Mountain ash

Name: Sorbus ordinary

Rosaceae – Rosaceae.

Parts Used: Fully ripe fruits.

Pharmacy name: rowan fruits – Sorbi fructus (formerly: Fructus Sorbi).

Botanical description. Rowan grows both as a shrub and as a tree. In Germany, two forms are known, one, more common, has very tart and bitter fruits, and the other, the so-called Bohemian mountain ash, has softer, softer fruits. Pinnately dissected rowan leaves consist of 11-19 leaflets, with sharp teeth along the edge and pubescent on the underside. She has powerful umbrella-shaped inflorescences with white flowers. By autumn, the tree is decorated with brushes of coral-red fruits. Blooms in April-May. Found throughout Europe, mostly in forests, sometimes as a single tree, or in parkland.

Collection and preparation. Fully ripe fruits are removed with the onset of the first frost. Harvest entire inflorescences. At home, the fruits are separated from the stalks and processed into puree.

active substances. Rowan is rich in vitamins, especially vitamin C, organic acids, contains a small amount of essential oil, tannins, bitterness, sorbitol and parasorbic acid.

Healing action and application. As a direct remedy, the fruits of mountain ash are hardly applicable, but they fell in love in the form of mashed potatoes with loss of appetite and indigestion. It is necessary to give several times every day 1/2 – 1 teaspoon, which increases the secretion of gastric juice.

  • Puree from mountain ash: the fruits are slightly boiled in a small amount of water, then rubbed through a sieve and with an equal amount of sugar by weight, also a small portion of white wine is boiled in mashed potatoes.

In folk medicine, in addition, they use, although not often, dried berries. The tea prepared from them is recommended for indigestion.

  • Rowan tea: 1 tablespoon of dried crushed berries is poured into 1/4 liter of boiling water and infused for 8-10 minutes under the lid. Drink with diarrhea 2 times every day for 1 cup.

Side effects. True, I doubt the poisonousness of raw mountain ash, but it is my duty to warn against being carried away in large quantities due to para-sorbic acid. (The tart, bilious-bitter taste usually prevents this.) In the literature, there are reports of mild poisonings, which, however, are not considered dangerous. During cooking and drying, parasorbic acid is destroyed.

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