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Brittle buckthorn (alder buckthorn). Legends, myths, symbolism, description, cultivation, methods of application

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Content

1. Photos, basic scientific information, legends, myths, symbolism
2. Basic scientific information, legends, myths, symbolism
3. Botanical description, reference data, useful information, illustrations
4. Recipes for use in traditional medicine and cosmetology
5. Tips for growing, harvesting and storing

Buckthorn brittle (alder buckthorn), Frangula alnus. Photos of the plant, basic scientific information, legends, myths, symbolism

Basic scientific information, legends, myths, symbolism

Sort by: Buckthorn (Frangula)

Family: Elderberry (Rhamnaceae)

Origin: Europe, Asia, North America

Area: Brittle buckthorn is distributed throughout Russia, from Europe to the Far East, as well as in Europe and North America.

Chemical composition: Brittle buckthorn contains anthraglycoside type glycosides, vitamin C, organic acids and other substances.

Economic value: Brittle buckthorn is used in medicine as a laxative and choleretic agent. From the bark of the plant, a dye for skin and wool is obtained, and it is also used as wood for the production of tools and knife handles.

Legends, myths, symbolism: In folk tales and myths, the brittle buckthorn is often associated with magic and protection from evil spirits. In some cultures, its branches were hung over the doors and windows of houses to protect them from evil forces and attract good luck. The brittle buckthorn is also mentioned in Celtic mythology as a tree that protects from evil spirits and troubles. In Christian symbolism, the brittle buckthorn is associated with Easter. In church tradition, buckthorn branches are used to create a special Easter palm tree, which symbolizes the victory of Jesus Christ over death and evil. In addition, the brittle buckthorn is a symbol of strength and vitality. Its branches and berries are used in magical rites to attract energy, strength and protection.

Buckthorn brittle (alder buckthorn), Frangula alnus. Description, illustrations of the plant

Buckthorn. Legends, myths, history

Our ancestors often attributed magical properties to buckthorn. It was believed that this plant personifies humility and virginity, but at the same time, sin, deceit. The people believed that, suspended above doors and windows, it destroys (crushes) the intrigues of sorcerers and demons, which determined its generic name.

In the old days, plants with laxative properties were highly valued. This was due to the fact that the doctors of that time did not have at hand modern remedies. Meanwhile, non-compliance and ignorance of the rules of hygiene and sanitation in the old days, intemperance in food often led to gastrointestinal diseases. Under these conditions, the use of highly effective laxatives made it possible to quickly cleanse the gastrointestinal tract, and alleviated the fate of those who were poisoned.

Legend claims that the laxative properties of buckthorn were established as a result of observing the life of clubfoot forest dwellers. These winter dormouse lie in a den only after clearing the stomach.

One day, people saw that in late autumn a bear uprooted a buckthorn bush from the ground and began to gnaw at its bark. This led observers to the idea of ​​\uXNUMXb\uXNUMXbthe healing properties of the plant. Since then, supposedly buckthorn has taken a strong place among medicinal plants.

Studies by scientists have shown that the bark, leaves, buds and fruits of the brittle buckthorn contain special substances, the so-called anthraglycosides. Their largest number - up to 8 percent - is concentrated in the bark. In addition, it contains alkaloids, tannins, various sugars, malic acid, a small amount of essential oil. The presence of tannins allows the use of buckthorn bark for tanning leather. At the same time, short fur coats, fur coats and sheepskin coats acquire a characteristic copper color.

In the old days, buckthorn seemed to be a mysterious, mysterious plant. Sorcerers and magicians attributed dual symbolism to her: it was believed that this plant personifies humility and virginity, but at the same time sin and deceit.

As a talisman plant, buckthorn protects against negative vibrations. Buckthorn will help maintain composure and not get involved in an unnecessary argument.

Author: Martyanova L.M.

Brittle buckthorn, Frangula alnus. Botanical description of the plant, areas of growth and ecology, economic importance, applications

Buckthorn family, class Dicotyledonous, department Angiosperms.

