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Horsetail. 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

Horsetail, Equisetum arvense. Photos of the plant, basic scientific information, legends, myths, symbolism

Basic scientific information, legends, myths, symbolism

Sort by: Horsetail (Equisetum)

Family: Horsetail (Equisetaceae)

Origin: Horsetail is an ancient plant group that existed over 300 million years ago during the Permian era. Modern horsetail species belong to the class of fern plants.

Area: Horsetail is distributed throughout the Northern Hemisphere, from the subarctic regions to the tropics. It grows in meadows, fields, wastelands, forest edges and along rivers.

Chemical composition: Horsetail contains silica, carotenoids, flavonoids, ascorbic acid, tannins and alkaloids.

Economic value: Horsetail is used in medicine for the treatment of urolithiasis, diseases of the urinary tract, a hemostatic agent. Horsetail is also used as animal feed, and its dry stems are used for polishing wood and metal.

Legends, myths, symbolism: In ancient Celtic mythology, horsetail was associated with magic and sorcery. Horsetail was said to be used to create magical potions and elixirs that could have healing properties and help fight disease. In medieval Europe, horsetail was used to treat various ailments such as ulcers, hemorrhoids, and wounds. In addition, horsetail was used to make gunpowder, which was widely used in military operations. In some cultures, horsetail is associated with vitality and endurance. It is said that horsetail can help increase stamina and improve physical fitness. Horsetail is also of ecological importance and is used to purify water from contaminants. In addition, horsetail is a source of animal feed and can be used as a natural fertilizer for plants.

Horsetail, Equisetum arvense. Description, illustrations of the plant

Horsetail, Equisetum arvense L. Description of the plant, area, cultivation, application

It grows in forests, among shrubs, in floodplain meadows, fallow fields, railway embankments. Horsetail has the greatest application.

Perennial herbaceous plant. The rhizome is long, thin, creeping, blackish, jointed, with spherical nodules (nutlets), mealy, edible, containing nutrients.

Adventitious thin roots depart from the rhizome. The stems of the horsetail are of two types: spore-bearing and vegetative asexual. In early spring, as soon as the snow melts, spore-bearing shoots appear first, laid underground in autumn, 10-25 cm high, unbranched, erect, juicy, white-pink or brownish due to the lack of chlorophyll in them. At the top of the stem, a large, oval-cylindrical spore-bearing spikelet, the sporangium, is formed.

Spores ripen in April - May, after which the stems die off. Instead, vegetative sterile stems 10-50 cm high, erect, branched, jointed, hard, green, appear from the rhizome at the beginning of summer. The branches are arranged in whorls of 8-16 along the entire stem, directed obliquely upwards. The leaves are underdeveloped, grow together on the stem into cylindrical tubular sheaths.

Horsetail grass contains flavonoids, glycosides, saponins, a lot of silicic acid, organic acids (aconitic, oxalic, malic), traces of alkaloids, tannic, resinous, bitter substances, proteins, fats, carbohydrates, fatty oil, mineral salts, carotene, vitamin C. There is a lot of sugar in the fruitful shoots, starch in the nodules.

For household purposes, a decoction of the roots is used to dye woolen fabrics in a gray-yellow color. Dried green shoots clean ceramic and metal utensils, polish stone products.

In nutrition, spikelets-pestles, young fruit-bearing shoots of horsetail are used. Compotes, jelly, decoctions, salads, omelettes, casseroles, soups, stuffing for pies are prepared from them, they are harvested for the winter. Nodules on the rhizomes are sweet, they are eaten raw and baked.

Salad with horsetail. Rinse young fruit-bearing stems with cold water, chop, add grated carrots, chopped green onions, salt. Season with sour cream or mayonnaise, sprinkle with dill and parsley. 150 g of horsetail, 100 g of carrots, 25 g of green onions, 25 g of sour cream (or mayonnaise), salt, dill and parsley.

