The most beautiful feather grass: description and agricultural technology. Grass feather grass in the treatment of various diseases

Feather grass(feather grass, kipets, hairs, marin flax, sheep's death, love, whistle, pernik, thyrsa, stepchina, silk grass) refers to perennial cereal grasses with a short rhizome and a bunch of hard, wire-like leaves rolled into a tube. The length of the inflorescences is 12-12 cm, and the length of the awns is 30-40 cm. The flowering of feather grass occurs from May to June.

Feather grass - types and places of growth

About 400 species of feather grass are known. The most common: hairy, feathery, Zalessky and beautiful. Being dry-loving, these plants settle on open dry hills, steppe meadows, stony placers and rocks. The virgin steppes of Siberia and the south of Russia are covered with feather grass.

Feather - medicinal properties

AT traditional medicine feather grass is used to treat many ailments, but the effectiveness of its use in diseases of the thyroid gland, paralysis and rheumatism should be especially noted.

Feather - dosage forms

For the preparation of medicinal potions, feather grass is harvested in May-June. Its feathery awns have the greatest utility. Also possess medicinal properties and leaves, therefore, the entire ground part of the plant is harvested. The raw materials are dried in shaded and well-ventilated areas, crushed and stored in paper containers. Considering that it is rather difficult to determine the suitability of the herb for medicinal purposes, it is better to purchase ready-made raw materials from the pharmacy network.

Feather - recipes

With goiter, it would be advisable to use inside and outwardly (in the form of poultices, lotions) a milk decoction of crushed feather grass leaves. To do this, bring a cup of milk to a boil and add 2 teaspoons to it. lies. dry chopped herbs, boil for another five minutes. Infuse the decoction for about 30 minutes and take it in small sips during the day or make lotions out of it.

Also, a milky decoction of feather grass helps with paralysis. To prepare it, boil a cup of milk and add a table to it. l. dry grass. Cook on attraction for 15 minutes and insist at room temperature until cool (1 hour). Give the patient 3 rubles / day before meals.

The feather grass is part of herbal preparations for the treatment of paralysis. For example, mix mordovnik seeds and dry chopped feather grass in a ratio of 1: 1, two teaspoons. l. pour this mixture with a glass of water (100 ° C), wrap the container and leave to infuse in warm place for the night. For these purposes, a thermos is well suited. In the morning, the infusion is filtered, given to the patient in small portions throughout the day. Feather enhances the effect of mordovnik.

With multiple sclerosis and sciatica, the following tincture is used: tea. pour a spoonful of a mixture of feather grass grass and mordovnik seeds with 100 ml of alcohol, insist for 21 days in a dark bowl, strain. Tincture (1 teaspoon) rubbed into the affected areas or taken orally in the morning and evening, preferably one hour after eating.

The use of feather grass lotions has proven itself in the treatment of rheumatism and joint pain. Decoctions for them can be prepared both in water and in milk. The herb is boiled on the basis of the selected liquid, insisted well until it swells and, in a warm state, is applied to the sore spot for 30 minutes, wrapping it warmly.

With prostate adenoma, you can do sitz baths with a collection that includes feather grass grass and horsetail 1: 1. Pour three handfuls of this mixture with 2 liters of water (100 ° C), leave for an hour and strain. Before the procedure, you need to make an enema from the infusion of chamomile flowers. Baths are taken before going to bed, well wrapped in a blanket.

Feather - contraindications

The plant is contraindicated for allergy sufferers. Its dry seeds can cause cough, asthma attack.

Feather grass is a grass of the cereal family, which has about 300 species. But only 80 of its species are found within our region. The stem is straight with hard and thin leaves. The inflorescence of the feather grass is dense and looks like a panicle. His favorite habitat is the steppe. The feather grass fell in love with Eurasia, where it is found most often in the steppe or on a rocky slope.

Description of the feather grass

This herb lacks creeping roots. Growing in semi-desert or steppe zone, feather grass forms dense thickets. It can be recognized by its straight stem and narrow, folded leaves. racemose panicles small size. Spikelets have membranes. From above they are long and pointed, and downwards of a leathery structure. The cultivated species reaches a height of up to 2.5 m.

