Povoy Zaborny

Convolvulaceae - Convolvulaceae. Common names: bindweed, devil's gut. Parts used: grass. Pharmacy name: fence rootstock herb - Convolvuli sepium herba (formerly: Herba Convolvuli sepium).

Botanical description. The long (up to 3 m) stems of this perennial plant climb along fences, trees and bushes. The leaves are elongated-ovate or triangular. From their axils on long stalks emerge single conspicuous large white funnel-shaped flowers, sometimes with red or pink veins. Blooms from May (June) to September.

Floodplain forests, coastal thickets, hedges and fences are places where povoy often settles, as long as the soil is sufficiently moist.

Collection and preparation. Collect all above-ground parts of plants during flowering. Long stems are cut into 20 cm pieces, tied into bunches and dried along with leaves and flowers.

Active ingredients: resin, which has a laxative effect, and tannins.

Healing properties and uses. Povoy is a laxative. Currently, medicine places special demands on laxatives: after all, everything that “laxes” causes severe irritation of the intestines, and therefore is questioned, not without reason. I am only talking about the new one because it is still used in folk medicine.

Use in folk medicine. In folk medicine it is used as a laxative for abdominal pain and flatulence. But more important than internal, its external use is for wound healing. You constantly come across recipes according to which compresses with a decoction of rootstock are almost the best remedy for caring for poorly healing wounds; This refers primarily to abscesses and trophic ulcers. Probably, local irritation of the skin improves its blood supply, which promotes healing. However, I cannot bring myself to recommend this method of treatment.

In conclusion, I would like to cite the statement of P. A. Mattiolus, to which, perhaps, the persistently practiced use of this plant dates back: “Whoever gets injured from long walking should apply these flowers to the wound or squeeze the juice from them onto the sore spots and he will be healed."

Side effects. However, caution should be exercised against using rootstock as a laxative. I would not recommend its external use either.