Popular names: rock flower, small hawk, mouse ear.
Parts Used: Blooming above-ground part.
Pharmacy name: hairy hawk herb – Hieracii pilosellae herba (formerly: Herba Hieracii pilosellae; an earlier name is still found in pharmacies: Herba Auriculae muris).
Botanical description. The hairy hawk belongs to the extensive family of Compositae and differs from other closely related species by a leafless peduncle 10-12 cm tall, which bears a single basket inflorescence. Marginal flowers have reddish stripes below. The lanceolate leaves in the basal rosette appear white-tomenty below due to the adpressed hairs, while their light green upper surface has longer bristle-like hairs. Blooms from May to October; flowering time varies greatly depending on the area. You won’t have to look for this bright yellow plant for a long time; it is often found in dry meadows, light areas of the forest, on slopes and hills, along the edges of fields and in wastelands.
Collection and preparation. Collect flowering grass along with a rosette of leaves. Dry in the shade.
Active ingredients: tannins, bitterness, flavonoids and umbelliferone.
Healing action and application. Doctors no longer prescribe hairy hawk, as they have more effective remedies containing tannins and bitterness. However, this medicinal plant should not be considered ineffective. It is a remedy for inflammation in the mouth and throat, also for mild diarrhea, especially in infants and the elderly.
- Hairy hawk tea: 2 teaspoons topped with herbs, pour 1/4 liter of boiling water, let it brew for 10 minutes, strain and, if necessary, drink 1 cup unsweetened, and for a long treatment, take 2 times a day for a cup. This tea is also used for washing and gargling.
Application in folk medicine. In folk medicine, this plant is still recognized and diligently used. Of the indications in the foreground are gastric and intestinal diseases, liver diseases, painful menstruation and dropsy. To this must be added the use of hairy hawk tea for rinsing and washing the eyes in order to improve vision. It is said that the name “hawk” comes from the fact that hawks owe their vigilance to this grass (this is nothing more than a legend).
Side effects at the correct dosage are unknown.