2024 Author: Jasmine Walkman | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 08:29
The greenery / Prunus laurocerasus / is an evergreen shrub or tree. The plant is known as laurel cherry, laurel, butterbur and mulberry. The periwinkle has a highly developed root system and a stem that reaches 2 m in height.
The leaves of periwinkle are evergreen, leathery, shiny on top, matte below. The flowers of the plant are white, small, standing on short stalks, collected 20-30 in upright clustered inflorescences protruding from the axils of last year's leaves. The fruit has a stone, spherical, resembling a cherry.
The greenery is distributed in Asia Minor, the Caucasus, the Balkans and others. In Bulgaria it is found in the shady valleys of beech, on the northern slopes of the Central Stara Planina, from the Etropole to the Kotel Balkan (up to 1400 m above sea level), in Strandzha (up to 200 m above sea level), as well as in the villages Gramatikovo, Brodilovo, Bulgari and others. The periwinkle is widely cultivated in the parks.
Types of periwinkle
The most common species for making hedges is Medicinal periwinkle (Laurocerasus officinalis, Prunus laurocerasus). Without pruning, it can reach up to 4.5 m in height, but most often it is pruned to form a wide hedge, as in addition to height, the shrub grows up to 2 m wide. Lusitanian periwinkle (L. lusitanica, Prunus lusitanica) is also less common, whose leaves are smaller and their stems are reddish. It blooms in June with fragrant flowers, which are later replaced by purple fruits.
Contents of periwinkle
The content of the herb includes the cyanogenic glucosides amygdalin, prulaurazin and its stereoisomer prunazine, which in enzymatic decomposition release hydrocyanic acid. Periwinkle also contains up to 0.5% essential oil, tannins, fatty oil and waxes. Glucosides, fatty and essential oils are found in the seeds of the herb. The bark contains up to 11% tannins.
Collection and storage of periwinkle
The greenery blooms from April to July. Only fresh leaves / Folia Laurocerasi / are picked from the plant, and June and July are the most suitable months for picking. Healthy, insect-free leaves that have retained their green color are selected. The selected material is collected in baskets, bags with sparse fabric, etc. It is important not to infuse the herb during picking.
Growing periwinkle
As already mentioned, periwinkle is suitable for planting hedges. Its crown and leaves are beautiful and spectacular. It is an adaptable plant, but some basic rules must be followed when planting and growing it. The plant grows best in a testament, in partial shade or completely shady places. Direct sunlight damages periwinkle leaves, and strong currents during the winter months can cause it to freeze.
It is recommended that the planting soil be carbonate, deep, moist and rich in nutrients in order for the plant to grow smoothly. The greenery propagated by seeds, which are collected after ripening.
It is planted in a checkerboard pattern in two rows. After planting, the bushes are well watered and pruned to a low height.
This helps to thicken the knit. Subsequently, the tree must be pruned regularly to form. It is necessary to fertilize at least once a month with mineral fertilizers to nourish the soil. In addition to hedges, periwinkle is also used for single group plantings. It can be seen in many Bulgarian parks.
Benefits of periwinkle
The plant is used to produce Aqua Laurocerasi laurel water, containing 1% hydrogen cyanide. Periwinkle is also used to prepare painkillers. The analgesic effect is due to the content of amygdalin. During its decomposition, a strong acid is released in the intestine, which acts as an anesthetic.
The herb has a beneficial effect on pain in the stomach, intestines, biliary crises, renal colic, painful menstruation, hemorrhoids, purulent wounds. Helps with abdominal pain (kidney, bile, peptic ulcer disease, colitis), dry, irritating cough, painful menstruation and more. It is also recommended for insomnia, as it has a soporific effect.
There are reports that an extract of periwinkle leaves can be used externally against hair loss. The same remedy repairs skin affected by boils. Cold extract of fresh periwinkle leaves has also been used for asthma and eye inflammation.
The greenery It is also used to improve the taste of some medicines. Decomposition of benzaldehyde cyanohydrin produces free benzaldehyde, which has a pleasant odor and is used for flavoring in the confectionery and soap industries.
In the past, the leaves and bark of periwinkle were used for tanning skins. Folk veterinary medicine has used the drug to treat foot-and-mouth disease in livestock.
Folk medicine with periwinkle
Russian folk medicine recommends fruit puree periwinkle in gastrointestinal disorders and insomnia. The mixture is prepared by peeling 200 g of the fruit, crushing it with a spoon and mixing it with a little sugar. Take one teaspoon of the porridge three times a day after meals.
For spastic pain in the abdomen and intestines, prepare a decoction of 2 tbsp. chopped leaves of periwinkle, flooded with 500 ml of boiling water. The infusion is left to stand for 15 minutes and filtered. Take 2-3 tablespoons.
You can get rid of the headache by grinding the periwinkle fruits and taking 1 teaspoon of the mixture. along with a little fresh milk.
Harm from periwinkle
Be careful when using periwinkle and under no circumstances use the herb without a prescription. In case of incorrectly prepared (at home) preparations or in case of overdose with periwinkle, poisoning occurs.
The toxic effect of the drug is due to the glycoside amygdalin contained in the leaves, from which its decomposition in the body produces hydrocyanic acid. It is a strong poison of tissue respiration, interferes with the utilization of oxygen.
Drug poisoning is characterized by shortness of breath, headache, nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain. The skin and mucous membranes are very red. In severe cases, seizures, loss of consciousness and even death occur.
Treatment includes induction of vomiting, gastric lavage with potassium hypermanganate solution, animal charcoal solution, saline, artificial respiration. As an antidote, inhalation of amyl nitrite (4-5 drops per tissue) is recommended.
