State budgetary educational institution of the Saratov region of additional education for children "Regional Children's Ecological Center"

regional competition of children's creativity

“SARATOV REGION – LOVE IT AND SING IT”

nomination “Gifts of the Saratov Land” »

Work completed:

Nikitina Yulia

9th grade student

Municipal educational institution "Secondary School Yagodnaya Polyana"

Tatishchevsky district

Head: teacher

ecology of Kuzmina

Natalya Alexandrovna

dedicated to the Year of Literature in Russia

In the snowy winter, when you've already had enough of snowball fights and ice skating, on long, boring dark evenings you begin to dream about spring: about the sun, about the bright blue sky, the smell of the first flowers - snowdrops!

In the meantime, snowflakes are falling whirling outside the windows, I invite you to get acquainted with one of the first heralds of spring - snowdrops.

In our area, snowdrops are called sleep-grass or, scientifically, open lumbago.

Dream - grass

We call them snowdrops,
According to the books - dream-grass,
Snowy thoughts are driven away,
Having barely hatched,
Where - chicken yellow,
Where is the light violet,
How life-affirming
The apotheosis will take...
AND caressing fluff,
And they seem like a dream to us,
To those entering the door,
Once discovered by Perun,
Edge - dream-grass -
The world smiles tenderly:
"Look, I'm alive..."

Opened lumbago (Dream-grass)
Pulsatilla patens (L.) Mill.

Buttercup family - RANUNCULACEAE

Herbaceous taproot perennial. Height 15-50 cm. Basal rosette leaves are trifoliate, with wide lobes, serrated and notched upward. The flower is large, light purple (rare forms with yellowish, white and pink flowers are found), at first drooping, later erect, open, with protruding hairs on the outside (like a spathe and stem). The petals are several times longer than the stamens. Flowering time: April - May. Steppes, light forests. Medicinal, pollen-bearing, decorative, poisonous. The species is listed in the Red Book of the Saratov Region.

This flower is an amazing invention of nature! The small cups of Dream-grass resemble a fluffy snowy tulip.

Bluish-purple bell-shaped flowers (a single flower blooms on each plant) can be found along the edges of forests. The flowers are quite large and shaggy. And the whole plant is shaggy: the stem of the flower, the petals on the outside, and the leaves that appear later are covered with soft, thick silvery down.It blooms even if the air temperature is zero. Why? Inside the flower the temperature is +8 °C. It turns out that the calyx of a flower is a concave mirror that collects solar heat.This extravaganza, alas, does not last long - each plant fades in one week, or in cold weather - in two weeks. The dense hairs also protect the plant at night during spring frosts. Then the fur coat disappears. And the flower also crumbles. In its place, a ruffy cone with seeds appears - as if a tiny hedgehog was hiding among the foliage. It’s also impossible not to talk about this fruit. They “know how” to crawl and burrow into the ground, not to mention the fact that they fly perfectly. The secret here is this: each fruit has an outgrowth, equipped with long hairs. Thanks to the hairs, the fruit flies and is easily carried by the wind. And the awn reacts very sensitively to changes in humidity. At the same time, it can twist, move the fruit and, as it were, screw it into the ground.

The flower is so good, so unusual, that in itself it is already a poetic forest fairy tale. In some places the flower is called a beaver, a dream-dream, a napkin. The name dream came to him in ancient times,and they also affectionately call him

Sleep-grass

The distant forest stands like a wall.
And in the forest, in the wilderness of the forest,
An owl is sitting on a branch.
Sleepy grass grows there.
They say sleep-grass
Knows sleepy words.
How he whispers his words,
The head will immediately drop.
I'm at the owl's today
I'll ask for this herb.
May you fall asleep - grass
He will say sleepy words

I. Tokmakova

Collected from different nationsvarious myths about Dream-grass or about the Opened Shoot . One of the famous myths tells about the daughter of one of the warriors of antiquity. There lived one ruler of a powerful power, who, in addition to his barbarian invasions, was also known for his witchcraft abilities that helped him in battles. His only joy was his daughter. And when the ruler once again went on a campaign, he left his best commander to guard his daughter. Having learned that the ruler had gone on a campaign, the enemies decided to destroy his daughter. The governor, who was guarding his daughter, was given a sleeping pill and after he drank it, the governor could not prevent the theft of the owner’s daughter. When the ruler returned and found out that his daughter had disappeared, he angrily turned his best commander into a handful of Lumbago (Sleep-grass) flowers, scattered them along the borders of his domain and indicated to wait for his daughter to appear. Since then, every spring, the Lumbago (Sleep-grass) flower appears, waking up from hibernation in the hope of seeing its owner’s daughter in order to return home.