Soup with horsetail. Boil potatoes, carrots, onions, parsley root in water, add fruit-bearing shoots and spikelets of horsetail, salt, bring to a boil. Season with sour cream, sprinkle with dill and parsley. 500 ml of water, 200 g of horsetail, 100 g of potatoes, 50 g of carrots, 15 g of parsley root, 20 g of onion, 25 g of sour cream, salt, dill and parsley.

Okroshka with field horsetail. In kvass put pieces of boiled potatoes, hard-boiled eggs, boiled meat or sausages, chopped sorrel, spikelets of horsetail, grated horseradish, mustard, sugar, salt. Season with sour cream, sprinkle with dill and parsley. 200 g of horsetail pestles, 50 g of potatoes, 1 egg, a few leaves of sorrel, 20 g of horseradish, 15 g of sugar, 75 g of sausage or boiled meat, 500 ml of kvass, 50 g of sour cream, mustard, salt to taste, dill and parsley.

Horsetail with milk. Peel the spikelets of horsetail from the shell, rinse with cold water, cut into pieces up to 2 cm, add sugar, pour milk and let stand for 5-10 minutes. 200 g horsetail, 200 ml milk, 15 g sugar.

Pies with horsetail. Dilute yeast in a small amount of water with milk or grind with sugar, add warm milk, egg, salt, sugar, flour, softened butter, knead the dough, cover with a napkin and keep in a warm place for 1 hour. Then roll out the dough, cut out circles, put horsetail filling in the middle of each, connect the edges. Put the pies on a greased baking sheet, brush with beaten egg or sweetened water and bake in the oven.

You can fry in a deep frying pan in vegetable or ghee. 500 g flour, 20 g yeast, 20 g sugar, 300 ml milk, 2 eggs, 50 g butter, 75 g vegetable oil, salt to taste.

Stuffing from horsetail. Peel the spikelets of horsetail, rinse with cold water, chop, add chopped hard-boiled egg, browned onion, salt, pour sour cream, mix. 200 g of horsetail, 1 egg, 50 g of onion, 25 g of vegetable oil, 75 g of sour cream, salt to taste.

Fried pistils of horsetail. Peel horsetail pestles from the shell, rinse with cold water, breaded in breadcrumbs, pour sour cream, salt and fry in a pan in vegetable or ghee. 200 g horsetail pestles, 50 g sour cream, 30 g breadcrumbs, 50 g vegetable oil, salt to taste.

Bits of horsetail. Peel the horsetail pestles from the shell, rinse with cold water, chop, add semolina porridge cooked in milk, egg, salt. Form meatballs from the mass, bread them in breadcrumbs or flour, put on a warm, oiled frying pan or baking sheet and bake in the oven. Brush with sour cream before serving. 200 g of horsetail pestles, 50 g of semolina, 1 egg, 20 g of breadcrumbs, 100 ml of milk, 20 g of vegetable oil, salt to taste.

Omelette with horsetail. Beat eggs, add milk, chopped horsetail pistils, salt, mix. Pour the mixture into a preheated and oiled pan, cover with a lid and bake in the oven (you can put slices of sausage or cheese). 300 g of horsetail pestles, 3 eggs, 150 ml of milk, 20 g of butter, 30 g of grated cheese or 50 g of sausage, salt to taste.

Meat stewed with horsetail. Beat off the pieces of meat, fry in a pan until golden brown, transfer to a duckling, add horsetail pistils, potatoes, carrots, onions, bay leaves, dill seeds, caraway seeds, salt and simmer over low heat until tender, adding broth periodically. At the end of cooking, season with tomato sauce. 200 g of meat, 200 horsetail pestles, 150 g of potatoes, 50 g of carrots, 100 g of onions, 2 bay leaves, 5 g of dill and cumin seeds, 30 g of fat, salt to taste.

Horsetail pistils with mushrooms. Peel the pistils of horsetail, rinse with cold water, cut into large pieces, add boiled mushrooms, salt and fry in butter or ghee until tender. Before serving, sprinkle with dill and parsley (can be seasoned with sour cream). 200 g mushrooms, 150 g horsetail, 30 g butter, 25 g sour cream, salt, dill and parsley.

