Perennial herbaceous cochlear-glandular, with a strong pleasant smell, a plant of the geranium family. The stem is erect, 20-40 cm tall, branched at the top. The rhizome is long and strong, up to 1 cm thick, horizontal, located close to the soil surface, covered with the remains of last year’s leaves. Basal leaves are long-petiolate, in a rosette, finger-shaped, 5-7-parted; upper ones are sessile, opposite, three-parted. The flowers are regular, bisexual, 5-petalled, collected 2 at a time on long peduncles; petals 13-15 mm long, pinkish-purple, blood-red or pale pink, stamens 2-2.5 times longer than the calyx. The fruit is a capsule that splits into 5 one-seeded lobes. Blooms in June – July.
Spread. The plant occurs occasionally on rocky places in the foothills and in the Carpathian mountain belt. In some places it is grown as a decorative fragrant plant, sometimes it grows wild (Crimea, Moldova).
Procurement and storage . Fresh leaves (Folia Geranii macrorrhizi) and rhizomes (Rhizoma Geranii macrorrhizi) are used to make medicines. The leaves are harvested during the flowering of the plant (the entire aerial part is cut off, and then the leaves are cut off). At the same time as grass, you can also collect rhizomes, which are also used fresh (dry ones are used to dye wool brown).
The plant is unofficial.
Chemical composition. The leaves contain flavonoids, phlobafens, up to 0.1% of essential oil, which includes sexuterpene carbohydrates, ketones and alcohols, in particular, germacrol (50-67%), borneol, geraniol, carvacrol, citronellol, terpinolene, cymol, curcumen and selinene . All parts of the plant contain tannins (up to 16% in the root).
Pharmacological properties and use . Geranium rhizome has astringent properties (tannin), lowers blood pressure (phlobafen), affects heart function (flavonoids). In folk medicine, the plant is used for stomach disorders and diarrhea, and externally for baths for epilepsy, blood flow to the head, paralysis of the facial nerve and lower back pain, for compresses for cataracts, inflammatory skin diseases and varicose veins. Fresh crushed leaves are applied to wounds and varicose veins. Essential oil is widely used in the perfumery industry.
Medicinal forms and applications . Internally – tincture of fresh leaves (3 tablespoons of raw materials per 100 g of alcohol, infuse for 3 days in a dark place) drink 20 drops in a spoonful of water in the morning on an empty stomach and in the evening before going to bed with high blood pressure;
2 teaspoons of chopped fresh rhizomes are infused for 8 hours in a glass of cold boiled water, strained and drunk in equal portions during the day for diarrhea.
Externally – a cold infusion (macerate) of fresh rhizomes (prepared as in the previous prescription) for compresses.