They say that all flowers have a mother, but dream grass has a stepmother. It is she who drives the flower out of the ground, forcing it to bloom before others. There are many more legends, tales and beliefs associated with this plant.

7 LEGENDS ABOUT SLEEP-GRASS

Explanatory

Dream grass is sometimes called lumbago. Legend has it that a long time ago the flower had beautiful, large and wide leaves. The leaves were of such an impressive size that Satan, expelled from Paradise, could easily hide behind them. The vigilant Archangel Michael decided to drive Satan out of hiding by throwing thunderbolts at the flower.

Archangel Michael...

And the defeated Satan Shot through

From the site www.cirota.ru

Since then, the leaves of the dream grass have remained “shot through” - cut into many thin slices, and all evil spirits bypass the flower.

Awakening.
Our ancestors collected dream grass with various rituals and slander. In order for the flower to confirm its name - sleep-grass, and relieve insomnia, it should be collected at the end of May, strictly from 11.00 to 11.30. A person sleeping with sleep-grass at his head is in no danger of anything - neither a bad person nor a more serious attack. In Rus', sleep-grass replaced an alarm clock for heroes - good fellows put sleep-grass under their pillow and wished to wake up at the appointed time. And they woke up on time.

Instructive.

Once a man saw that a bear had dug up an unknown root and, having licked it, fell into his den to sleep. A curious and careless man decided to follow suit: “What if weed is medicinal?” He did so, and collapsed under a snag, struck by sleep.But - fortunately - the hunter fell intopitunder the root of a large tree turned upside down by the storm... There it was covered with snow.... Woke uphunter.I looked around andcan't understand anything- right up tospring slept in the forest, or what?

He went home... On the way he sees that people are alreadythey plow the land and sow grainand in the meantime, they poke fingers at him, ooh and ahh. In the native hut there is howling and lamentation. Well, they already lit a memorial candle for the owner. The table was filled with joy and guests were invited to celebrate the man’s return safe and sound. At the table, the healer told the man that not everything that is good for a bear is suitable for a person - the man licked not just anything, but the very dream grass.

Controversial.
In the Russian literary monument “Pechersk Patericon” you can find a story that during the all-night vigil, a demon warrior wanders around the temple and throws sleep-grass at the lazy monks. Whoever it hits immediately begins to nod off.
According to another legend, the monks, on the contrary, rubbed themselves with the juice of the dream herb in order to become invulnerable to the servants of Satan. However, today it is known that sleep grass juice can cause severe skin irritation and unpleasant sensations.

Another thing is to rub the tips of arrows or spears, then they became an excellent help in the fight against evil spirits. In an ancient herbal book we find an entry that the Devil runs away from those who carry dream-herb with them.

Predictive.

UAll Slavic peoples have their own poetic legends about the sleepy kingdom, which are often based on beliefs in the magical power of sleep grass. The sleeping kingdom is nothing more than an allegory of nature’s winter sleep. Our ancestors believed that if you put dream grass under your pillow, the plant would show a person his fate in dreams.

Well, anyone who managed to fall asleep in a clearing with dream grass acquired the ability to predict the future. They say, by the way, that today you can find young fawns in such clearings who could not resist the appetizing charm of the dream grass, plucked beautiful flowers, and fell asleep.This plant has been used formagical and ritual rites. Among the Slavic peoples, it was believed that sleep-grass protected against evil spirits and was used asamuletsfrom the evil eye. The dried flower was kept to attract wealth. They carried the plant with them, placed it under the corners of newly built houses, it was believed that sleep-grass placed in the walls of a new house would protect it from fires and lightning, or they simply kept a piece of this plant in the house for well-being...

The dream herb had the special power to predict the future, allowing the sorcerer to see prophetic dreams.

Painting-amulet "The Magus and the Dream-Grass" Author. V. Tychinsky.

from the site www.art-raduga

The lumbago was used in fortune telling as a kind of magical plant. Sleep-grass, collected early in the morning, after dew, and kept in cold water until the full moon, had special powers. If you then put it under your pillow at night, you will certainly have a prophetic dream... In order for the year to pass happily, it was necessary for a girl or a boy to dream, and if you dreamed about something bad, then the year might not go wellThey said that you need to go into the forest to take a nap only with pure thoughts. It was recommended to pick a flower in silence, while making your deepest wish. And dried sleep grass contributed to a rich, happy life

Tragic .