This herb got its name from the word "stupa", which, when translated from Greek means "tow". Reproduction of the plant occurs with the help of the wind, which carries the seed of the feather grass over long distances. But at the same time, the seed does not immediately fall into the ground. Most often they long time languish in dense thickets of other plants or on the cover of old dry leaves.

At night, when dew appears, the grass has a habit of hiding. The lower knee, which was twisted in a spiral, gradually unfolds, thereby pressing the stalk to the ground. Following him, the grain has to be screwed into the ground. At dawn, having spun back, it can no longer fully get out of the soil, as it is firmly hooked on the ground with hard bristles. Most often, as a result, the grain breaks and partially remains in the ground.

Feather grass as a decoration of the landscape

The feather grass captivates at first sight. This unpretentious grass in care has won the hearts of gardeners, decorating gardens and flower beds with itself. Naturally, not every variety of feather grass is equally interesting for landscape design. In addition, only certain varieties of this plant feel good in our climate. Swaying like waves, spikelets of feather grass surrender to the power of the wind, which creates a bewitching spectacle. And the thicker this grass is planted, the more spectacular its appearance.

With the help of feather grass in gardens, you can create wonderful natural compositions. The right combination feather grass with some other plants found in the meadows will make your flower bed irresistible and as close as possible to the wild landscape. To this end, you should pay attention to: fescue, foxtail, miscanthus and many other interesting cereal herbs.

For example, the neighborhood of feather grass with scabiosis, bright and juicy shade. With poppies, heather, sage, hyssop, chamomile, echinacea, decorative onion or garlic. The role of feather grass in these compositions can be both leading and secondary.

Feather grass can also fit perfectly into the vegetation of ponds, being planted next to geyhera, iris, sedge or reeds. Ideally, drop him off on the side of the path to the pond, and not at the very reservoir.

Not a bad idea to justify the feather grass along the fence. It will perfectly fit into the design of the garden, outlining its boundaries with an airy mood. And how beautifully it combines with a wicker fence made of twigs or at pergola posts.

And though the feather grass steppe plant, yet it can be safely planted next to ornamental plants. For example, it will become an excellent neighbor to Thunberg's barberry or turf. Dwarf breeds coniferous plants they also welcome feather grass into their surroundings, and therefore they can even decorate an alpine hill.

In addition, the fantasy of landscape designers does not end there. Every day they invent new combinations of feather grass with other plants, delighting their customers.

Growing from seed

The easiest way to propagate feather grass is to divide its dense bush into parts. But if this plant has not yet started in your house and there is nothing to share, then you can grow it from a seed.

There is nothing easier than this. You can plant feather grass seeds in autumn (before winter) or in spring (in April-May). For this, a shallow hole is simply made (up to 3 cm deep) and 3-4 seeds are lowered into it. The soil must be moist at the time of planting. The method is the same for autumn and spring planting.

Remember that, despite the unpretentiousness, yet the feather grass may not be able to cope with the frosty coolness, suddenly dying in the bud. And therefore, the only the right way growing feather grass remains a seedling option. And besides, if your choice fell on a heat-loving variety, then except for seedlings, it will not be possible to plant it in another way.

The soil can be bought at the store or selected in the fall at own garden. Due to the fact that feather grass has no special requirements for the soil, our task becomes even easier. Seeds are sown in separate cups. This is done in order not to accidentally damage the thin stems of the sprouts in the process of planting them.

Sowing is done in early March, you need to place the seeds not deep into the soil. Be sure to moisturize as needed. The first sprouts hatch after four days. AT open ground seedlings are planted after 2 months, in May.

Care

It is necessary to sow feather grass in the ground or by seedlings at a distance of 20 cm from each other. All crop care comes down to clearing the land of weeds. If there is such a desire, then you can mulch the soil. Special watering or fertilizing given plant not needed as it is drought tolerant.

In order for feather grass to grow with pleasure, it is important to plant it in sunny places away from water bodies. Excess moisture this plant is not welcome. He has a dislike for acidic soils. Therefore, if a high acidity of the soil is noticed, lime must be introduced into it.

Feel free to divide bushes that are too thick in half. Better time for this event- Spring. After such a procedure, the plant will take on a more spectacular appearance, and besides, as we already know, this is a great way to propagate feather grass.