Horsetail pistils with dried mushrooms. Rinse dried mushrooms, soak in cold water for 40 minutes. Then grind the mushrooms, add the peeled horsetail pestles, salt, put in pots, pour sour cream and bake in the oven. 200 g horsetail pestles, 50 g dried mushrooms, 40 g sour cream, salt to taste.

In folk medicine, vegetative asexual branches of horsetail are used. They have a diuretic, anti-inflammatory, hemostatic, wound healing, astringent, antiseptic effect, promote the dissolution and removal of stones in urolithiasis, reduce the amount of protein in the urine, edema of various origins, improve metabolism.

Infusion of horsetail herb. Infuse 20 g of horsetail herb in 200 ml of boiling water for 1 hour, strain. Take 1-2 tablespoons 3-4 times a day for urolithiasis, edema of cardiac origin, inflammatory diseases of the bladder, liver, women's diseases, atherosclerosis, hypertension. Wash long non-healing, festering wounds, ulcers, bedsores, wipe the face with porous skin, wash with eczema, furunculosis, compresses on sore joints with gout, rheumatism, pleurisy. Rinse the mouth and throat with tonsillitis and other inflammatory processes.

Infusion of horsetail herb. Infuse 50 g of horsetail herb in 500 ml of chilled boiled water for 1 day, then strain. Use for baths, washing wounds, ulcers, bedsores, for compresses on sore joints.

A decoction of the horsetail herb. Boil 25 g of horsetail in 200 ml of water for 30 minutes over low heat, strain. When the liquid volume decreases, add boiled water. Take 1 tablespoon 3-4 times a day after meals as a diuretic for edema of renal and cardiac origin, exudative pleurisy, inflammatory diseases of the kidneys, bladder. Rinse the mouth and throat, wash wounds, ulcers, bedsores, skin areas affected by eczema, furunculosis. Make compresses on sore joints.

Horsetail ointment. Mix horsetail extract with vaseline or butter (1:4). Lubricate non-healing wounds, ulcers, bedsores, skin areas with eczema.

Powder from dried grass to cover wounds, ulcers.

Juice from horsetail herb. Rinse fresh horsetail grass thoroughly, chop, squeeze the juice. Store in a cold place. Take 2 teaspoons 3-4 times a day as a diuretic for swelling. Wash bleeding, festering wounds, ulcers. You can drip into the nose 2-3 drops with frequent nosebleeds.

Horsetail is a diuretic.

Contraindications: severe kidney disease - nephritis, nephrosis.

It is necessary to take oral preparations from horsetail under the supervision of a doctor, strictly observing the prescribed treatment regimen.

Young, spore-bearing juicy shoots of horsetail are harvested for food immediately after the snow melts, brownish with a spikelet at the top.

For medicinal purposes, they collect summer, green stems, quickly dry them in the shade, in well-ventilated rooms, in attics, under a canopy, spreading them in a thin layer. Wet horsetail, laid out in a thick layer, with slow drying, quickly darkens, loses its medicinal qualities. Store in a dry, ventilated area. Dried stems 20-30 cm long, hard, branched, grayish-green, weak smell, sour taste.

Shelf life - up to 4 years.

Authors: Alekseychik N.I., Vasanko V.A.

Horsetail, Equisetum arvense L. Botanical description, range and habitat, chemical composition, use in medicine and industry

Synonyms: pestles, pestles, pestles, field pine, pusher, etc.

Perennial spore herbaceous plant of the horsetail family (Equisetaceae).

In early spring, the plant forms spore-bearing unbranched reddish stems up to 25 cm in height. Later, barren branched green stems appear up to 30-60 cm in height. The rhizome of the plant is branched, deep into the ground.

Range and habitats. The plant is distributed in the subarctic, temperate and tropical regions of Eurasia from Iceland, Great Britain and Portugal in the west to Korea and Japan in the east, throughout North America, from the subarctic of Canada and Alaska to the southern states of the United States.