…A young girl went into the spring forest to pick flowers. She walked further and further, choosing the best flowers and collecting them into a fragrant bouquet. And the girl did not know thatthe forest sorcerer took an eye on herand lures you into the depths of the forest with flowers. And finally, the forest sorcerer led the beauty into a clearing surrounded by huge pine trees, deep cliffs and a high rock...

And on the path along whichcamethe girl, where the girl came from, suddenly thick thorny thickets grew - and there was NO way back for her... The girl looked around and got scared...

And the sorcerer turned into a handsome young man, came out from behind the trunk of an old pine tree and stood in front of the girl, smiled and said: -“Don’t be afraid of me, red maiden - I won’t do you harm. There's only one thing you have to do -become mine…

Because in this forestI- king and ruler, to whomeverything is subject to control.»…

- Never!- the girl shouted. ANDforesterturned into an old grandfather again... And the monster jumped up to the girl and grabbed her with his hands. Out of fear and disgust, shehithim... I heardcrack- as if a dry branch had broken, and the forest spiritgrabbed his face with his hands, releasing the girl

The girl tried to run, butcouldn't take a step- some kindunknown forceheld her in place. It was the forest spirit that made the girl feel tired. Her arms dropped, her legs gave way, and she fell in a wonderful sleep.And, like a white cloud, it became covered with the blue of the spring sky...

From the sitebest- animation. ru

The girl melted before our eyes, and soon disappeared completely...

And in the place where she lay, a beautiful flower emerged from the ground, exposing its fluffy cups to the sun...

*

That's whyDream-grassit is now called. And what about its fresh leaves in summer?poisonous -then it's fromdisgustto the evil sorcerer. And heremedicinal properties, how rich the dried leaves of the Dream-grass are - from a generous and kind girl’s heart.

Life-affirming.

Old Woman Winter, as you know, goes to various lengths to prevent the beautiful Spring from coming into her own. It usually works with its faithful assistants – Cold and Wind. Once upon a time, Winter decided to enter into another battle with Spring and unleashed a fierce Cold on the ground. All the flowers got scared and drooped, and only the dream grass proudly straightened its stem and opened its purple fluffy flower. The sun noticed the “signal” and warmed the earth with warmth, thereby opening the way for Spring.

And a little more about dream grass...

This herb was also used infolk medicine. The plants were rubbed with fresh juice for “aches and pains.” Sleep-herb eased labor pains; people bathed in its infusion for various skin rashes.

An ancient “herbalist” From the site web-kapiche.ru

They say that in summer the plant becomes extremelypoisonousfor people and livestock. For medicinal purposes, the aerial part of the sleep herb is collected and dried. Dried grass loses its toxic properties only4-5 months after storage - and only then can it be used.Artists made green paint from lumbago flowers.

Historically, Dream-grass is found in literature mainly due to its beauty and specific pubescence, which envelops with its softness and tranquility.

Many poets and artists sang the praises of this flower, calling it the velvet bliss of spring and noticed that the flower has a beautiful, delicate scent. Some poets claim that “Dream grass smells like a cold night,” and some say it smells like honey

Night. Moon. The owl doesn't sleep. The dream grass is blooming... Breeze behind the cobwebs Blue water lilies sway - A gentle chime is flowing, Bringing back a sweet dream.

Eyelashes closing... And the night bird screams. The head is drooping in slumber - Dream grass smells like honey. Alisa Kukolnik

But for me it is without a doubt the smell of beauty, purity, freshness and Spring!

Blue, purple or golden yellow large flowers of Dream grass with a yellow eye are most attractive to bees and bumblebees.

Unfortunately, every year we see how they gradually disappear from our meadows - this is a miracle of nature.

The beautiful flowers of Dream grass are attractive not only to insects, like many other primroses, they are plucked en masse into bouquets, depriving them of the opportunity to give birth.

All lumbagos are also very vulnerable due to the fact that they are real “homebodies”, their “carrot” root ideally anchors them on dry slopes and allows them to extract water from great depths, but due to this structure of the root system, the plants do not produce lateral layerings cannot be divided, and adult plants are not transplanted. They reproduce only by seeds.The lumbago also suffers from the annual burning of dry grass; the fire devours both the emerging buds and the supply of last year's seeds on the soil surface.

