Common sorrel.

Common sorrel

Common sorrel is a perennial plant of the buckwheat family, 30-100 cm high. The root is short, fibrous. The stem is grooved. Leaves with an arrow-shaped base. The plant is dioecious. Blooms from early to mid summer. The flowers are pink, red or yellow.

Common sorrel is widespread in the European part of Russia, except Crimea, in the Caucasus, Western and Eastern Siberia, the Far East and Central Asia. It grows in meadows, gardens, forests, on grassy slopes, rises to the upper mountain zone, and sometimes forms thickets.

Cultivated in garden plots. Prefers acidic soils. Does not require special cultivation techniques. Propagated by seeds, which ripen in July - September.

The roots are used to dye wool fawn and brown. Salads, spinach, cabbage soup, etc. are prepared from the aerial parts, fresh and boiled. The leaves are dried and preserved. Juice heals wounds on fruit trees.

The plant serves as food for livestock and poultry. Large doses of sorrel (especially during the ripening period of the plant) cause serious illnesses in domestic animals.

Leaves and sometimes roots are used as medicinal raw materials. For long-term storage they are preserved in the usual way. The leaves are collected in the first half of summer and dried in a well-ventilated area or under a canopy.

The roots are dug up in the second half of summer, the above-ground part is cut off, washed, cut, dried and dried at 50-60°C. Store in bags, wooden or glass containers for 2 years.

The plant contains organic acids, vitamins, flavonoids, anthraquinones and other biologically active substances.

Sorrel preparations have diuretic, astringent, hemostatic, antifungal and other effects. Used for dysentery, diarrhea, fungal diseases, for wound healing, hypertension.

Used in the form of decoction, infusion, or fresh juice. It is recommended to follow the dosage and regimen.