Perennial grayish-green thorny plant of the umbrella family. The root is fusiform, long. Stems up to 60 cm tall, branched. The leaves are hard-skinned, the lower ones are petiolate, the upper ones are sessile, trifoliate, with pinnately separated segments. Inflorescence rare, umbrella-shaped; the teeth of the calyx end in a long prickly point, the petals are whitish. The fruit is a dicot, elliptical, with sharp scales on the ribs. Blooms in July – September.
Spread. They grow on steppe slopes, near roads or as weeds in fields. It is a common plant in the Steppe, Forest Steppe, and Crimea; it is rare in Polissia.
Procurement and storage . Roots (Radix Eryngii campestris) are used, which are dug up in early spring or autumn, after the seeds have ripened, preferably after rain, when the soil is soft. The washed roots are cut into pieces of 8-10 cm, cut lengthwise and dried at a temperature of up to 50°. 25% of dry raw material is obtained. The raw material must be protected from rodents that it attracts.
The plant is unofficial .
Chemical composition . The roots contain saponins, sucrose, a small amount of tannins, traces of an alkaloid, about 0.1% of essential oil and malic, citric, malonic, oxalic, rosmarinic, glycolic and chlorogenic acids, up to 160 mg% of vitamin C. The aerial part has close to the roots chemical composition, but in other ratios. The seeds contain up to 0.6% essential oil with the smell of ambergris and musk.
Pharmacological properties and use . The roots have a diuretic and antispasmodic effect. It is used against whooping cough, with nephritis, dropsy, impotence, prostatitis, to increase appetite, and with inflammation of the middle ear.
In folk medicine, the roots and grass (Herba Eryngii campestris) are used as medicine for skin diseases, tuberculosis, scrofula, swelling of the legs, rabies, delayed menstruation, periodontal disease, gastralgia, stomach ulcers and purulent catarrh of the upper respiratory tract, juice from the grass or roots – against tuberculosis, skin diseases and as a diuretic – for lithiasis. Externally, products from mykolaychiki are used for compresses in case of inflammation of the eyes and their increased sensitivity to light. Young shoots are suitable for salads, and young leaves for marinades (stimulates appetite); you can also eat the roots – candied or boiled (as an admixture to salads). The herb is part of the galena product Niron (FRG).
Medicinal forms and applications. Internally – root decoction (25 g of roots per 0.5 l of water, boil for 10 minutes) drink 4 times a day before meals;
fresh juice from grass or roots is drunk 1 tablespoon per half glass of water with the addition of honey, 3 times a day.