Name: Suripitsya zvichayna – common colza
Barbarea vulgahs; the Cabbage family (Brassicaceae), or Cruciferae; the usual surepka
Often, suripytsia is an unwelcome guest in crops of grasses and breads. It is a two-year herbaceous plant 40-60 cm tall. The stem is bare, branched at the top. Leaves alternate, lyre-shaped; basal and lower ones are petioles, upper ones are sessile. The flowers are bisexual, regular, yellow, four-petalled, collected in apical tassels, blooming in May. The fruit is a four-sided pod. One plant produces up to 10,000 seeds. Suripitsa grows in meadows, pastures and crops (as a weed) in most of the middle part of Russia and in Siberia. In Ukraine, it grows throughout the territory, except for the southern regions.
It is known as a medicinal, honey-bearing and food plant. It is used only in folk medicine.
The aerial part of the plant is collected for the preparation of medicines. The leaves contain ascorbic acid (vitamin C) (up to 260 mg%), and the seeds contain fatty oil (25-36%).
People have long known the medicinal properties of suripica: it stimulates the appetite, has a wound-healing and diuretic effect. Infusions of the plant are used in traditional medicine to treat strokes, edema, and as a means of increasing potency. It is believed that this product helps to increase the number of sperm. In Tibetan medicine, leprosy is treated with the oil obtained from the seeds of the sorrel.
Young leaves of the plant are eaten raw and cooked. Greens are bitter, but after scalding with boiling water, they become soft and tasty. The leaves are seasoned with soups, mashed potatoes, and added to complex side dishes.
Sorrel seeds are poisonous to domestic animals and birds.
Suripits I is a good honey bearer, its honey productivity reaches 40-50 kg from 1 hectare of thickets. The honey of the plant is greenish-yellow, with a weak aroma, pleasant to the taste, and crystallizes quickly. It is usually used to feed bee colonies.
Herbal infusion. 1 tablespoon of fresh or dry grass per 200 ml of boiling water, infuse for 2-3 hours, filter. Take 1/4 cup 4 times a day for 2-3 weeks.