Herb name: Chamomile, Chamomilla recutita
Family: Asteraceae (Compositae)
Useful plant parts: blooms
Description: Chamomile is a smaller plant high usually between 20 and 50 cm. Leaves on the stalk are sliced in feather-like shapes, and the individual stalks with leaves are usually very thin. At the top of some of these thin branches tiny yellow blooms develop with time. These blooms are formed of yellow tube-like flowers in the middle and a white row of flowers on the edge of the bloom.
Collecting period and locations: Usually, blooming flowers are picked, without the stems. The quality of dried chamomile depends on the period of collecting and the drying method, so extra care should be taken with these parameters. Generally, there is a rule that the flowers reach their best healing properties between the third and fifth day after the beginning of flowering (the time when chamomile blooms generally ranges from June to August). Picked flowers are dried using heat, but it should be taken into account that the temperature by doing so, doesn't get higher than 50 ° C.
Medicinal properties and applications: Chamomile is useful both externally and internally. Tea of chamomile can mitigate acute gastric illnesses. It also helps with chronic inflammations of the mucous membranes of the stomach. It can be effective even against ulcers. Chamomile also has a disinfection effect, and therefore it is often applied externally, in the form of baths for washing, and similar methods.
Active compounds: Essential oils, hamazulene, L-bisabolol, glycosides and coumarines.
Recipe: 1 to 2 teaspoons of dried chamomile flowers are added to a quarter liter of boiling water and after 10-15 minutes, the tea is strained and drinked while still warm. |
