Horse sorrel.

Horse sorrel is a perennial herbaceous plant of the buckwheat family, up to 1.5 m high. The rhizome is thick and short. The root is underdeveloped, taproot.

The stem is furrowed and branched. The leaves are alternate, triangular-ovate, pubescent with short hairs. Blooms in May - June. The flowers are small, greenish-yellowish. The fruit is a triangular light brown nut. Ripens in June - July.

Horse sorrel is widespread throughout almost the entire territory of Russia. Grows in meadows, grassy slopes and forest clearings. It is found as a weed in vegetable gardens and along ditches.

Introduced into culture. Black and yellow paints are obtained from the extract of roots and rhizomes. The rhizome is used for tanning leather. A decoction of the fruit is effective for treating diarrhea in calves and piglets. They are fed to cattle, sheep, horses, rabbits and poultry.

Rhizomes, roots and fruits serve as medicinal raw materials. They are harvested in August - September, washed in cold water, cut into pieces if necessary, dried in air and dried in a dryer or in the sun until brittle. The fruits are picked by hand and air dried. Store for 3 years.

Roots and rhizomes contain glucose, fructose, sucrose, organic acids, essential oil, saponins, alkaloids, vitamin K, phenols, phenolcarboxylic acids, catechins, tannins, flavonoids and anthraquinones. The fruits contain organic acids, essential oil, vitamins C and K, carotene, anthracenes, catechins, flavonoids, anthraquinones and aromatic compounds.

Preparations from sorrel have an astringent, laxative, choleretic, antipruritic, anthelmintic, hemostatic and anti-inflammatory effect. Astringent or laxative properties depend on the dose of the drug.

As a laxative, crushed roots are prescribed at night in a dose of 0.5-1 g per dose. An antidiarrheal effect is observed when taking the powder at a dose of 0.25 g 3 times a day. It has been noted that a decoction of sorrel roots has a detrimental effect on the dysentery bacillus.

Fresh leaves are applied to boils, ulcers and purulent wounds. Sorrel preparations are contraindicated for kidney disease.