The thick-leaved incense, or bergenia (the Latin name for the species is bergenia crassifolia) is one of the most famous species of the Kamenolomkov family, which is valued not only as a medicinal plant possessing a wide range of healing properties, but also as a rather unpretentious and beautiful decorative culture. About what description has a badan, where it grows, how it is grown in a personal plot, and also what healing properties it has, will be discussed in this article.
Description and distribution area
The coniferous plant is a herbaceous plant with a long cycle. Has a creeping, powerful rhizome reaching a length of several meters, up to 3-3.5 cm thick, ending with a vertical root, thick pale red stems up to 0.5 m high, large oval leaves collected in basal rosettes, small five-membered flowers formed on the tops of the stems.
Badan
In the wild, the incense grows in Siberia, Kazakhstan, the Primorsky Territory, the northern regions of Mongolia, China, as well as in Korea.
This small herbaceous shrub grows on mountain slopes, stone screes. It tolerates prolonged shading, feels good on acidic peatlands. Very picky about soil moisture.
On a note. The first description of the thick badiana dates back to 1760. The author was a famous scientist Karl Linney.
Landing and care
Partially shaded areas with loose fertile and well-moistened soil, deep bedding of groundwater are used to plant this wild-growing plant.
Plant care includes:
- Spring removal of frost-damaged and dead leaves;
- Two top dressings - one in the early spring after removal of the leaves damaged by frost, the second - at the end of flowering;
- 3-fold plentiful watering - at the beginning of flowering, 1.5-2 weeks after its completion, until the end of the summer season in the absence of rain.
Also, to retain moisture and control weeds, the root zone is mulched with peat, foliage, sawdust.
Propagation by cuttings and seeds
This perennial plant is propagated in two main ways: seeds and cuttings.
When propagated by seeds at the end of February, they are sown in small containers with moistened soil to a depth of 5-6 mm, placed in a refrigerator or taken out into the street. In the first decade of May, containers are brought into a room with a temperature of 18-200C and high humidity, where after 3 weeks they sprout. Emerging seedlings are often watered, loosened and thinned, leaving a distance of at least 5 cm between the senets. Seedlings are planted in open ground in early summer.
For propagation by cuttings from a well-developed plant, part of the rhizome with a basal rosette is cut off, planted in a pre-prepared trench in a new area, sprinkled with soil, carefully compacting it. Cuttings are made after the plant fades.
Plant cultivation
The incense is cultivated to obtain medicinal raw materials, as well as an unpretentious decorative culture, widely used in various flower arrangements and "alpine hills."
In addition to wild berry, currently breeders have received many varieties of a hybrid variety of this plant. The most popular among them are such as Rosi Klose, Beethoven, Andrea, Morgenrote, Abendglocken. Moreover, each variety, unlike a wild plant, has a longer flowering, pleasant aroma, bright color inflorescences.
On a note. Clogging the query "badan family" in the search engine, you can find a description of 8-10 varieties of this plant, each of which has not only a unique appearance that distinguishes it from others, but also a specific distribution area.
Alpine hill
Economic value and application
For the preparation of medicines, rhizomes and incense leaves are used.
How to collect, procure and store raw materials
Rhizomes are harvested in early summer. To do this, they are dug out of the ground, rosettes with leaves are removed, washed under cold running water and cut into 20-30 cm pieces. Dry prepared rhizomes in a well-ventilated, dry and shaded room. Dry and brown leaves are harvested in early spring after they emerge from under the snow.
Dry shredded rhizomes
The collected and dried medicinal raw materials are stored in a dry and cool place out of the reach of children.
The chemical composition of the plant
The composition of leaves and rhizomes includes essential oils, tannins, mono - and disaccharides, trace elements, glycosides, ascorbic acid (vitamin C), volatile, starch.
Application in official and traditional medicine
The use of leaves and roots of thick frankincense
The leaves and roots of this plant are used to improve blood coagulation, relieve inflammation, disinfect and improve wound healing, lower blood pressure, strengthen the walls of blood vessels. Also, medicines from badan strengthen immunity, have a pronounced anti-stress effect.
Colds
A collection from the common cold is prepared by mixing one tablespoon of frankincense leaves and elecampane with two tablespoons of St. John's wort. One tablespoon of the resulting mixture is poured into 200 ml of hot water and boiled for 20 minutes over low heat. Ready broth is taken 3 times a day before meals, 50-60 ml.
On a note. Another healing property of bergenia is the ability of medicines to relieve acute toothaches and headaches from it.
Gastrointestinal diseases
Traditional medicine is used for diseases and disorders of the gastrointestinal tract, such as diarrhea, constipation, flatulence, gastritis, ulcers, food poisoning.
Contraindications and side effects
The main contraindications for the use of medicines from badan include hypotension, tachycardia, increased blood clotting, a predisposition to frequent constipation, an allergic reaction to the substances that make up the plant.
It is also not recommended to take medicines based on this plant for pregnant and lactating women.
Other applications
Harvested raw material of badass thick-leaved is used as a tannin in the leather industry, the arbutin contained in the leaves has recently been widely used in photographic business. Various cosmetics are also made on the basis of canoe: finely ground powder from dry rhizomes is used to treat oily seborrhea of the skin of the face and head, as well as a cosmetic product that whitens, tightens enlarged pores and removes acne.
Cosmetic from rhizomes of incense
On a note. Due to its high starch content, pre-soaked rhizomes of badiana are eaten - it is used as a side dish for meat dishes.
Traditional medicine recipes
In folk medicine, the following medicines are prepared from badan:
- A decoction of rhizomes - 2 tablespoons of crushed rhizomes are filled with 200 ml of hot water and heated to a boil for 25-30 minutes in a water bath. Then the broth is allowed to cool to room temperature and diluted with cold boiled water to the original volume.
- Tea - 2 tablespoons of dried leaves are poured with a glass of boiling water, insisted for 20 minutes. Sugar or honey is added to the finished and slightly cooled tea.
- A decoction of leaves - 2 tablespoons of chopped leaves is poured with a glass of boiling water and boiled in a water bath for 25 minutes. The finished broth is cooled to room temperature.
Thus, having studied the description, the characteristics of the cultivation and use of this plant, you can not only decorate your flower beds and flower arrangements with it, but also, given one or another contraindication, use it to treat a specific disease.