Buckthorn is a shrub that grows in all forests. It forms an undergrowth with other shrubs, sometimes settles on the outskirts of swamps. The height of the shoots is up to 2 m, some specimens can reach 3 m. The leaves are oval, with clearly visible veins and thin tips.

Blooms in May - June. The flowers are white, very small, inconspicuous; sepals, petals and stamens - 5 each.

At the buckthorn, the flowers do not bloom all at once, but gradually. Fruits-drupes, ripening, turn from green to red (semi-ripe), and then to black (mature) fruits.

Therefore, on one branch near the buckthorn in the middle of summer, you can see the fruits of all three colors.

Mature drupes are like black beads with a shiny surface. The fruits are inedible: although sweetish, they have some kind of unpleasant aftertaste, but they cannot be poisoned. Maybe because of this taste and the black color of the fruit, people called the buckthorn wolfberry, although they knew well that wolves do not eat these fruits. But some birds, especially blackbirds, willingly feast on them.

Buckthorn is a good honey plant, flowers are visited by bees and wasps.

The shrub has medicinal value: the bark is used as a laxative. Buckthorn buds hibernate without protective bud scales.

Authors: Kozlova T.A., Sivoglazov V.I.

Buckthorn brittle (alder buckthorn), Frangula alnus. Botanical description of the plant, area, methods of application, cultivation

The Latin name of the genus Frangula comes from the Latin "frangere" - to break, probably due to the fragile (brittle) wood of shrubs. The plant received its Russian specific name not by chance: its branches break very easily.

Shrub or small tree, can reach a height of 7 m. The smooth trunk and branches of the plant are distinguished by a dark brown color, the absence of spots and other formations - unlike laxative buckthorn, whose trunk has thorns. The bark is covered with transversely elongated lenticels, it is also characterized by the presence of a red (frangulin) layer under the outer layer of cork.

The leaves are round or elliptical in shape, have a sharp tip (a distinctive feature), 4-10 cm long, entire, with 6-8 pairs of parallel lateral veins, located on short (up to 1,5 cm) petioles. Leaves are alternate or obliquely opposite. The flowers are bisexual, inconspicuous and light-colored, five-membered, collected in bunches in the axils of the leaves, 2-3,5 mm long. The bell-shaped calyx is white inside. Corolla greenish white.

Often the brittle buckthorn is confused with other similar shrubs and trees - bird cherry and laxative buckthorn. The brittle buckthorn differs from them in that during a light scraping of the outer layer of the cork (for example, with a knife), a layer of a raspberry-red hue can be seen on its bark, while in other shrubs and trees a layer of green or brown color is observed.

The fruit is a drupe of spherical shape with a diameter of 8-10 mm, with 2-3 greenish-yellow round-triangular bones with a cartilaginous double "beak" (in contrast to the non-poisonous laxative buckthorn with stones without a beak). They appear in the period from July to August, and at first they are distinguished by a green color, while later they acquire a reddish tint, and by the end of August, when fully ripe, they are blue-black. The fruits are poisonous, the people call them "wolf berries", but the birds willingly eat them.

It occurs in the forest and forest-steppe zones of Europe, in the central regions of Western Siberia, in the north of Asia Minor, in most of the Crimea, in the Caucasus, in the northern regions of Central Asia.

The bark, buds, leaves, fruits contain toxic substances anthraquinones: glucofrangulin, frangulin, emodin and isoemodin. The highest content of these substances is observed in the bark - up to 8%. In addition to anthraquinones, the bark also contains triterpene glycosides, chrysophanoic acid, anthranols, resins, tannins, and traces of essential oils.

Brittle buckthorn - inedible, and in some cases (fresh berries and bark) - a poisonous plant.

The use of fresh berries and other parts of the brittle buckthorn is strictly prohibited in order to avoid poisoning. This is especially true for berries that can be eaten by children - a lethal dose for them is 10-12 berries. For medical purposes, only parts of the plant dried according to a special technology are used - the bark and fruits.

