Viola tricolor
Beginning with a warm spring day in the fields and meadows, at roadsides, in light pine and small-leaved forests of flowering herbaceous plant with single flowers on long stems - violet tricolor. It is popularly known as pansies, Ivan da Marya, brother, polutsvet, trehtsvetka, zemletsvetka. Violet, in fact, three-color: her upper petals are often painted in dark blue, purple, lower ones - in yellow or white, the central part of the orange-yellow. Hence its species name. And the people - Ivan da Marya - is associated with a tale of brothers and sisters: not knowing about their relationship, they married and not to be separated, transformed into a flower. Distributed throughout the European part of our country and as adventive in western Siberia. Harvest grass during flowering.Violet blossoms from April to autumn, fruits ripen in June, and one box can provide up to 3 of thousands of seeds. Bloom so profusely, the longer the daylight, with a sufficient amount of heat as violets do not have a winter dormancy period.
Many nations violet as one of the first spring flower is the symbol of reviving nature. It is used for the production of expensive perfume.
But not only for the beauty of people like violets. Many of their species has long been known as medicinal plants. In Colombia, they treat fever in Brazil - diseases of the respiratory tract. In our medicine violet tricolor use as an expectorant in catarrh of the upper respiratory tract, bronchitis, because it enhances the secretion of bronchial glands, thinning mucus and its separation easier. In addition, it has diuretic and diaphoretic action. The grass is part of expectorants fees.
Medicinal properties of violets were known in antiquity. Violet tricolor herb contains flavonoids, vitamins, saponins, polysaccharides, tannins, volatile oil. Due to the variety of biologically active substances can be successfully used in cosmetics, given anti-inflammatory, astringent action of this plant. In a tincture, lotion for oily seborrhea of face, head, to treat abrasions, pustular skin diseases and in training camp with other medicinal plants useful to rinse hair after washing.
Almost in the same areas as the tricolor violet, grows Closely related species - Field violet, yellow petals, it is different. With the drug to harvest both species of violets. Apply the entire aboveground portion that is collected during the flowering season (mostly in May - July). The grass is cut with knives or scissors. The collected materials were dried in a ventilated room, spreading a thin layer (5-7 inches) on paper or canvas and stirring occasionally. Allowed artificial drying at a temperature not exceeding 40 œ C. Raw material is dry when the stems break when bent. Expiry date - one and a half years.
To avoid confusion, it should be borne in mind that under the name Ivan da Marya is popularly known is another plant - maryannik groves of Figwort family. Distinguish it in yellow and purple flowers bilabiate bracts. Therapeutic effect, it is not.