Perennial herbaceous plant of the cetacean family. The stem is branched at the very base, with ascending branches, 5-20 cm high. Leaves alternate, simple, entire; surface leaves are slightly larger, inverted ovate, obtuse, collected in a rosette; stems – oblong, pointed, wedge-shaped narrowed at the base. Flowers bisexual, irregular, on short peduncles, blue or white, 3.5-4 mm long, collected in apical tassels; at the base of the peduncles there are 3 bracts, of which the middle one is longer than the two lateral ones. The fruit is an inverted egg-shaped flattened capsule. They bloom in May – June.
Spread. Bitter gorse grows in the Polissia and occasionally in the northern part of the Forest-Steppe in wet and moist meadows, swamps and peatlands.
Raw. The whole plant (Herba Polygalae, synonym — Herba Amarellae) is used to make medicines. It is collected at the beginning of flowering together with the roots. Dry raw materials in the open air (in the shade or in the sun) or in a well-ventilated room.
The plant is unofficial.
Chemical composition. The plant contains saponin substances (senegin, polygallic acid), haulterine glycoside, tannins, fatty and essential oils.
Pharmacological properties and use . St. John’s wort is used as an effective expectorant for acute and chronic diseases of the lungs and upper respiratory tract (laryngitis, bronchitis, bronchial asthma, tuberculosis, emphysema, and lung inflammation). In addition, the plant is used for lack of appetite, catarrh of the gastrointestinal tract, for mucous diarrhea with mucus secretion and as a means to increase the amount of milk in lactating women. As an external remedy, cattails are used to treat boils and eczema.
Medicinal forms and applications .
Internally – infusion (1 teaspoon of raw material per 400 ml of boiling water, infuse for 2 hours, strain) half a glass 4 times a day before meals.
Externally , the mushy mass obtained after filtering the infusion is used for poultices. Preparations of bitter whales are non-toxic, without side effects.