the main pharmacological effect of the raw material - expectorant, anti-inflammatory, enveloping. Recommended for coughs with difficult sputum.

Decoction

How to brew coltsfoot to preserve its beneficial properties as much as possible?

Preparation

1. Pour a glass of boiling water.
2. Boil for 1 minute.
3. Leave for 30 minutes.
4. Strain.

Most often, leaves are taken for decoction, but you can also mix them with flower baskets. Take 3 times a day, ½ glass before meals. When coughing, it is recommended to add honey or raspberry jam to this decoction. For digestive problems, it is recommended to drink an unsweetened decoction.

Infusion

The method of preparing an infusion differs from a decoction - it is not boiled, but only steamed. Stronger infusions (take 2 tbsp of raw material per glass of water) are used externally or internally in a smaller dosage - 2 tbsp. spoons 3 times a day.

Preparation

1. Take 1 tbsp. l. raw materials.
2. Pour a glass of boiling water.
3. Leave for 1-2 hours.
4. Strain.

Taken orally in the same dosage as decoctions. Infusions are often used for rinsing in otolaryngology and dentistry. These medicines are also used to make lotions, compresses, baths and trays for skin diseases. There are positive reviews that decoctions and infusions relieve erysipelas, itching, and suppuration in thrombophlebitis.

Milk infusion recipe

1. Take 1 tbsp. l. dry grass.
2. Pour a glass of boiled milk.
3. Leave for 1 hour.
4. Strain.

A popular cough remedy. Take ¼ cup warm, you can add honey.

Fresh juice and leaves

How can you use the juice and leaves of the plant?

Important to know:

• Juice can be treated for no more than 7 days;
• Do not violate the dosage - adults do not take more than 3 tbsp. l. per day;
• Before use in children, a mandatory consultation with a doctor is required;
• if side effects appear in the form of indigestion and allergies, stop taking it immediately;
• the juice contains many alkaloids, which can cause poisoning and have a negative effect on the liver;
• Before drinking juice, you should consult your doctor if you have any chronic diseases.

Powder

The use of dry herb powder in folk medicine is effective in the following cases:

• the powder is mixed with honey and washed down with water for tuberculosis;
• for sinusitis and severe runny nose, it can be sniffed to induce sneezing;
• when coughing during ARVI, flu, bronchitis, pneumonia, whooping cough, take ½ teaspoon of powder with water or warm milk;
• useful for diarrhea as an astringent;
• sprinkle on wounds, ulcers, burns, skin inflammations.

Features of use in women

How can grass be useful for women?

• Most often it is used in home cosmetology - for hair and facial skin care.
• In gynecology, the herb is used externally - for douching for inflammation of the genitourinary area.
• Pregnancy is a strict contraindication for internal use due to the abortifacient properties of the herb.
• Pregnant women can use decoctions and infusions externally - for gargling, mouthwash, and skin treatment.
• During lactation, you should also not drink grass, but compresses from its juice and decoctions help well with mastopathy.

Features of use in children

Some sources indicate that grass should not be given to children under 2 years of age, while others indicate that it should not be given to children under 6 years of age. The issue of age restrictions and safe use should be resolved with a pediatrician. Coltsfoot cough medicine for children is a frequent prescription for doctors. Often the herb is included in chest preparations. It is important to follow the dosage, not to exceed the course of treatment, and to remember that allergies to medicinal herbs are much more common in children than in adults.

How safe is grass for babies? In rare cases, pediatricians prescribe weak decoctions of it to children under one year of age when coughing. Some mothers refuse to give medicine even as prescribed by a doctor because of the age limit specified in the official instructions. How can coltsfoot be dangerous for a baby?

• Bitterness and mucus can affect the digestive system and cause either constipation or diarrhea.
• Alkaloids can have a negative effect on the liver.
• Biologically active substances can cause an allergic reaction in the form of urticaria and itching.

The coltsfoot plant is a valuable medicinal raw material. Its main use is cough for colds, ARVI, flu, bronchitis, tracheitis, pneumonia, pleurisy, tuberculosis, whooping cough. The herb also has pronounced anti-inflammatory and antiseptic properties. It is used externally in dentistry, otolaryngology, dermatology, and cosmetology.