Istod Gorky

Source - Polygalaceae - perennial herbaceous plant. Common names: bitter blackbird, Voznesensky flower, milkweed, snake color, pilgrimage color. Parts used: flowering plant and roots.

Istoda develops several erect stems up to 20 cm tall. The leaves form a basal rosette and are arranged alternately on the stem. The flowers are collected in terminal racemes, the petals reach 5-7 mm, painted blue, less often red or white. Blooms from May to August.

Grows in damp places, meadows and roadsides.

Flowering plants are collected, the roots are cleaned and dried. Contains saponins, bitterness, essential oil, tannins.

It is used as a blood purifier, expectorant, and diuretic for coughs, asthma, lung and stomach diseases. Stimulates lactation in nursing mothers. Used in folk medicine for compresses for abscesses and wounds. In homeopathy it is used for cough, especially in the elderly.