What is feather grass

A little earlier, we already talked about the fact that the feather grass has many types. But you can decorate the landscape with only a few of them, such as:

• Feather feather grass - the most frequent guest in the garden or on the flower bed. And they love him because he is better than others adapted to our climate, because he lives in the local steppe zone. In height, the bushes can reach up to 90 cm. It blooms at the end of spring - the beginning of summer. In winter, it is easy to do without shelter. The stem is particularly smooth, and the panicle is narrow;
• The most beautiful feather grass - this species has similar features with the previous version. Its only difference is that this “beautiful feather grass” has a thicker panicle. Being quite weighty, they gently slope down, forming a beautiful bend;
• Feather "Fluffy cloud" - this plant is very compact in size. Its height is only 50 cm, sometimes even less. Spikelets are straight, lush. Visually, such a bush resembles an air cloud, which is why it was called that;
• The thinnest feather grass - this species has Mexican roots, and therefore does not like cold and heat at all. Borders allowable temperature for him are within + 15 + 25 degrees. This is annual plant, which has hard leaves and whitish spikelets with a silver sheen. Bushes reach a height of 80 cm;
• Feather "Fireworks" - bushes of a plant of this species can be up to 80 cm in height. In our climate, "Fireworks" lives only one year. This feather grass has amazing abilities - to change its color depending on the season. In spring, its leaves, as usual, have a rich green tint. But in August, they suddenly turn golden-pink. With the advent of autumn, the situation changes again, and the leaves of the "Fireworks" are painted in red or brown tones;
• Zalesky's feather grass - this feathery feather grass prefers low-humus soils or solonets for growth. On its leaves you can find many hairs and small bulges. The panicle lowered down has a loose appearance;
• Feather "Hair" - interesting view feather grass, which has an average height of about 60 cm. Its awn is quite thin and long (about 20-25 cm). It clearly shows the similarity with horse hair. Spikelets of silver-green color;
• Lessing's feather grass - the height of this grass does not exceed 60 cm. The leaves have a rough surface. When they dry out, they can twist. Panicles have purple hues.

Signs associated with feather grass

The feather grass is covered with secrets no less than other plants. There is a belief that allegedly feather grass is widow's grass, and therefore it cannot be kept at home. Because if one of the women disobeys and brings this weed into the house for storage, he will become a widow. And this sign arose from ancient times, when during the flowering of feather grass, nomads attacked the villages, killing men. A strange coincidence, but it was it that gave rise to this belief. And the spikelets of feather grass resembled the gray hair of widowed mothers and wives.

Despite the first sign, there was another. She said that feather grass is not an ordinary plant. It belongs to the spirits of the steppe and is able to protect a person from all sorts of troubles. To do this, it was necessary to hide a bunch of feather grass under your clothes.

According to these beliefs, the conclusion is obvious - it’s still not worth keeping the feather grass at home, but in the garden - grow it with peace of mind. Feather grass will not only decorate your landscape design, but also give a feeling of merging with wildlife.

Hairy feather grass is distributed almost everywhere in all regions of our country. The feather grass plant has an outstanding appearance, which allows you to effectively use it in the design of landscape and bouquet compositions. Numerous varieties of feather grass, with their proper selection, form unusual natural compositions. The effect is achieved through a variety of forms of leaf and flower culture. The description of the feather grass plant proposed in the article provides an excellent opportunity to learn more about this wild culture and imagine the possibilities of its use in landscape design and landscaping.

Look at the feather grass plant in the photo and the description presented further on the page will become more understandable and accessible for assimilation of new information:

Description grass feather grass (with photo)

You need to start describing the feather grass with the fact that it is a genus perennial herbs cereal families. Includes about 300 species growing in temperate and subtropical regions. In Russia - in the south of the European part and in Siberia, the grass grows hairy feather grass, or tyrsa, Lessing's feather grass, Syreschikov's feather grass, etc.

Feather belongs to the perennial plants belonging to the Cereal family. These are densely tufted herbs growing in a bush. The stalk of the feather grass is straight, with narrow and hard leaves on it. Continuing the description of grass feather grass, it is worth noting that it grows in the steppes, to which it is perfectly adapted. In particular, for the best distribution of seeds in feather grass, they have long nets that are pinnately omitted, which in general is a peculiar and very good aircraft. Due to this structure, feather grass seeds fly long distances from mother plants.

