(Tragopogon pratensis); meadow goat-beard
A biennial herbaceous plant of the asteraceae (complex-flowered) family. The stem is straight, branched, 30-120 cm tall. The leaves are alternate, sessile, linear or lanceolate, thinly pointed, entire, expanded to the base. Flowers ligulate, bright yellow, with black-purple anthers, in baskets; peduncles under the baskets are slightly thickened, wrapper leaves are equal to marginal flowers and shorter than achenes. The fruit is an acorn with or without a long nose; on the top there is a fringe, composed of uneven pinnate bristles, at the base fused into a ring. Blooms in May – September.
Spread. Meadow gorse grows on meadows in the Carpathians.
Raw material . Roots and leaves are used for medicinal purposes. Roots are harvested in autumn or early spring, digging up only annual plants.
The plant is unofficial .
The chemical composition is poorly studied. It is known that the roots contain starch, inulin and proteins. All parts of the plant contain bitter milky juice
Pharmacological properties and use . Fenugreek is used as a diuretic, antiseptic, anti-inflammatory and wound healing agent. A decoction of the roots is drunk for cough, gallstone and kidney stone diseases, scrofula, itching and other skin diseases. Fresh crushed leaves of the plant are used to heal purulent wounds and ulcers. Goosebumps are also valued as an edible plant. Young leaves and roots are edible. The leaves are used in salads (as an anti-scurvy remedy), and the peeled boiled roots are used for vinaigrettes or cooked like cauliflower. To reduce the bitterness of the roots, it is soaked for half an hour in salt water. Powder from the leaves of kozeltsi is used in winter to season soups (1 teaspoon per serving of soup).
Medicinal forms and applications .
Internally – root decoction (2 teaspoons of raw material per 200 ml of boiling water, boil for 10 minutes, infuse for 2 hours, strain) 1 tablespoon 3-4 times a day;
salad: young leaves of goat’s cheese are soaked in salt water for 30 minutes, taken out, dried on a towel or napkin, green onions are added, finely chopped, salted and seasoned with cream (for 200 g of goat’s cheese leaves, take 50 g of green onions, 40 g of cream and salt) .