Calendula( Calendula officinalis)
Calendula officinalis is a well-known plant with flowers that blossom in the early morning and close in the evening. It grows wild only in the Mediterranean countries, but it is extremely widely cultivated throughout the world as an ornamental and medicinal plant.
Description
The height of the erect branchy stem is up to 70 cm. The basal leaves are oblong-ovoid, petiolate;cauline leaves - oblong-lanceolate, sessile, stem-lobed. Flowers orange or yellow in large apical baskets up to 5 cm in diameter. Exterior flowers in baskets are linguistic, feminine;internal - tubular, bisexual, infertile. Fruits - bent achenes, located in 2-3 rows, in the outer row larger and least bent. Thanks to the characteristic form of seeds, calendula received its second, very common name - marigold. Blooms from June to late autumn, the fruit ripens throughout the summer, as the plant fades. Seeds retain their germination capacity to five years.
Composition of
Calendula flower baskets contain carotenoids( about 3%), essential oil( 0.02%), resin( up to 3.4%), mucus( up to 4%), organic and mineral acids, ascorbic acid( vitamin C) andfitoletsidy.
Cultivation of
Calendula is photophilous. In the shade, plants are stretched, lodged, inflorescences grow smaller. Calendula is unpretentious to soils, but it grows better on sufficiently moist areas. Propagated by seeds. Seeds germinate at 8-10 ° C.It is possible to sow plants. From the fall, 4-5 kg of organic fertilizers and 20-30 g of phosphorus and potassium fertilizers per 1 m2 are used for digging in soils with low fertility. In the spring, when loosening the soil, 15-20 g / m2 of nitrogen fertilizers are applied. Sow calendula at the earliest possible time in the open ground. For seeding, it is better to take the smallest central seeds of the flower basket, since they give plants with a large number of double flower buds. Sow into grooves to a depth of 2-4 cm. The distance between grooves is 30-40 cm. 1 to 1.5 g of seeds are sown per 1 m2.Care consists in weeding, loosening, watering. Collection: Collect flower baskets at the beginning of the flowering period, stopping them without pedicels, and dry in well-ventilated warm rooms or dryers at a temperature of 40-45 ° C.
Medicinal properties of
Preparations based on calendula are recommended for the treatment of wounds, with burns, bruises, purulent inflammation, furunculosis, for preventing the formation of disfiguring scars during wound healing, skin rashes, lichen, edema caused by frostbite, with inflammation of the veins of the legs, withangina and stomatitis, Calendula is also used as a symptomatic remedy for inoperable forms of cancer. Under the influence of the calendula preparation, intoxication decreases in patients with cancer, dyspeptic phenomena disappear, appetite and sleep improve. Calendula has a bactericidal effect, especially against staphylococci and streptococci. Included with the composition of tea blends as an "aesthetic additive".
Application of
In cooking, the leaves and inflorescences of calendula are used in fresh and dried form when preparing soups, added to salads, sauces, for additional aromatization of meat dishes. Petals are used as a substitute for saffron for the coloring of various dishes. In cosmetics, thanks to its healing and skin cells regenerating properties, calendula is used to care for rough, cracked and inflamed skin. The extract of calendula is a part of various cosmetic means: lotions, tonics, creams, milk and others.
RECIPE
Salad with calendula
2 cucumbers, 2 tbsp.l.finely chopped green onions and crushed calendula inflorescences, 1 hard-boiled egg, 2 tbsp.l.sour cream, 1 tbsp.l.finely chopped dill, salt
Cucumbers cleaned, cut into thin slices, add calendula, onions, dill, sour cream, mix everything. Salad decorate with egg.