See how feather grass looks like in the photo, illustrating the variety of forms of this plant:

What does a leaf and flower of feather grass look like (with photo)

It is rather difficult to imagine what the feather grass looks like, since its inflorescences are inconspicuous and do not have a noticeable perianth, like all cereals. The feather grass flower consists of three stamens with large heavy anthers sitting on thin long filaments, and an ovary with two feathery stigmas resembling lamp brushes in miniature. These essential parts of the flower are enclosed in a pair of tough scales that fit snugly together. These scales diverge only during flowering, releasing stamen filaments and stigmas outward. On a larger scale, tightly covering the other, there is a long articulated appendage - the so-called awn. This awn is so long that it seems that it is not an appendage to a small scale, but, on the contrary, the whole flower is, as it were, a detail of this powerful and elegant formation, often reaching half a meter in length. The awn is usually articulated, often twice, and in feathery feather grasses the lower knee is bare, and the upper one is covered with white silky hairs. The scales, which contain the sexual parts of the flower and therefore are called flowering, are enclosed in a pair of other spikelet scales, sitting on legs, which are attached to the common stem of the inflorescence, forming a compressed panicle.

Narrow-linear sheets of feather grass are folded along, from the lower, outer side, they are bare, and from the upper, wrapped inside, densely hairy - this is protected from excessive evaporation. Leaves cover strong bare stems with their sheaths.

See what the feather grass looks like in the photo, which illustrates the structure of its flowers and leaves:

Feather grass, like all cereals, is a wind-pollinated plant, which can be guessed immediately from the structure of its flowers, devoid of a brightly colored perianth, aroma, sweet nectar, etc. However, in some feather grasses, flowers often do not open at all and. self-pollination takes place in them, just as we saw in the "amazing violet" in a broad-leaved forest.

When the fruit begins to develop from the fertilized ovary of the feather grass, the lemma with the awn tightly covers it and falls off with it. mother plant. What is the importance of awn in the life of a plant? In feathery feather grass, it primarily plays the role of a parachute and, picked up by a gust of wind, carries the fruitlets (caryopses) over considerable distances. But then the wind died down, and the flying fruit of the feather grass smoothly descends to the ground. Having the center of gravity located at the bottom of the caryopsis, it lands in such a way that the lower part of the caryopsis, long and thinly pointed, pierces deep into the ground from a swing (Fig. 56). However, the long awn located above it represents a large sailing surface, therefore, it would seem that with a new gust of wind, it would inevitably have to knock down the caryopsis that had taken root in the ground; however, this does not happen due to a special device. At the very tip of the grain, near its point, there is a crown of backward-facing hairs, arranged in such a way that, while allowing the grain to go deep into the soil, they at the same time resist pulling it out of the ground, holding it like an anchor. What happens next with such a feather grass fruit that has strengthened in a new place? Then the curious process of self-burying of the grain begins, which is screwed into the ground with a corkscrew. The lower part of the awn of the feather grass, devoid of hairs, has a special hygroscopicity. In dry weather, it twists in a helical fashion, while in wet weather it unwinds, while burying the fruit deeper and deeper into the ground.

Types of feather grass

Previously, botanists distinguished only a few types of feather grass:

feathery feather grass (Stipa pennata), forming characteristic long white "feathers".

Feather Lessing (Stipa Lessingiana), giving small sods and smaller in all its parts.

Stipa tyrsa, which does not form "feathers", but has long hair-like awns. But lately, the feathery feather grass has been broken into a row small species, differing, at first glance, in insignificant signs, but at the same time having a strictly limited area of ​​\u200b\u200bdistribution and a number of characteristic features. Let us first of all pay attention to the structure of the feather grass leaf.

Some types of feather grass have bristly leaves, folded lengthwise in such a way that the upper side of the leaf is inside an almost closed cavity. The lower (outer) side of the leaf is smooth, while the upper side has characteristic grooves, or furrows, and the stomata are located on the sides of the ribs that separate the furrows. In this position, especially in a folded feather grass leaf, the stomata are immersed in a closed chamber, where moist air accumulates, delaying evaporation.