For this reason, the open lumbago is included in the Red Books of many regions, including our region. ,

Treat with care what nature gives us! They hatched in the old grass.

We woke up from the snow and blizzard, Rising from the cold ground, Then the petals opened And the “suns” blossomed in them.

And the fairy will whisper in your ear: “Take the furry flower, And at home it’s under the pillow Harness until the ruddy dawn.

The flower is fragrant and delicate, Beautiful child of spring.
Nikitina Yulia

Sources of information used:

Y. Dmitriev, N. Pozharitskaya, A. Vladimirov, V. Porudominsky, scientific and artistic publication “Book of Nature”: stories / authors M. “Children’s Literature” 1990-399 p.

A.A. Pleshakov “Green Pages” - 10th ed., M.: Education, 2007.-223 p.

L.P. Khudyakova, R.P. Sosnovskaya, A.N. Bashkatov “Atlas of plants of the Saratov region” 2013.

Internet sources.

Dream grass, also known as meadow lumbago, is a perennial herbaceous plant that has decorative and medicinal value. She is a representative of the Lumbaceous genus of the Ranunculaceae family. In folk medicine, plant herbs are used as a bactericidal, sedative and antifungal agent.

There are many legends and beliefs associated with this flower. Previously it was believed that it had magical properties, capable of protecting against evil spirits, witchcraft and the evil eye. According to one of the beliefs, a person who fell asleep in dream-grass acquired the ability to see prophetic dreams and was endowed with the gift of foresight. Meadow lumbago, due to its unusual appearance and properties, has received many popular names, including arrow grass, dream book, cauldrons, samsonchik, dream potion, blackening lumbago, sheep grass, snowdrop, etc. Under natural conditions, meadow lumbago is found in the territory Western, Northern and Central Europe, the Caucasus, Western Siberia, the European part of Russia.

Botanical description

Meadow lumbago prefers sunny, dry areas with light soils rich in calcium salts, so the places where sleep grass predominantly grows are pine forests, mixed forests, forest edges, slopes and sandy hills. Reproduction is carried out by seeds or dividing bushes.

The root is powerful, vertical, single- or multi-headed (in old plants), dark brown on the outside. Every year, several leaves grow from it, collected in a basal rosette, and two or more flower arrows.
The stem is erect, 10 to 40 cm high, densely covered with soft hairs. The flower arrows are round in cross section, reach a length of 20 cm, emerge from the axils of the leaves, and bear one drooping flower on a long peduncle, surrounded by a plexiform cover. The length of the peduncle increases sharply by the time the fruit ripens and exceeds the length of the flower arrow. The blanket consists of almost erect leaves, divided into narrow linear lobes, densely covered with hairs.

Basal leaves appear after the plant has finished flowering and die off in the fall. They have long petioles, the leaf blade is broadly ovate in outline, pinnately dissected with linear pointed lobules. At first the leaves are densely covered with soft white hairs, and later become bare.

The flowering period occurs in April and May and lasts about a month. The flowers are solitary, purple in different shades, and bell-shaped. The perianth is simple, consists of 6 oblong leaflets, bent outward at the apex, densely covered with hairs on the outside. The stamens are numerous, yellow, and half as long as the tepals. They are located on a convex receptacle, the outer stamens are shorter than the inner ones. The pistils are located at the top of the receptacle, each having a single-locular ovary and a long style covered with hairs.

The fruits ripen in June-July. They are oblong, hairy, numerous nuts with a long feathery-pilose spine (up to 5 cm).

Chemical composition

The plant's herbs are used for medicinal purposes in folk medicine. To date, its chemical composition has been studied in some detail. It has been established that the above-ground part of the plant contains the following biological substances that determine the medicinal properties of meadow lumbago:

• organic acids;
• alkaloids;
• vitamin C;
• steroids (sitosterol);
• resins;
• gamma lactone (ranunculin)
• tannins;
• triterpenoids (beta-amyrin);
• flavonoids;
• anthocyanins (derivatives of perargopilin and delphinidin);
• anemonin;
• essential oils;
• minerals (P, Al, Fe, Zn, I)

Important: For medicinal purposes, open lumbago is also used, which is also called sleep-grass. Its botanical description, as well as its composition and healing properties, are similar to meadow lumbago; it only differs slightly in the shape and color of the flower.

