Perennial herbaceous short-haired plant of the rose family. It has a long creeping branched rhizome. Stems are ascending, 20–70 cm high. Leaves are regular; the lower ones are odd-pinnate, with 2 (3) pairs of lateral leaflets, the upper ones are trifoliate. The leaves are oblong, saw-toothed, sessile, green above, gray downy below. The flowers are regular, bisexual, 5-petalled, dark red, collected at the end of the stem in a corymbose inflorescence. The fruit is collective, from bare achenes. Blooms in May – July.
Distribution . Grows in swamps and wet places of forest and forest-steppe parts of Ukraine (occasionally – in the Steppe along river valleys). Procurement and storage. The whole plant is used. The rhizomes are dug up in early spring or autumn, cleaned from the ground, washed and dried in the open air. The grass is harvested during the period of full flowering of the plant. Store in dry rooms.
The plant is unofficial .
Chemical composition . The whole plant contains tannins. Flavonoids, organic acids, resins, essential oil and dye were found in the herb.
Pharmacological properties and use . In folk medicine, products from rhizomes are used as an antipyretic, astringent, analgesic and hemostatic agent for rheumatism, bleeding and indigestion. Herbal preparations are used as wound-healing and anti-inflammatory agents; decoction of the whole plant – for acute toothaches, ulcerative bleeding gums, pulmonary tuberculosis, throat diseases (angina), disturbed metabolism and uterine bleeding. Crushed fresh grass is applied to purulent wounds, tumors on the body and hemorrhoids to dissolve them.
Medicinal forms and applications .
Internally – a glass of decoction (20 g of crushed rhizome or grass per 200 ml of boiling water, infused for 1-2 hours, cooled and filtered) is drunk in small sips during the day.
Externally – 2–3 tablespoons of dry grass are poured with boiling water, wrapped in gauze and applied hot to the sore spot.