A perennial herb up to 150 cm tall. The rhizome is short, multi-headed; the root is thick, rod-shaped, slightly branched; the stem is moderately branched, furrowed. The leaves are alternate, with filmy brown sockets at the base; the lower ones are long — stemmed, broad, triangular-ovate, with a deep-heart base, slightly wavy at the edges, the middle and upper leaves are elongated lanceolate, on short petioles. The leaf blade is covered with stiff hairs. The flowers are small, greenish, collected on the tops of the stems in dense paniculate inflorescences, surrounded by several leaves at the base. Perianth six-divided. 3 inner leaves are larger, brownish-red, 3 outer leaves are small, bent to the pedicel. 6 stamens; pistil with three filamentous columns ending in racemose stigmas. The fruit is a three — sided light brown nut enclosed in an overgrown perianth. Blooms from may to July; fruits ripen in August.
RAW. Medicinal raw materials are rhizomes and roots of horse sorrel (Radix Rumicis). The finished raw material consists of whole roots or pieces of them, with a longitudinally wrinkled, brown surface, with a yellow-orange break. The smell is characteristic, the taste is astringent.
DISTRIBUTION AND HARVESTING. It is found everywhere. It grows in clogged meadows along roads, on weeds, on the bottoms of beams, river banks, in abandoned livestock stands and among thickets of mesophilic shrubs.
Sorrel roots are dug out in the second half of summer, cleaned from the ground, quickly washed. Thick roots are cut longitudinally into pieces. Dried in ovens or dryers.
CHEMICAL COMPOSITION. The roots of horse sorrel contain up to 4% of anthraquinone derivatives, the main of which are chrysophanic acid and emodin. In addition, they contain up to 12% tannins, caffeic acid and flavonoid composition. The leaves contain ascorbic acid, carotene and flavonoids (rutin, hyperoside, etc.). the Fruits contain tannins, saponins, flavonoids and anthraglycosides.
APPLICATION. Preparations from the roots of horse sorrel in small doses have an astringent, and in large doses — a laxative effect. There is also evidence of their hemostatic effect and the successful use of a decoction of horse sorrel fruit for dyspepsia and dysentery.
It is used inside the infusion, liquid extract or root powder in a dose of 0.25 g as a fixative, and in a dose of 0.5-1.0 g as a laxative.
Externally, compresses from a decoction of roots are used for burns.
In folk medicine, decoctions, infusions, extracts based on horse sorrel roots are used to treat colitis, enterocolitis, hemocolitis, hemorrhoids and anal fissures, as an antiseptic and hemostatic agent. In the form of powder — for anemia and as a means of regulating the gastrointestinal tract.
Recipes
decoction: 20 g of root or fruit per glass of water. Take a tablespoon 3 times a day.
Powder from the root is drunk 0.25 g 3 times a day for diarrhea, 0.5 g at night — as a laxative.
In Chinese folk medicine, a decoction of the root is used as laxative; crushed raw root or squeezed the juice out of it — in diseases of the skin (topically).
In folk medicine, a decoction of the root is used for the stimulation of root of pharynx, larynx, catarrh of the upper respiratory tract, cough, colds, sinusitis, headaches (in the form of extract or fresh juice by rubbing).
HOW TO USE THEM IN THE DIET
From dry stalks and seeds of horse sorrel, flour is prepared, added to grain flour and used for baking bread.
The nutritional advantages of horse sorrel are small due to the presence of indigestible and indigestible fiber.