Rolled leaves for the most part have feather grass, characteristic of the southern and semi-desert steppes, where there is especially arid conditions(for example, Lessing's feather grass); other species, which go further north and occupy the central part of the steppe belt, have leaves of a different character. In wet weather, their plates are flat and evaporate a large number of moisture, with the onset of drought, they fold along in the same way as in Lessing's feather grass. The ability of feather grass leaves to unfold and fold depending on the weather is explained by a change in turgor (Turgor - pressure cell sap on cell walls) within a certain group of cells in the leaf tissue. Not receiving enough moisture, they decrease in volume, become flabby and unable to hold the leaf blade in expanded form.

Look at the feather grass in the photo of a plant belonging to one of the species common in the steppe zone:

Let us consider in more detail the hairy feather grass, another name for which is tyrsa (Stipa capillata L.) This perennial. Grassroots dense bushy grass with a fibrous root system, forming a dense turf. The stems are erect, their average height is 50–60 cm, but reaches 100 cm. The plant forms many vegetative shoots. Inflorescence - panicle. Spikelets on rather long legs and branched axes. Panicle branches in the lower part are longer and more branched than in the upper part. Spikelets are single. Spikelet scales are shorter than flower films or the same length as them. The awn departs from the top of the scales, naked, hairy, twisted below. Hairy feather grass has good adaptability to environmental conditions. It occurs in the forest-steppe, steppe and semi-desert. In relation to water, it is a xerophyte. It has slow pace development. Since spring, it grows late and develops slowly. Blooms in July. Due to the long vegetation, the leaves are pale green in August, dry in October - November. After mowing to heading, it forms aftermath. With frequent mowing, it dies. Keeps in herbage for decades. Hairy feather grass from the beginning of flowering becomes life-threatening for sheep and goats.

See how the feather grass looks like in the photo and the description of the hairy will become more visual and colorful:

Where does feather grass grow

Is feather grass characteristic of any steppe? No, because there are places where feather grass grows, and there are regions where other types of grasses predominate. If you study the description of the northern steppe, you can understand that forbs dominate here - various dicotyledonous plants that bloom in the first half of summer, giving the steppe the appearance of a motley Persian carpet at that time. Nevertheless, in this sea of ​​flowers here and there you can see the feathers of the feather grass and its characteristic thick turfs. Thus, even in the northernmost steppes there is feather grass, but its role here is small.

Another thing is the feather grass steppes, which occupy the central and southern parts of the steppe zone, the very name of which indicates that feather grass is the main, as they say, “landscape” plant here. However, in the south of the steppe region, the feather grass begins to thin out again, and various semi-shrubs already dominate in the semi-desert - gray wormwood and saltwort.

The long-term habitation of feather grasses in the steppes created and ensured the accumulation of chernozem in the soil; feather grasses also saved the steppe soil from wind erosion. Excellent illustrations for this description will be the pictures located on this page.

Look at the feather grass in the photo and the description of this culture will become more understandable and interesting:

The use of feather grass.

Hairy feather grass has an average economic value. In spring, feather grass leaves are well eaten by horses, which quickly recover on it, mares increase their milk yield. The quality of koumiss when grazing on it is much higher than on other types of pastures. By the beginning of earing, palatability drops sharply. After mowing, it gives a tender aftertaste, which is readily eaten by animals. Sheep and goats eat feather grass satisfactorily at a very young age. Hay harvested no later than the beginning of earing is readily eaten by all types of livestock, and is eaten poorly during the flowering period. Hairy feather grass was not introduced into the culture.

Certain types of feather grass are used when planting rock gardens, as well as when forming bouquets of dried flowers and herbs.

Feather grass is a dangerous herb.

This plant is a true steppe, strong and hardy. Let the sun rage, let the wind burn, but they cannot dry the feather grass to death. Its narrow, hard leaves are able to close, curl up along their entire length into a tube. And their stomata, through which the plant breathes, feeds and, of course, evaporates moisture, are located only on one side - just the one that is inside the tube. And besides, in the summer drought, the stomata open their feather grass only for two hours a day. All this greatly helps him to endure the misfortunes of the steppe climate, which is stingy with moisture. But the feather grass has an even more amazing adaptation.

