Theophrastos’ rope walker
An annual herbaceous plant of the mallow family. The whole plant is covered with soft distant hairs. The stem is straight, 40-150 cm tall. The leaves are alternate, large, round-heart-shaped, whole, long-petioled. The flowers are regular, bisexual, yellow, 5-petalled, single or in panicle-moist inflorescences. The fruit is a complex leaf. Blooms in June – August.
Spread. It grows on littered places in the forest-steppe and in the steppe.
Raw. Flowers, leaves, roots and seeds are used.
The plant is unofficial.
Chemical composition. Abutilon roots contain saponins and flavonoids; leaves – rutin; the seeds contain fatty oil (16-19%), proteins (20%), traces of alkaloids.
Using. Abutilon Theophrastus was widely used in folk medicine. For example, the infusion of flowers was used as a diaphoretic, the root decoction was used as a substitute for althea medicinal (for coughs, skin diseases accompanied by inflammation, diarrhea and gastralgia). Preparations from the leaves were used in the treatment of gonorrhea, carbuncles, as wound-healing and tonic agents. Even more popular, especially in Chinese and Tibetan medicine, were the seeds. It was used as an antipyretic, emollient, enveloping, astringent, laxative and diuretic. It was used to treat dysentery, chronic appendicitis, and eye diseases, including cataracts.