2024 Author: Jasmine Walkman | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 08:29
Sorrel / Oxalis / is a genus of annual or perennial herbaceous plants of the family Oxalidaceae - Kiselichevi. The leaves of most species of the genus are very similar to the species of the genus Clover - Trifolium, which is from the legume family - Fabaceae, but clearly distinguished from clover in color. Some species of sorrel have thick, three-part purple-red, purple or green leaves and erect stems, others have thin strongly branched creeping stems, some are small, others larger. Different varieties bloom at different times.
The most famous is the common sorrel / Oxalis acetosella L. /. It is also known as sour clover, sorrel, sorrel, sheep sorrel, roe deer is a perennial herbaceous plant with a thin, creeping rhizome on the soil surface, covered with fleshy reddish remnants of the basal leaves. Its leaves protrude directly from the rhizome to 2 to 10 cm long, fibrous stalks, triple, the leaves are back heart-shaped.
The colors of sorrel are single. The sepals are 5 in number, free, durable. Petals are also 5, loose, white with pink or purple veins, often at the base with a yellow spot. The fruit is an ovoid or oblong 5-nested box. The seeds are light brown, longitudinally grooved.
The sorrel blooms from April to August. It grows in moist shady and riparian areas (most often in beech and spruce forests). In our country the plant is distributed almost all over the country (excluding the Black Sea coast and the Danube plain), in the foothills and mountains, from 400 to 2000 m above sea level. In addition to Bulgaria, sorrel is found throughout Europe, North Asia, North America.
Types of sorrel
Oxalis deppei is a species sorrelknown as the plant of happiness or the iron cross. Oxalis deppei is a bulbous plant whose bulbs are about 5 cm long and 3 cm wide. The homeland of this species is Mexico. This sorrel looks like a large four-leaf clover and blooms in red.
Another popular species is the South African Oxalis bowieana, which blooms in summer and spring in pink-red colors. Oxalis carnosa, native to Chile and Peru, impresses with its yellow flowers in spring. Oxalis regnelli originates from South America and blooms almost all year round with white flowers resembling scissors cut on top and leaves of three-leaf clover.
A very beautiful and interesting species is Oxalis debilis, known as ghostly sorrel and large-flowered sorrel. This species is characterized by delicate and large pink-purple colors.
The individual species and varieties sorrel differ in shape and color of the leaves. There are cyan, lighter or dark green, very large, medium or small, etc. Different varieties bloom at different times. Oxalis deppei blooms from October to December, while Oxalis regnellii throughout the summer.
Composition of sorrel
The acid contains salts of oxalic acid, including acid potassium oxalate, oxidizing enzymes, flavonoids, vitamin C, carotene-free organic acids and others.
Growing sorrel
Oxalis deppei can be left outdoors from mid-May and stay there before the first frosts in the fall. However, the bulbs should be cleaned of soil and stored in a dry and cool basement. From April the young bulbs are planted in predominantly humus soil.
The four-leaf clover is generously watered, fertilizing every week during flowering.
Oxalis regnellii grows successfully in partial shade with sufficient moisture and coolness. It feels good in unheated rooms, but does not like drafts. During growth, the flower should be watered regularly. In the fall, you should remove the bulbs from the soil and store them in a cool store. They are planted in the spring.
Otherwise, the common denominator for both species is that they prefer light and regular irrigation, and during the winter months they do not tolerate very hot rooms.
Collection and storage of sorrel
For medicinal purposes, fresh stalks are used as usual sorrel. The aboveground part of the plant is harvested during flowering. The collected material is cleaned of accidental impurities, ash and waste, then placed in baskets, baskets, etc., taking care not to crush and crush. It should also not be mixed with other species of the genus Kiseliche.
Benefits of sorrel
The sorrel has a sour taste, hence its name. The plant is used for medicinal purposes, and somewhere it is put in salads as a spice to create a sour taste. Sorrel normalizes the reduced acidity of gastric juice, improves appetite and is used in achilles gastritis.
Its action sorrel due to its rich content of acidic ingredients: oxalic acid, acidic calcium oxalate and oxidizing enzyme. Sorrel is also rich in vitamins (ascorbic acid, rutin, carotene - provitamin A) and its application helps to correct the usually occurring after the winter hypovitaminosis. Sorrel is one of the first green plants to appear in the field in early spring.
In our folk medicine, sorrel is used as a diuretic and as an active prophylactic in atherosclerosis. According to other indications, the herb is effective in liver damage accompanied by jaundice.
The sorrel is taken in the form of decoctions and infusions. It has choleretic, diuretic and anti-inflammatory effects. It is used for metabolic disorders, halitosis, in cases of indigestion, heartburn and vomiting.
In the past, the herb was used as an antidote for mercury and arsenic poisoning, it is used to treat insidious scurvy. From the dried leaves of sorrel powder is made, which is sprinkled on purulent wounds.
The leaves of sorrel produce crystals that destroy rust and ink stains. Even today, Oxalis can be used as a means of restoring the brightness of tissue colors.
Sour cream in cooking
The bulbs of sorrel are a food delicacy in Mexico, and its leaves are used as an addition to salads, but not in too large quantities because, as already mentioned, they contain oxalic acid. It is found in many other plants such as rhubarb and spinach. The leaves have a sour taste like sorrel. A pinch of sorrel can successfully replace tea with lemon. Sour cream can be used instead of vinegar in meat and fish dishes.
The fresh leaves of Oxalis enrich dishes, salads and give a pleasant aroma to soups. Sour cream is also a suitable ingredient for sandwiches. Drink with ground sorrel leaves, sweetened with honey, cools and refreshes in the hot months. Dried leaves of the herb can also be added to cereals to acidify them. In addition to salads, sorrel can also be added to potato meatballs. It will give them an unusual but interesting taste.
Harm from sorrel
It should not be overdone with non-acidic intake, as in larger quantities the plant can cause kidney irritation. The intake of sorrel should be limited in case of blood clotting disorders, as well as in case of tendency to seizures.
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The sorrel belongs to the Lapad family and is very close to spinach and dock. It is deservedly underestimated because it is a very tasty and healthy food. The health benefits of sorrel are not one or two. This leafy vegetable improves vision, slows down the aging process, reduces skin problems, strengthens the immune system and improves digestion.
