Stemless Vidkasnik (Сarlinа acaulis); thorny stemless
A perennial herbaceous plant of the asteraceae (complex-flowered) family. Stems are single, mostly shortened and inconspicuous. The leaves are collected in a basal rosette, hard, covered with spines at the edges, pinnate or pinnate. The flowers are yellowish, in large (7–12 cm in diameter) baskets. The fruit is a seed. Blooms in August – September.
Distribution . It grows on mountain meadows in the subalpine and alpine belts of the Carpathians. Procurement and storage. Roots harvested in autumn are used for medicinal purposes. They are washed, cut into pieces (the thick ones are split) and dried in the open air or in flooded rooms. Store in dry, well-ventilated areas.
The plant is unofficial.
Chemical composition. The root contains tannins and resinous substances, inulin (12–18%), dyes, essential oil (1–2%) and sugar.
Pharmacological properties and use . Preparations of the stemless weed are used as an expectorant, laxative, diaphoretic, and diuretic agent for renal edema, delayed menstruation, cold diseases of the urinary organs and kidneys, and catarrh of the lungs. They are used as an appetite stimulant. Essential oil has a bactericidal effect. Infusion of the root powder of the stemless weed on wine expels the solitaire. A decoction of increased strength is used to wash wounds that do not heal well, to treat ringworm and other skin diseases.
Medicinal forms and applications.
Internally – 250 ml of decoction (15–30 g of raw material per 500 ml of boiling water) is drunk during the day in small portions.
Externally – a decoction (50 g per 500 ml of boiling water) for washing and lotions.