As for medicines from buckthorn brittle, their long-term use leads to addiction, as a result of which you should either increase the dose or periodically change the laxative. With prolonged use of large doses of buckthorn, it is quite possible to increase the congestion of the pelvic organs, which is extremely dangerous during pregnancy (may be a miscarriage), various gynecological diseases, and a tendency to develop uterine bleeding. Preparations of buckthorn brittle are also contraindicated in malignant tumors of the gastrointestinal tract, Crohn's disease, lactation, uterine bleeding.

Brittle buckthorn is used as a medicinal plant in official and folk medicine. Also cultivated as an ornamental shrub. Soft wood is easily pricked, used for carpentry. The wood has a low density, which makes it valuable for producing coal, which was used in the manufacture of black smoke powder. The bark contains dyes. Good honey plant, provides bees with nectar and pollen. Honey productivity 35 kg per hectare of continuous thickets. In some forest areas it is the plant of the main nectar of bees.

Buckthorn alder (brittle buckthorn) Frangula alnus Mill., (Rhamnus frangula L.). Botanical description, habitat and habitats, chemical composition, use in medicine and industry

Synonyms: rotten tree, korushatnik, bear, magpie berries.

Shrub or tree up to 7 m high, with dark bark, smooth trunk and branches without thorns, of the buckthorn family (Rhamnaceae).

The absence of thorns distinguishes the brittle buckthorn from the laxative buckthorn. The leaves are alternate, petiolate, oval, entire, shiny, with 7-10 pairs of slightly curved veins.

Flowers in bunches of 2-7 flowers in leaf axils.

The fruit is drupe-shaped, 8 mm long.

Blooms in May - July.

Range and habitats. It occurs in the forest and forest-steppe zone of Europe, the central regions of Western Siberia, in the north of Asia Minor, in most of the Crimea, in the Caucasus, in the northern regions of Central Asia.

It grows along the edges and in the undergrowth of floodplain forests, along the banks of rivers and lakes, the outskirts of marshes, in bushes among meadows, in clearings, along ravines and gullies. In the mountains it rises up to 1700 m above sea level.

Shade-tolerant. It prefers fertile soils, but is also found on poor soils, although it lags noticeably behind in growth. It tolerates high soil moisture well.

Chemical composition. The bark, buds, leaves, fruits contain anthraquinones: glucofrangulin, frangulin, emodin and isoemodin. The highest content of these substances is observed in the bark - up to 8%. In addition to anthraquinones, the bark also contains triterpene glycosides, chrysophanoic acid, anthranols, resins, tannins, and traces of essential oils.

Application in medicine. The bark and fruits have laxative and emetic properties and are used in folk medicine. In official medicine, buckthorn bark (lat. Cortex Frangulae) has medicinal value. To avoid poisoning, do not use fresh bark. Toxic substances in it are gradually oxidized, so the bark is used after 1 year of natural storage or after warming up (1 hour at a temperature of +100 ° C). Raw materials are used in the form of a decoction, extract, as part of laxative and anti-hemorrhoid preparations, in the form of the Ramnil preparation.

Other uses. Soft wood is easily pricked, used for carpentry. The wood has a low density, which makes it valuable for obtaining almost ashless coal, which was used in the manufacture of the best grades of black smoke powder.

The bark contains dyes and was used to dye yellow and brown.

The bark contains up to 10% tannins, so it can be used for tanning.

Good honey plant, provides bees with nectar and pollen. Honey productivity 35 kg per hectare of continuous thickets. In some forest areas it is the plant of the main bribe. One bush with 50 thousand flowers can produce 120-160 g of nectar and 60-90 g of honey. The lifespan of a flower depends on weather conditions. In cool weather (June 1953), the flowers lived for two days, with the largest amount of nectar accumulating in it on the second day of flowering. In hot weather, the flowers fade within a day.

It is bred as an ornamental shrub.