Between its hard leaves, light, flexible "feathers" grow in abundance. When the wind sways them, they cast a delicate silvery silk. It is they who give the steppe an unforgettable beauty. They are called "osts". Each spine is like a thin wire. In the upper part it is densely pubescent with short, soft hairs, and in the lower part it is naked. Here, below, the awn turns into a pointed thickening like a spearhead.

This is a grain. In it, behind hard scales, the fruit of the feather grass, its grain, is hidden. When the grain is fully ripe in mid-June, the entire feather, along with the caryopsis, breaks off. The restless steppe wind picks it up and carries it, and circles above the ground until it subsides. Then the feather falls and invariably sticks the grain into the soil. A new gust of wind will no longer budge it: at the sharp end of the grain, a corolla of hard bristles is bristling - this is a reliable anchor.

And yet the most interesting happens later. The fact is that the lower part of the spine is twisted into a tight spiral. And when the air becomes at least a little wetter, for example, in the evening, the spiral begins to unwind. She rotates the grain and literally screws it into the ground. As soon as the air becomes dry, the spiral twists back, turning the grain in the other direction, but still driving it deep into the soil. After all, there were cases when the awns of the feather grass penetrated so deeply into the body of grazing sheep that they died. Burrowing into the soil in such an unusual way, the grain reaches a place where it can safely overwinter. Next spring, it will rise as a green seedling - the beginning of a new feather-grass bush. In due time, he, too, will spread delicate feathers, which, under the wind, will also be beautifully cast in silvery silk.

An experiment with feather grass.

If you ever have to hold feathers of feather grass with caryopses in your hands, do the following simple experiment. Stick the tip of the fruit into the sleeve of your dress and moisten the spiral lower knee of the awn. After a few seconds, you will observe how the tip of the pen begins to slowly rotate, and the weevil will gradually sink into the fabric of the sleeve. The same rotation, but in the opposite direction, will also occur during drying, however, in this case, the grain will continue to sink into the fabric. If you forget to take the feather grass grain out of your sleeve, after a while it will remind you of its existence, piercing into it so much that it starts to prick the body. The fruits of feather grass, especially tyrsa, often get into the wool of sheep, and, screwing through it into the animal's body, inflict numerous wounds on it. There are cases when tyrsa grains penetrated into the lungs of sheep in this way and caused their death. In the past, in the southern feather grass steppes, even special stabbing machines were used, consisting of two knives mounted on wheels, which were supposed to destroy the fruiting stems of this plant in order to neutralize the pasture for sheep in this way.

See how feather grass grows in the wild - unique footage is offered on the video:

There are more than 300 species of them in the world, more than 80 in our country. These plants are widespread in both hemispheres. In this article, we will take a closer look at one representative of this genus, namely the feather grass.

This plant grows in Europe, the Caucasus, Kazakhstan. In our country, feather grass was originally distributed only on the territory of the steppes or areas with rocky slopes. However, about 20 years ago, its seeds were brought to other regions of Russia, and now this plant can be found almost everywhere, mainly on roadsides, in glades and fields.

Feather grass (photo shows what this plant looks like) is a perennial grass that grows up to 1 m in height. Its characteristic feature is long narrow rough leaves and fluffy panicle nets extending from the grains that are in the ear. When the plant is still young and the seeds in it are not ripe, the skeleton hairs are very soft. If you touch them, you immediately get the impression that you are stroking some fluffy animal. But everything changes after the grains ripen at the feather grass. The edge of the ear becomes rigid, and it can get hurt. These hairs are needed in order for heavy seeds to spread through the air - so the plant can sow a large area.

Growing for decorative purposes

Feather feathery - beautiful plant. When the wind blows, it sways and falls to the ground, forming silver-gray waves. It seems that the earth is covered with a silk veil. Although this is very conditional - for many, such a picture brings melancholy. Be that as it may, feather grass is a rare guest in gardens and parks. It's all about the hard hairs - they are very prickly, and therefore gardeners do not like to grow this plant. However, feather grass is still occasionally planted as an addition to other flowers and shrubs in order to make some kind of garden composition.

