Blood-red geranium (Geranium sanguineum); blood-red geranium
A perennial herbaceous plant of the geranium family. It has a thick woody rhizome. The stem is branched from the base, rarely simple, decumbent or ascending, 25-50 cm high. The leaves are filiform or rounded, pinnately separated, with broadly incised segments into 3 or more linear lobes. The flowers are regular, bisexual, 5-petalled, blood-red, single, on long peduncles. The fruit is dry, splits into 5 one-seeded lobes.
Distribution . It grows in all forest and forest-steppe areas, in the mountainous Crimea, less often – in steppe areas on shrubs, in forests.
Procurement and storage. Grass and roots are used. The grass is harvested during the flowering of the plant, the roots – in the fall, after the fruits have ripened. Dry roots yield 20%. Store ready raw materials in dry rooms.
The plant is unofficial.
Chemical composition. The aerial part of the plant contains ascorbic acid, carotene, bitter and mucilaginous substances; roots — gallic acid, geraniin (3%). Tannins and resinous substances are found in all parts of the plant.
Pharmacological properties and use . The presence of tannins in the plant determines its astringent and anti-inflammatory properties, which makes the use of blood-red geranium effective in inflammatory bowel diseases. Infusion of the herb in the form of gargles has a positive effect on inflammation of the mucous membrane of the upper respiratory tract. A decoction of rhizomes with roots was used in traditional medicine as an antitumor agent and in dermatology.
Medicinal forms and applications.
Internally – infusion of the herb (1 teaspoon of the herb per 200 ml of cold water, bring to a boil, infuse in a closed vessel for 2 hours) 1 tablespoon every 2 hours.
Externally – herbal infusion is used for rinsing;
infusion of rhizomes (2 teaspoons per 2 glasses of cold water, infuse for 8 hours) — for compresses for allergic dermatitis;
a decoction of rhizomes (2 tablespoons per 1 liter of boiling water, boil for 10 minutes, strain) is used warm for lotions for fissures of the anus (Fissura ani).