Nicandra physaloides (Nicandra physaloides L.)

Nicandra physalis -shaped is an annual plant from the Solanaceae family.

Description:

An annual herbaceous plant with a straight, forked-branched, obtusely ribbed, bare, leafy stem, 30-120 cm tall. The leaves are large, alternate, thin, oval or ovate, pointed at the apex, wedge-shaped narrowed towards the base into a narrow-winged petiole, notched-toothed along the edge. The flowers are large, bluish, regular, singly sitting in the forks of the stem. Their calyx is swollen-bell-shaped, pale green, 5-sided, deeply 5-parted, and subsequently strongly expanding. Nandra blooms in July-August. Nicandra physalis-like occasionally occurs in weedy places, sometimes bred as an ornamental.

Contains active substances:

Nicandra contains the bitter substance nandrin, alkaloids.

Medicinal use:

An aqueous decoction of the whole plant is drunk in diseases of the heart, as a diuretic in diseases of the kidneys and bladder.