Common daisy.

Common daisy

A perennial herbaceous plant of the Asteraceae family, 10 cm high. The leaves are lobed, short-petiolate, form a rosette around single leafless peduncles. Blooms in April - June.

The marginal flowers are false-lingulate, female, white or pink, the middle ones are tubular, bisexual, yellow. The fruit is a yellow achene, flattened at the edges. Ripen in June - August.

The common daisy is common in the European part of Russia, the Caucasus, Central Asia and Western Siberia. Grows in damp meadows, forest edges and light forests. Cultivated as an ornamental plant, it quickly runs wild.

The aerial part of the plant serves as the medicinal raw material. The grass is harvested during flowering. Dry in the shade, turning often, at a temperature of 25.35°C. Store in a well-closed glass container for 1 year.

The herb contains essential oil, saponins, organic acids, inulin, bitter substance, small amounts of mineral salts and vitamin C.

Daisy preparations have expectorant, anti-inflammatory, diuretic, choleretic and hemostatic effects.

An infusion of the plant is used for catarrh of the upper respiratory tract with difficult to separate sputum, bronchial asthma and pulmonary tuberculosis. The combination of anti-inflammatory, diuretic and choleretic effects allows the use of daisy for the treatment of inflammatory diseases of the mucous membrane of the urinary and gall bladders, as well as the bile ducts of the liver.

The infusion is recommended for the treatment of internal bleeding in case of peptic ulcer of the stomach and duodenum and inflammation of the small and large intestines. For hemorrhoids, the infusion is used orally and topically in the form of tampons.

For bruises, fresh and non-healing wounds, the infusion is used in the form of lotions and compresses.

It is prescribed for cracked nipples in nursing women and inflammation of the mammary glands, as well as for washing the face with acne. In the form of baths, it is used for pustular skin diseases and rickets in children.

To prepare the infusion, pour 3 teaspoons of raw material into 1 glass of boiled water at room temperature, leave in a warm place for 3-4 hours, filter through two or three layers of gauze, squeeze and bring the volume to the original volume.

Take 1/3 cup 3 times a day 20 minutes before meals.

A more concentrated infusion is used locally at the rate of 6 teaspoons of raw material per 1 glass of water. Used for rinsing, lotions and compresses.