Authors: Turova A.D., Sapozhnikova E.N.

Brittle buckthorn (alder buckthorn). reference Information

Shrub 2-7 m high of the buckthorn family.

The fruit is a spherical drupe, initially red, then purple-black with 2-3 broadly obovate, flattened "pits", with a narrow spout, inedible.

Blooms in May - June. The fruits ripen in July - August.

Buckthorn preparations (frangulen, frangulaxin, cofranal, decoction, liquid and dry bark extracts) are used as a laxative for chronic constipation. Freshly harvested, the bark is not used - it irritates the gastric mucosa, causes nausea, vomiting and pain.

For the preparation of preparations, the bark becomes suitable after long-term storage (at least a year) or heating for an hour at a temperature of 100 ° C.

In folk medicine, fruit tincture was used orally for gastritis, gastric ulcer, dysentery, hemorrhoids, uterine bleeding; externally - with scabies. In folk medicine of all European countries, the plant was used internally for constipation, edema, gout, fever, as an antihelminthic, for liver diseases, jaundice; externally - for skin rashes, boils.

In veterinary medicine, an infusion or decoction of the bark is used as a laxative.

Authors: Dudnichenko L.G., Krivenko V.V.

Buckthorn brittle (alder buckthorn), Frangula alnus. Recipes for use in traditional medicine and cosmetology

Ethnoscience:

• As a laxative: boil 1 tablespoon of crushed buckthorn bark in 1 cup boiling water. Let it brew for 6-8 hours, then strain and take 1 tablespoon 2-3 times a day until the desired effect is achieved.
• To treat chronic constipation: Take 1 teaspoon of crushed buckthorn bark 2-3 times daily for several weeks. The course of treatment can last up to 2-3 months.
• For the treatment of hemorrhoids: prepare an infusion of 1 tablespoon of crushed buckthorn bark and 1 cup of boiling water. Let it brew for 30 minutes, then strain and use to wash the anus several times a day.

Cosmetology:

• Moisturizing face mask: Mix 1 tablespoon of buckthorn powder with 1 tablespoon of honey and 1 tablespoon of Greek yogurt. Apply to face for 10-15 minutes, then rinse with warm water.
• Purifying face mask: Mix 1 tablespoon of powdered buckthorn with 1 tablespoon of oatmeal and enough water to make a paste. Apply to face and leave on for 10-15 minutes, then rinse with warm water.
• Body cream: mix 1 tablespoon of buckthorn oil with 1 tablespoon of coconut oil and 1 tablespoon of jojoba oil. Apply to body skin after shower or bath.

Attention! Before use, consult with a specialist!

Buckthorn brittle (alder buckthorn), Frangula alnus. Tips for growing, harvesting and storing

Brittle buckthorn, also known as alder buckthorn, is a shrub that grows in temperate climates. Its bark is used in folk medicine for the preparation of decoctions and ointments, which can have a laxative, choleretic and anti-inflammatory effect.

Tips for growing, harvesting and storing buckthorn brittle:

Cultivation:

• The brittle buckthorn loves a sunny or semi-shady place and moist soil. It can be grown both outdoors and in containers.
• Shrubs should be planted in spring or autumn. The distance between plants should be approximately 1-2 meters.
• Plants should be regularly watered and fertilized, especially during flowering and fruiting. Make sure the soil always remains moist, but not oversaturated with water.
• During fruiting, berries should be regularly removed from the bush to maintain productivity.

Workpiece:

• Brittle buckthorn bark can be used to prepare decoctions and ointments. To prepare a decoction, insist 1 tablespoon of chopped bark in 1 cup of boiling water for 20-30 minutes. Drink 1 glass a day.
• Before use, the bark should be dried and crushed.
• Buckthorn bark can also be used to make fabric dye.

Storage:

• Dried buckthorn bark can be stored in a dry place for up to 1 year.
• The prepared decoction of the brittle buckthorn bark is not recommended to be stored for more than 2 days.

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