2024 Author: Jasmine Walkman | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 08:29
Coin or eyelet / Beilis perennis / is a perennial, small herbaceous plant of the family Compositae. The rhizome of the coin is short, creeping, with many small roots on its underside. The stem is bare, reaching a height of 15 cm. The leaves of the plant are collected in a ground rosette. They are back ovoid, obtuse, slightly serrated at the top, almost entire. The flowers are white or pink, inside - tubular, golden yellow. The fruit of the coin is back ovoid, flattened and smooth.
The coin is distributed in Europe, West Asia, Russia, North America, New Zealand and others. In Bulgaria it grows in grassy places, bushes and elsewhere, almost all over the country up to 1500 m above sea level. It is cultivated in gardens and parks as an ornamental plant. The cultivated plant is usually grown as a biennial. It has larger baskets, painted in different colors, blooming from April to October.
Types of coins
In addition to perennial coin (Bellis perennis), from which 80 more varieties originate, in our country the most common are annual coin (Bellis annua) and forest coin (Bellis sylvestris), which are very similar. The annual coin is characterized by its smaller baskets (about 10-15 mm in diameter) and the thickened flowering stem at the top. In the case of the forest coin, the petals that wrap around the basket have a sharp tip, not oblong and rounded at the top, as in the case of the perennial coin.
Modern selection varieties are similar to the modest coin only in the dense rosette of leaves in the shape of a spatula. Today's cultivated varieties are quite different from the perennial coin. They are far more exotic, painted in white, pink and red. Some of the most popular varieties are Kilim, Pomponet, Tasso, Super enorma, Habanera, Medici, Rogli and others. Among the large-flowered varieties the most famous are Goliath and Monstrosa. The most common of the small flowers are Carpel and The Pearl.
History of the coin
The coin is a symbol of love sadness. According to Roman legend, the beautiful nymph Belides and her beloved Epigeus were walking in the forest when the Etruscan god Vertumnus noticed the nymph and fell in love with her. He wanted to kidnap her. She asked the gods for help because she was faithful to Epigeus. Then they turned it into a small, beautiful flower, which still blooms in the early spring days, mourning its lost love.
Coin composition
The composition of the coin includes malic and tartaric acid, resinous substances, waxes, fatty oil, flavones, sugars, belfizin, belidin. The plant also contains bitter and mucous substances, tannins, essential oil, saponins, inulin and others. Vitamin C is also found in the leaves of the coin.
Collecting and storing money
Flower baskets / Flores Bellidis perennis / without stalks are picked from the plant either at the beginning or during flowering. It is recommended to pick in dry and sunny weather. The collected material is cleaned of random impurities and colored handles, then dried in ventilated rooms.
For this purpose, spread a thin layer on a frame or mat, or in an oven at a temperature of up to 45 degrees. The drug is carefully dried until it is completely dry. After complete drying, the drug is left to stand in a pile for about 20 days, after which it is packed in light plywood boxes lined with waterproof paper. Store in dry and ventilated rooms. From 5 kg of fresh flower baskets 1 kg of dry ones is obtained.
Growing a coin
Coin is a plant that is easy to grow. The flower grows quickly and is quite durable. It tolerates both low and high temperatures well. The coin winters with its leaf mass, develops and blooms at -15 degrees. At the same time, the plant feels good in direct sunlight. It is recommended to water the eyes abundantly during the growing period, but be careful not to retain excess moisture, a prerequisite for the development of pests and diseases.
The coin is propagated by seeds in May and June and transplanted in the autumn months. A mixture of equal parts garden soil, leaf litter and sand is used for planting the young plants. Leave 15 cm between them when planting. Immediately after the procedure the plants are watered. Periodically loosen the soil surface to provide enough oxygen to the roots.
Flowering begins the following spring and lasts until May-June, after which the plants are replaced by summer flowering species. During this time, overblown flowers and withered leaves are regularly removed. Keep in mind that the first flowering is most abundant. This is the reason why the coin is used as a biennial spring flowering, as the plant loses its decorative qualities during the next flowering.
Remove weeds regularly so that they do not suffocate the plants and do not use the necessary nutrients. Feeding the ornamental plant is mandatory and is done regularly every 7-8 days. The eyeworm is often attacked by aphids and mites are also flower lovers. They honestly attack the eyes and damage the leaves or other parts of it.
Benefits of a coin
Perennial coin has anti-inflammatory, antitussive and cleansing action. It successfully treats inflammatory diseases of the respiratory tract, accompanied by a persistent cough. The herb has a beneficial effect on inflammation of the mammary gland in nursing mothers and bruising in the abdominal and pelvic muscles. The plant is used successfully in the treatment of bronchitis, bronchopneumonia, rheumatic complaints.
The coin helps with liver disease, jaundice, persistent cough with unexplained causes, acute and chronic diseases such as inflammation of the bladder and renal pelvis. It is also recommended for rheumatic diseases and uterine bleeding. In the form of compresses the plant is recommended for hemorrhoids and skin diseases, purulent and difficult to heal wounds. The drug stimulates metabolism and even accompanies the treatment of gout.
Folk medicine with a coin
In case of inflammation of the bladder, the Bulgarian folk medicine recommends a decoction of a coin. Prepare the drink by pouring 3 teaspoons of finely chopped herb with 300 ml of boiling water. Allow the infusion to stand for 60 minutes and strain the liquid. Take 1 cup of coffee 3 times daily before meals.
Coin compress is prepared from 6 teaspoons of herb and 500 ml of boiling water.
According to our folk medicine, eye tea is used as an antitussive and diuretic, as well as in gastric poisoning. Boil 4 coins in a tea cup of water, cool the liquid and drink it before eating.
An extract of the herb is prepared by soaking 3 teaspoons of finely chopped drug in 1/2 cup of cold water and standing for 8 hours. The liquid is consumed within a day. The residue after straining is used for compresses for skin problems and hemorrhoids.
For oily skin, Bulgarian folk medicine recommends the following lotion: Pour 200 g of coin and tricolor violet with one liter of water at room temperature. Leave the mixture to mature overnight and strain it. Clean the skin with the resulting lotion.
If you suffer from insomnia, soak the herb in homemade wine for a day. Drink the liquid before bed.
Coin in cooking
Salads can be made from the young leaves and flower buds of the coin, of course, before these parts of the plant are covered with hairs. They can be consumed during the spring months, successfully combined with sorrel, spinach and nettle. They taste like hazelnuts.
coin - 100–150 g flower buds, olive oil - for frying, white wine - 1/2 tsp, broth - 1 cube vegetable, cream - 6 tablespoons, salt - to taste
Method of preparation: The flower buds are cleaned and washed. Finely chop and fry in a little olive oil. Pour the white wine and broth dissolved in 1 liter of water. Add the cream and salt. The soup is served with croutons.
