Lebeda Raskidistaya.

Quinoa spreading

An annual herbaceous plant of the goosefoot family, up to 30 cm high. The stem is erect. The lower leaves are heart-shaped-longitudinal, slightly toothed, the middle leaves are oblong, matte, almost the same color on both sides. Blooms all summer.

Spreading quinoa is distributed throughout the country, with the exception of the Far North. Prefers cultivated areas, vegetable gardens, orchards, areas near farms, etc. The plant is readily eaten by birds and animals, with the exception of horses.

In the old days, flour was made from it and bread was baked mixed with rye flour. In early autumn, cabbage soup can be prepared from fresh grass with the addition of sorrel, and scrambled eggs mixed with quinoa are a delicacy. Ripe quinoa seeds, boiled with milk, make a tasty, nutritious porridge.

The medicinal raw material is herbs. Hippocrates and Galen recommended the use of quinoa for diseases of the gastrointestinal tract, especially constipation, as well as rickets in children. Quinoa leaf can be used instead of tea for thick sputum that is difficult to clear, cough and hoarseness.

In folk medicine, the plant is used as an infusion for hemorrhoids, gout, scanty menstruation and leucorrhoea. Freshly crushed grass draws out splinters and is a wound-healing agent for the treatment of festering nail beds.

To prepare the infusion, pour 4 tablespoons of raw material into 1 glass of hot water, boil over low heat for 15 minutes, cool at room temperature and filter. Take 1 glass 3 times a day before meals.