Chemical composition. The plant contains carbohydrates (pectin, galactose, glucose, mannose, arabinose, xylose), organic acids (aconitic, fumaric, gluconic, glyceric, malic, malonic, quinic, chicory), steroids (including beta-sitosterol, campesterol, isofucosterol, cholesterol), saponins, lignin, flavonoids (including isoquercitrin, kaempferol, quercetin, luteolin), phenolcarboxylic acids and their derivatives (including vanillic, protocatechuic, gallic, ferulic, caffeic acids), carotenoids (including beta-carotene and gamma-carotene, lutein), vitamin C. The spores contain carotenoids (alpha-carotene, beta-carotene, gamma-carotene), flavonoids (gossipitrin, articulatin, isoarticulatin), higher fatty acids.

Application in medicine. Horsetail enhances and accelerates urination, has hemostatic and anti-inflammatory properties. Promotes the excretion of lead from the body.

Application in medicine. Horsetail preparations are used as a diuretic for decompensated heart defects and other diseases accompanied by congestion, for diseases of the urinary tract (cystitis, urethritis).

Preparations from horsetail are used strictly according to the doctor's prescription, as they can cause irritation of the kidneys, which is why horsetail is contraindicated in nephritis and nephronephritis.

Other uses. Spring (generative) shoots - pistils (North-Russian pistils) - are eaten fresh and boiled, as well as for making casseroles, okroshka, sauces, pie fillings.

Horsetail powder is sprinkled on wounds and ulcers in pets.

Colors wool yellow and green.

Horsetail contains a lot of silica, stem powder can be used to polish furniture, clean iron and zinc utensils.

In floriculture, a decoction of horsetail is used to prevent a number of diseases of ornamental garden plants. Thanks to the field silicic acid contained in the horsetail, the plants treated with the decoction increase the resistance to certain fungal diseases and pests (powdery mildew, black spot of roses, rust, spider mites). Preparation: 10 kg of fresh or 1 g of dry raw materials are infused in 150 liters of cold water during the day. The infusion is boiled for 30 minutes, after cooling, filter. When spraying, the broth is diluted in a ratio of 1:5. The decoction retains its properties for two weeks. Fermented broth is used only for watering. Horsetail is harvested in the middle of summer.

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

Horsetail, Equisetum arvense L. Description, habitats, nutritional value, use in cooking

Horsetail is a perennial herbaceous plant with characteristic stems consisting of separate segments, belongs to the horsetail family.

The rhizome of the plant is long, creeping. The stems appear in early spring in the form of juicy thick columns 6-15 cm high, at the top they bear a spore-bearing spikelet in the form of an oval head. After the spores ripen, the spikelets die off, the stems dry up, and they are replaced by barren, branched, green, jointed stems 15 to 40 cm high.

The branches on the stems are thin with four-toothed sheaths, arranged in whorls at the nodes of the stems.

Horsetail contains saponin equizetonin, alkaloids, flavonoids, carotene, ascorbic acid, malic, aconitic, oxalic, silicic acids, bitter, tannic and resinous substances, proteins, fats, carbohydrates and fatty oils.

Studies of the edible part (pistils and juicy young pinkish-purple stems) showed that horsetail contains up to 8% nitrogenous substances, up to 2% fat, up to 14% carbohydrates and up to 100 mg% ascorbic acid. When cooking horsetail until tender, up to 37% of vitamin C remains in the broth.

Spikelets-pistils and young succulent stems are used for food. Collection is carried out at the very beginning of growth, that is, immediately after the snow melts in fields, arable land, meadows, on sandy river banks and especially in the forest zone.

Horsetail pestles are used to make soups, stuffing for pies, salads, omelettes and casseroles. For future use, they are prepared in a salty form.

Author: Koshcheev A.K.

Horsetail. Basic information about the plant, use in medicine and cooking

Horsetail is a perennial spore plant, an annoying weed in gardens and orchards located in damp places. Barren stems are sometimes called a herringbone, as they really resemble Christmas trees in their appearance.

Horsetail is destroyed ruthlessly, often without even suspecting its usefulness as a food plant. Tuberous small thickenings on the rhizomes are rich in starch. In ancient times, tubers played a significant role in the diet of our ancestors. During the excavations of Slavic burials and cemeteries, vessels are often found filled with dried horsetail tubers.