Medicinal properties

Sleep-herb has hypotensive, sedative, hypnotic, antispasmodic, antimicrobial, fungicidal, hepatoprotective, diuretic, anti-inflammatory and analgesic effects. It stimulates respiratory function and slows the heart rate.

In folk medicine, products based on it are used to treat:

• glaucoma;
• initial stages of hypertension;
• increased heart rate;
• insomnia;
• increased excitability;
• convulsive conditions;
• metabolic disorders;
• hysteria;
• menstrual irregularities;
• headaches, dizziness.

The antispasmodic effect of lumbago helps relieve coughs from whooping cough, bronchitis, bronchial asthma, and reduce migraine headaches.

The medicinal properties of sleep herb are used for some gynecological problems. It helps restore the functions of the reproductive system, normalizes hormonal levels and the menstrual cycle. Previously, it was used during labor pains to speed up labor and reduce pain.

Externally, infusions, decoctions and tinctures of meadow lumbago are used to treat burns, wash wounds, lotions for fungal skin infections, baths for skin diseases, rubbing for joint pain in rheumatism and gout.

The herb of the plant is used in homeopathy. Various drugs are made from it. For example, Pulsatilla compositum, which has a complex effect on the body and has a wide list of indications: viral infections, rheumatism, skin diseases, hypogalactia, bronchitis, tonsillitis, depression, etc.

Procurement of raw materials

Sleep grass should be harvested during the flowering period, but it is not recommended to do this in the summer, since at this time it contains the maximum amount of toxic substances. The grass is cut, cleaned of foreign impurities, laid out in one layer on paper or natural fabric and dried outdoors in the shade or in a closed but well-ventilated room. Dry raw materials are stored in paper bags or small linen bags for no more than 3 years.

Dried grass can be used for medicinal purposes no earlier than six months later. It is believed that this time is enough for toxic compounds that can cause poisoning to the body to completely evaporate.

Warning: When harvesting meadow grass, you need to protect your hands with rubber gloves, since fresh grass juice when it comes into contact with the skin causes inflammation and burns.

Methods of application

In folk medicine, sleep herb is used in the form of infusions, decoctions, and alcohol-containing tinctures internally or externally. For some diseases, fresh plant juice is used.

Vodka tincture for rubbing

Dry sleep grass in an amount of 10 g is crushed, mixed with 200 ml of vodka and the composition is infused for 7 days in a dark place. Used externally for rubbing for pain in joint diseases and rheumatism.

Aqueous infusion for the treatment of hypertension, glaucoma and mental disorders

Dry raw materials (40 g) are poured with a glass of boiling water, left for 40 minutes and filtered. Take the drug 15 - 20 ml 3 - 5 times a day at approximately equal intervals between meals. For hypertension, treatment lasts 2–3 weeks, for mental disorders – 2–3 months. For mental illness, use an infusion of 30–50 ml 3–4 times a day for several weeks.

Infusion for external use

Decoction for medicinal baths

Dried raw meadow lumbago (4 tablespoons) is crushed, combined with 1 liter of water and boiled over low heat for 3 - 5 minutes. Cool the composition to room temperature, filter and pour into the bath.

Precautions

Treatment with meadow lumbago is contraindicated in the following cases:

• gastritis;
• inflammatory processes in the kidneys, liver;
• pregnancy and breastfeeding;
• intolerance or allergies;
• diseases of the intestines and stomach.

Overdose may cause damage to the gastrointestinal mucosa.

Important: It is permissible to use folk remedies based on sleep herbs to treat any diseases only after consulting a doctor. The plant is poisonous and, if used incorrectly, can cause significant harm to the body.

Video about the medicinal properties of meadow lumbago:

All materials on the Priroda-Znaet.ru website are presented for informational purposes only. Before using any product, consultation with a doctor is MANDATORY!

Dream grass is an extraordinary, charming plant that has been valued by people since ancient times not only for its visual attractiveness. The plant can charm with its amazing simplicity and beauty even in the photo, but sleep-grass has a number of useful and medicinal properties. It was believed that sleeping among the lumbago bells helps predict the future, and dried petals of the plant in everyday clothes can attract good luck and happy events in life. This article contains a description of the lumbago and the areas where sleep grass grows. Healing properties and contraindications when using lumbago to treat diseases.

Anemone open: botanical information

These amazing lilac-blue bells with pubescent stems are called sleep-grass or open lumbago. The plant belongs to the Ranunculaceae family, lumbago is listed in the Red Book in the territories of Russia and neighboring countries.

