A perennial herbaceous plant of the legume family. It has a thin, creeping rhizome. The stem is ascending, sparsely pubescent, tenacious with the help of leaf tendrils, pointed, 40-100 cm long. The leaf is alternate, with 1 pair of leaflets, the petioles are not winged, the leaf axis ends with a simple or branched tendril, the leaves are elongated-lanceolate or lanceolate, 2-5 cm long, with a spike at the apex, 3-5-veined. Stipules are elongated-lanceolate or broad-lanceolate, arrow-shaped, with unequal blades, 2-3 cm long. The flowers are bisexual, irregular, gathered in a 4-10-flower cluster, the corolla is butterfly-shaped, yellow, 14-18 mm long. The fruit is an oblong-linear, smooth, distinctly net-veined bean. Blooms in June – July.
Spread. Meadowsweet grows throughout the territory of Ukraine in meadows, forest edges, and among shrubs.
Procurement and storage . For the production of medicines, we use the grass of the plant (Herba Lathyri pratensis), which is harvested during the flowering period of the plant, cutting off its entire above-ground part. The collected grass is dried under shelter in the open air or in a well-ventilated room. Ready raw materials are stored in well-closed cans or cans.
The plant is unofficial.
Chemical composition . Chinna grass contains leucoanthocyanin compounds, flavonols kaempferol and quercetin, a small amount of alkaloids, caffeic and ferulic acids, vitamin C (up to 800 mg in fresh leaves), carotene and various trace elements.
Pharmacological properties and use . Experimental studies and clinical observations have established that the meadowsweet has a mild expectorant effect without side effects on the body. An infusion of the herb is used for acute and chronic bronchitis, lung abscess, and pneumonia. In folk medicine, in addition, it is drunk for insomnia.
Medicinal forms and applications . Internally – herbal infusion (0.8 g per 200 ml of boiling water) 1 tablespoon every 2-3 hours.