In the Scandinavian countries, fruiting shoots containing a lot of sugar are still used for food. Decoctions, compotes, jelly are prepared from them. In the north of the European part of Russia, young fertile shoots of horsetail are used in the same way as seedlings of bracken leaves.

One tablespoon of horsetail herb, chamomile flowers, yarrow flowers and grass, calendula flowers are steamed with a glass of boiling water in a tightly closed container. Strained steam is frozen. Ice is an excellent remedy for irritated, acne-prone skin that flakes and cracks in the wind.

Boil 30 tablespoons of horsetail herb for 2 minutes in two glasses of water. A decoction helps with severe dandruff, relieves fatigue and swelling around the eyes, and soothes a nervous tic.

Author: Reva M.L.

Horsetail, Equisetum arvense. Recipes for use in traditional medicine and cosmetology

Ethnoscience:

• Horsetail tea: Pour 1 teaspoon of dry horsetail with 1 cup of boiling water and leave for 10-15 minutes. Strain and drink warm throughout the day. Horsetail tea helps with coughs, colds, and also has diuretic and diuretic properties.
• Wrap: mix ground horsetail with water to a thick paste. Apply to problem areas of the body (for example, the area of ​​​​the joints with rheumatism) and leave for 30-40 minutes, then rinse with warm water. Horsetail wrap helps with joint pain, rheumatism and gout.
• Decoction for hair: pour 1 tablespoon of dry horsetail with 1 liter of boiling water and leave for 30 minutes. Cool and use as a hair rinse after washing. A decoction of horsetail helps strengthen hair and prevent hair loss.
• Ointment for wounds: mix 1 tablespoon of chopped horsetail with 100 ml of vegetable oil (such as olive oil). Heat the mixture in a water bath to 60 degrees and leave for 3 days. Strain and use the ointment to treat wounds, burns, and other skin lesions.

Cosmetology:

• Face tonic: Pour 1 tablespoon of dry horsetail with 1 cup of boiling water and leave for 15-20 minutes. Strain and use the resulting infusion as a facial tonic. Horsetail tonic helps firm and tone the skin.
• Mask for the face: Mix 1 tablespoon of ground horsetail with 2 tablespoons of cosmetic clay and enough water to make a thick paste. Apply to face and leave on for 10-15 minutes, then rinse with warm water. The horsetail mask helps to firm the skin, unclog pores and improve the complexion.
• Massage oil: infuse 1 tablespoon of ground horsetail in 100 ml of base oil (such as almond or olive oil) for several days, then strain. Use the resulting oil for body massage. Horsetail oil helps firm the skin, increase its elasticity and reduce the appearance of cellulite.

Attention! Before use, consult with a specialist!

Horsetail, Equisetum arvense. Tips for growing, harvesting and storing

Horsetail, also known as field horsetail, is a perennial herb found throughout the world.

Tips for growing, harvesting and storing horsetail:

Cultivation:

• Choose a planting site with plenty of sunlight or partial shade and moist soil.
• Prepare the soil by adding organic compost and sand if the soil is too clay or heavy.
• Plant horsetail plants at a depth of about 5-10 cm and with an interval of 30-45 cm between them.
• Water the plants regularly to keep the soil moist at all times.
• Fertilize plants sparingly using organic fertilizers.

Workpiece:

• Harvest horsetail shoots in early autumn when they are fully grown but have not yet begun to bloom.
• Cut off the tops of the shoots and leave only the lower parts.
• Dry the shoots in a dry, ventilated place for 1-2 weeks.
• Crush the shoots into small pieces or powder.
• Store horsetail in tightly sealed containers in a cool, dry place.

Storage:

• Store horsetail in a dry and cool place at 10 to 15°C.
• Provide adequate ventilation to prevent mold growth.
• Do not allow too high or low humidity to avoid rotting of plant material.
• Periodically check horsetail for mold or rot and remove damaged plant parts.

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