In nature, the growing area of ​​lumbago is quite wide - graceful bells are found not only on our continent; sleep grass can often be found in North America, Central and South Asia. The plant inhabits wastelands, the edges of deciduous forests, prefers sod-podzolic soils, moss, and shrub thickets.

Sleep grass can be found all over the world

Lumbago is a low plant, the maximum height of the stem reaches 15 cm. Very often, decorative bells are used to decorate landscape compositions on alpine hills and rockeries. The plant is a perennial and dies off in the winter.

There are varieties with lilac, blue, purple, white and red flowers. The charming plant blooms for only a short time - amazing bells open their clear eyes in mid-spring (April-May).

The healing power of an open lumbago

Not all types of sleep grass have healing properties. Usually, for the treatment of diseases, raw materials of meadow and open lumbago are used, which equally contain saponins, tannins, camphor compounds, resins, and vitamin C.

Lumbago is used to treat the urinary and respiratory systems; lumbago drugs help suppress pain in the heart, normalize liver function, have a pronounced bactericidal effect, and are used to treat fungal skin diseases. Sleep herbs are used to treat mental disorders and nervous diseases; glaucoma; migraine and a number of other diseases.

The plant is collected only during the flowering period

How to collect lumbago grass correctly

To prepare medicines using herbal raw materials, it is worth using herbs that have been prepared in compliance with the rules for collecting medicinal plants. Harvesting lumbago grass should be started only during the period when the plant is in the flowering period.

Attention! Fresh lumbago juice causes severe burns, so when preparing raw materials it is worth protecting the skin of your hands, for which you need to stock up on durable gloves.

The grass is picked carefully, trying not to damage the perennial rhizome. The leaves and stems of the lumbago are laid out in a thin layer on a clean cotton cloth. The prepared raw materials are dried in the shade, constantly stirring the grass.

Attention! It is not allowed to use freshly harvested dry grass earlier than 3 months after drying.

Dry lumbago herb is stored in canvas or paper bags for no longer than 3 years.

How to properly prepare dosage forms from lumbago

Infusion: take 40 g of dry sleep-herb raw material per glass of boiling water, leave the composition for 40 minutes, then strain the infusion. Used for the treatment of nervous diseases, glaucoma (treatment lasts 2-3 months), hypertension (taking medications for no longer than 2 weeks). The use of the infusion should be distributed between meals 3 to 5 times a day, 1-3 tbsp. spoons at a time.

You can prepare the infusion of lumbago in another way: for 2 tsp. dry herbs, take 1 glass of chilled, pre-boiled water, leave for 12 hours. After filtering, the composition can be taken 50 ml up to 4 times a day.

Collection of dream grass

For external use, prepare a special composition, which is used for lotions: for 1 tbsp. a spoonful of dry lumbago grass, you need to take a glass of boiled water at room temperature. Infuse the composition for about 12 hours, after which the infusion should be strained. Use for external use.

To treat joint pain, prepare an infusion of lumbago with vodka: 10 g of lumbago raw material is poured into 150 g of good vodka. The composition is infused for 5 days in a dark place, then it is filtered. You can rub the sore spots several times a day. Use for external use only.

Therapeutic baths with lumbago: boil 4 tbsp. spoons of dried herb in one liter of water, boil for 3 minutes. Allow to brew, after which the composition is filtered and poured into a bath, which is taken for a maximum of 20 minutes, no more than three times every 7 days. Treatment procedures are carried out up to 14 times in a row, after which it is necessary to take a break.

Dream grass in the garden: video

Sleep-grass: photo

In ancient times, dream grass was considered the personification of a victorious weapon, and its juice was smeared on spear tips in order to drive away evil forces. And wounds received in battles were healed with the help of this plant

Description

Dream grass or open lumbago (Pulsatilla patens) is a perennial herbaceous plant from the Ranunculaceae family, with a thick vertical or oblique rhizome and a low erect stem covered with soft hairs. The root leaves are located on long petioles. They appear later than the flowers and fade in the fall. Dream grass has a “veil”, which is formed from three leaves that are fused at the base. The flowers are single, dark purple, shaped like garden tulips. The fruit is a multi-nut with oblong columns. Open lumbago blooms in April-May and bears fruit during the summer. It reproduces by seeds, which are carried by the wind over considerable distances.

