This beautiful and noticeable plant can be seen in Transbaikalia, Buryatia, Amur Region and Southern Primorye. Sholomnytsia Baikal is a herbaceous perennial. The root is vertical, with a short, branched multi-headed rhizome, dark brown on the outside, and lemon-yellow on the fracture. In adult plants, the length of the roots reaches 50 cm, they are often twisted longitudinally. The stems of the gorse are numerous, four-sided, branched, up to 35-40 cm tall. The leaves are opposite, narrow-lanceolate, entire, sessile or short-petioled, ciliate on the edges. The flowers are irregular, with a purple corolla, located one by one in the axils of the leaves, forming simple one-sided tassels on the tops of the stems and branches. The plant blooms in June-August. The fruit consists of four nuts.
Baikal gorse usually grows in steppe areas, sometimes on sandy soils, in which case its roots are the longest and most branched. It occurs on gravel and stony slopes, river banks, as a rule, in open places. In Ukraine, it grows in botanical gardens and collections of amateur gardeners.
The plant is included in the Pharmacopoeia of Russia, it is also used in folk and traditional Chinese medicine.
For medicinal purposes, the roots of Baikal gorse are harvested, but only after the plant is fully fertilized (from September to late autumn). Only adults with 5-6 stems are dug up. For the natural restoration of thickets, leave 2-3 plants with fruits per 10 m 2 . Harvesting in the same place is allowed once every 10 years. After harvesting, the roots are shaken off the soil, the shoots are cut and quickly washed in cold running water. The obtained raw materials are dried in attics or in the shade in the open air, spreading it in a thin layer and turning it over from time to time. After drying, soil residues, rotten parts and exfoliated pieces of cork are removed.
The roots and rhizomes of the plant contain flavonoids, scutellarin glycoside, saponins, essential oil, tannins and resinous substances.
In scientific medicine, Baikal milkweed is used in the form of an alcoholic extract of the roots, which has sedative (calming), hypotensive (lowers blood pressure) and anticonvulsant properties. Plant products surpass valerian in their sedative effect. These agents are prescribed for hypertension of the I and II degrees, functional disorders of the nervous system, they have a particularly positive effect on increased excitability, as well as on cardiovascular neuroses. There are data on the effective treatment of late-stage toxicosis in pregnant women with slomolnytsia products.
In folk medicine, an infusion of roots is prescribed for increased heartbeat, myocarditis, acute articular rheumatism, inflammation of the lungs; it is also used as a hemostatic agent.
Experiments on animals have proven that plant products neutralize the effects of strychnine. Toxic and side effects when using various medicinal forms of Baikal slomonitsa are unknown.
Tincture of roots. It is prepared in 70% alcohol in a ratio of 1:5. Take 20-30 drops 2-3 times a day.
Infusion of roots. 1 tablespoon of crushed raw materials per 200 ml of boiling water. Heat in a boiling water bath for 10 minutes, filter, bring to the original volume with warm boiled water. Take 1 tablespoon 3-4 times a day.