In other cases, it is classified as a weed, as it causes significant harm to farms. It is not suitable for livestock, and if it is prepared with hay, the animal may suffer - coarse hairs can damage its mouth or esophagus. On the contrary, cattle eat young plants very well.

Feather grass is brought into the country. This is due to the fact that its traditional habitats - the steppes - are increasingly being plowed under useful crops or given to livestock. And although this type of plant is quite common in small quantities, real feather grass steppes are already considered a valuable relic.

Application

Feather grass is sometimes used in folk medicine. Chemical composition This plant has not been studied, so it is not known what substances have an effect on the human body. However, herbalists and healers have for many years used a decoction of feather grass in milk to treat diseases of the thyroid gland and poultices from the leaves for paralysis. However, there is no evidence that such alternative methods be effective or at least safe.

Feather grass (Maryin flax, silk grass, etc.) is a perennial herbaceous plant family Bluegrass (Cereals). It grows in the steppes and arid areas in Europe, and is also found in other parts of the world. Often a weed. There are many varieties of this plant. In Russia, four species are best known: feathery feather grass, the most beautiful feather grass (included in the Red Book), Zaleski's feather grass and hairy feather grass (Tyrsa). Feather grass is grown in ornamental horticulture, used in folk medicine and in the production of fabrics.

Description and preparation

Grass feather grass has a short rhizome, narrow hard leaves and a paniculate inflorescence.
In folk medicine, the entire ground part of the plant is used. Harvesting is carried out in late spring - early summer: the plants are harvested and dried in a well-ventilated area, avoiding sunlight. Store dried feather grass in paper bags, cardboard boxes or cloth bags for two years.
Dried herbs can be chopped immediately before being packaged for storage, or just before use.
Sometimes feather grass roots are used in medicine - they are harvested in the fall: they are dug up and dried in the usual way.

Composition and properties

The feather grass contains: cyanogens (including trigloquinine), fiber, proteins and fats. The plant has: anti-inflammatory, analgesic, soothing and improves blood circulation action.
In folk medicine, feather grass is used for:

• thyroid diseases;
• rheumatism, radiculitis;
• paralysis, paresis after a stroke;
• multiple sclerosis;
• prostate adenoma.

Recipes

Infusion for paralysis:

• 1 tsp chopped feather grass;
• 1 tsp mordovnik seeds;
• 1 st. boiling water.

Pour feather grass with mordovnik with boiling water in a thermos overnight. In the morning, strain the resulting infusion. Take during the day in small portions.

Decoction in milk for paralysis:

• 1 tbsp dry feather grass;
• 1 st. boiling milk.

Add the herb to the boiling milk and boil for 15 minutes. Then let the broth brew for one hour and strain. Take 1-2 tablespoons three times daily before meals.
Decoction for diseases of the thyroid gland:

• 2 tsp dry chopped feather grass;
• 1 st. boiling milk.

Bring the milk to a boil, add the feather grass to it and boil for 5 minutes. Then let the broth brew for half an hour, strain and drink in small sips throughout the day. Also, this decoction can be used for the preparation of lotions and poultices.
To prepare lotions for joint pain and rheumatism, you can use feather grass boiled in milk.
Tincture for sciatica and multiple sclerosis:

• 1/2 tsp feather grass;
• 1/2 tsp mordovnik seeds;
• 100 ml of alcohol.

Pour vegetable raw materials with alcohol and put in a dark place for three weeks. Strain the finished tincture. Use for rubbing. Also, the tincture can be taken 20 drops, diluted in a small amount of water, an hour after eating in the morning and evening.

Baths for adenoma:

• 1 part grass of feather grass;
• 1 part horsetail herb;
• boiling water.

Prepare a mixture of these herbs. Pour 3 handfuls of herbal mixture with 2 liters of boiling water, let it brew for an hour. Strain and warm up. Take a bath before bed. Before taking a bath, it is recommended to make an enema with chamomile infusion.

Contraindications

Feather grass is contraindicated for allergy sufferers - its seeds can cause an asthma attack, suffocation. With allergies, you can’t even keep bouquets of feather grass in the house.
Even in the absence of contraindications, it is recommended to consult with your doctor before treatment with feather grass.