The distribution area of ​​this plant covers the entire territory of Europe (with the exception of Western), Asia, Canada and North America. Sleep grass is found in many countries of the former USSR, in the European part of Russia, Siberia and the Far East. The lumbago's favorite habitat is dry deciduous and coniferous forests.

This plant has been used for magical and ritual rites since ancient times. The lumbago was used as a talisman against the evil eye, and the dried flower was kept to attract wealth. It was believed that if a person fell asleep in dream grass, he could become the owner of the gift of foresight. Experienced hunters claimed that bears get drunk from the roots of sleep grass. Artists made green paint from lumbago flowers. This herb was also used in folk medicine. The plants were rubbed with fresh juice for “aches and pains.” Sleep-herb eased labor pains; people bathed in its infusion for various skin rashes. In Yakutia, scabies was treated with lumbago ointment. In some regions, sleep herb was considered the surest remedy for treating sexual impotence.

Nowadays, sleep grass is cultivated as a decoration for flower beds. In Bashkiria, this plant is used to treat horses with glanders. In early spring, before the leaves appear, this grass is eaten by sheep and goats. In summer, the plant becomes extremely poisonous to people and livestock. For medicinal purposes, the aerial part of the sleep herb is collected and dried. Dried herb loses its toxic properties only 4-5 months after storage, only then can it be used.

Chemical composition

The leaves of the lumbago contain anemonic acid, essential oils, saponins, resins, alkaloids, tannins, micro- and macroelements, and vitamins.

Medicinal properties of sleep herb

It has been established that sleep herb can have antimicrobial and antimycotic effects. It has a sedative effect, lowers blood pressure, slows the heart rate and breathing. This plant is not used in official medicine.

In folk medicine, decoctions and infusions of sleep herbs are given for headaches, neuroses, hysterical attacks, and insomnia. Externally, an infusion of the herb is used for joint pain, pyoderma, fungal skin infections, and scabies. It is believed that a decoction of the herb in small doses helps with lung diseases and weakness of the anterior abdominal wall. For articular rheumatism, take a tincture of sleep herb internally, and rub it into the affected joints. In Chinese folk medicine, amoebic and bacterial dysentery are treated with infusion and dry extract of lumbago. Homeopaths use sleep herb as an effective venotonic.

Contraindications and side effects

The fresh plant is poisonous due to the content of anemonin, which causes inflammation of the skin and mucous membranes. Upon contact with the skin, a reaction similar to a chemical burn of I-II degree occurs. When taken orally, symptoms of damage to the mucous membrane of the stomach, intestines, and renal epithelium develop. The plant is not used during pregnancy, pyelo- and glomerulonephritis, gastritis and hepatitis.

Why is sleep grass called that?

Many of us admired these plants, but not everyone knows why sleep grass is called that. There are several versions of the origin of this name:

1. Here, for example, is how an ancient legend explains one of the names. Once upon a time, a demon was hidden behind the wide leaves of this plant. Archangel Michael, who was pursuing him, shot a lightning arrow at him, which “shot” the plant, causing the leaves to turn into narrow stripes. From that very moment, all evil spirits do not dare to approach the dream grass. And the lumbago began to be considered not only a talisman against all witchcraft and the evil eye, but also a symbol of a victorious weapon. Spears were even treated with its juice to ward off the dark force. In addition, they believed that a flower that survived the heavenly fire helped heal wounds received in battles.

2. Another name for this plant - “sleep grass” - is also shrouded in mystery. According to the most widespread belief, it was named so by a hunter who once saw a bear in the forest, who dug the root of this plant out of the ground, licked it and fell asleep. This probably refers to the hypnotic effect of the plant.

3. Before bad weather, the lumbago closes the petals and bends to the ground. This is how the flower protects its pollen and saves it for insects. The flower bent towards the ground seems to be falling asleep. Hence its second name “sleep-grass”.

4. And of course, such a “sleepy” name is justified by the appearance of the flower: wrapped in fluffy hairs, with a tilted head, it evokes serenity, helps to forget about problems and find a sense of peace.

Dream grass was considered a magical plant. They believed that anyone who fell asleep in it would be endowed with the gift of foresight. Sleep-grass, collected early in the morning, after dew, and kept in cold water until the full moon, has special properties. If you then put it under your pillow at night, you will certainly have a prophetic dream. They said that you need to go into the forest to take a nap only with pure thoughts. It was recommended to pick a flower in silence, while making your deepest wish. And dried sleep grass contributed to a rich, happy life.